The $222,300 in spending, reported from January 1 to May 31, is a 13.6% increase from the first five months of 2024. Ten years ago in 2015, about $97,000 was spent over the same period, according to data from the Oklahoma Ethics Commission.
The transactions range from $3 at McDonald’s to $207.71 at the upscale Mickey Mantle’s Steakhouse in downtown Oklahoma City. You can view the full list, and sort by amount and recipient, using the Ethics Commissions’ Guardian System.
Oklahoma Watch has often reported on the influence of lobbyists at the Capitol. While lobbyists are required to disclose how much they spent on which elected official, and can’t spend more than $500 per elected official each calendar year, they don’t have to disclose what issue or bill was discussed during the meal or meeting.
Lobbyists maintain they’re needed at the Capitol to help educate a term-limited Legislature on a variety of issues. More than 300 are registered with the Ethics Commission, representing interests from oil and gas to healthcare to newspapers and news organizations.
Two lawmakers, Reps. Tom Gann, R-Inola and Rick West, R-Heavener, don’t accept any gifts or meals from lobbyists. They say it’s to avoid the appearance that meals or gifts could influence their votes.
Oklahoma Watch, at oklahomawatch.org, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that covers public-policy issues facing the state.
