Reporter Stumbles Across ALEC Meeting, Gets Kicked Out Of Hotel
ALEC recently had its spring meeting to decide what fresh hell to rain down on all of us little people, and one reporter discovered what happens when they actually do what reporters should do.
We know because we saw one of these back rooms with our own eyes, and were kicked out with the aid of off-duty police officers on orders from ALEC staff.
Even though Cooley was talking about legislation with Georgia Rep. Ben Harbin and other lawmakers behind closed doors in Savannah, CTIA told the 11Alive Investigators that Cooley was not lobbying under Georgia's legal definition. The money CTIA pays to ALEC is not considered a lobbying expenditure, even if ALEC used the same dollars to pay for the food, drink, and hotel for Georgia lawmakers in Georgia.
Likewise, Rep. Harbin and the other Georgia legislators are not required to report who paid for the hotel rooms, the meals, or any other expenses. If this happened in Atlanta, and the payments were made by lobbyists, they would be subject to reporting and a $75 limit.
The 11Alive Investigators filed half a dozen open records requests with Georgia senators and representatives, asking for receipts and reimbursement records for travel to ALEC events.The legislative counsel, Wayne Allen, responded on Wednesday, "your request is denied." Allen added, "The General Assembly is not subject to the Georgia Open Records law."
http://crooksandliars.com/2015/05/what-alec-trying-hide-reporters
= new reply since forum marked as read
Heh. Awesome line. 
