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Reconsideration request that the Board waive the $1500 late fee assessed against Charles Richard Byars for failure to timely file an Expenditure Report. |
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Mr. Byars states in March 2015 he filed with the Board his request to terminate his lobbying status in the State of Louisiana. He accepted a new job in Florida, and would no longer be engaged in lobbying activity in Louisiana. His termination request was accepted by the Board of Ethics. When he completed his termination request, he also thought that he finalized his monthly (March 2015) reporting requirements as well. He had no expenditures during the month of March 2015.
Mr. Byars states that the web site was a little bit confusing on how to properly terminate, and also file a final expense report with the Board of Ethics. When he terminated, there was no request for a change of address on the Board of Ethics' website, and therefore he didn't not update his profile. Mr. Byars states he wouldn't have thought that the system would have let him terminate if he still had not satisfied all of the statutory requirements of the Board of Ethics.
Mr. Byars received our correspondence that he was in violation of not reporting his March 2015 expenditures, but the address the letter was mailed to was for his former employer, Entergy Louisiana and it was several weeks before his former assistant reached out to him to forward the notice. The address his former assistant used to forward the Board of Ethics certified letter to him was the wrong address and the letter was returned to her and she corrected the address and resent it to him. This took an additional three (3) weeks. It was over (6) weeks before he ever had any knowledge that he had not filed a final March 2015 expenditure report.
Once he received the letter, he immediately contacted the Board of Ethics and explained that he thought he was in compliance. After speaking with the Board of Ethics, he immediately (same day) filed his final March 2015 expenditure report.
Mr. Byars states that he has been a registered lobbyist in Louisiana for 15 months and during those 15 months, has never filed a monthly expenditure report late.
Mr. Byars asks that the Board of Ethics please consider the above mentioned statements as a valid and appropriate reason to waive the $1500 fee.
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REPORT: March 2015 Lobbying Expenditure Report
REPORT DUE: April 27, 2015
REPORT FILED: May 29, 2015
DAYS LATE: 32 DAYS
FEE ASSESSED: $1500
ACTIVITY REPORTED: $76.86
OTHER LATE FILINGS: None
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La R.S. 24:55 provides that registered lobbyist shall file a monthly expenditure report by the 25th day of the subsequent month.
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| Assigned Attorney: |
Mike Dupree |
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