Penn State outspends peers on lobbying with little disclosure

Lax disclosure laws make it difficult to tell who or what Penn State is trying to influence

Penn State spent $1.7 million in the past two years on lobbying efforts in Harrisburg, outspending Penn, Pitt, and Temple.

Penn State outspends peers on lobbying with little disclosure

Penn State University outspent its peers lobbying state lawmakers in recent years, but the commonwealth’s lax disclosure requirements and the university’s protection from the open records law make following the school’s activity in Harrisburg difficult. Spotlight PA reviewed more than 15 years of quarterly lobbying reports from the Pennsylvania Department of State and adjusted the figures for inflation to make annual comparisons. The data show t…

As Penn State ramps up lobbying, lax disclosure laws make it difficult to tell who or what it’s trying to influence.

Penn State University outspent its peers lobbying state lawmakers in recent years, but the commonwealth’s lax disclosure requirements and the university’s protection from the open records law make following the school’s activity in Harrisburg difficult.

As Penn State Ramps Up Lobbying, Lax Disclosure Laws Make It Difficult to Tell Who or What It’s Trying to Influence.

This story was produced by the State College regional bureau of Spotlight PA, an independent, nonpartisan newsroom dedicated to investigative and public-service journalism for Pennsylvania. Sign up for Talk of the Town, a daily newsletter of local stories that dig deep, events and more from north-central PA, at spotlightpa.org/newsletters/talkofthetown. Penn State University outspent its peers lobbying state lawmakers in recent years, but the co…