13.69 Enforcement and penalties.

(1) Except as provided in sub. (2m), any principal violating ss. 13.61 to 13.68 or a rule of the commission promulgated under those sections may be required to forfeit not more than $5,000. In the case of a partnership other than a foreign or domestic limited liability partnership, each of the partners is jointly and severally liable for any forfeiture imposed under this subsection.

(2) Any lobbyist violating ss. 13.61 to 13.68 or a rule of the commission promulgated under such sections may be required to forfeit not more than $1,000.

(2m) Any principal who fails to comply with s. 13.67 (1) and who has not been found to have committed the same offense within the 3-year period preceding the date of the violation may be required to forfeit not more than $25. Any principal who fails to comply with s. 13.67 (1) a 2nd time within a period of 3 years from the date of the first violation may be required to forfeit not more than $100 for the 2nd offense.

(3) Any lobbyist who falsifies information provided under s. 13.68 (4) or any principal who files or any person who files or causes to be filed on behalf of any principal a falsified statement under s. 13.68 may be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned in the county jail for not more than one year.

(4) Any lobbyist who procures his or her license by fraud or perjury or any person who acts as a lobbyist without being licensed may be required to forfeit not more than $1,000 and shall not be eligible to be licensed as a lobbyist for the period of 3 years from the date of such conviction.

(5) Any officer or employee of an agency identified in a statement filed under s. 13.695 who violates s. 13.695 (4) may be required to forfeit not more than $1,000.

(6) Any candidate for an elective state office, elective state official, agency official, or legislative employee of the state who, or any candidate committee which, violates s. 13.625 (3) may be required to forfeit not more than $1,000.

(6m) Any principal, lobbyist or other individual acting on behalf of a principal who files a statement under s. 13.63 (1), 13.64, 13.65, 13.67 or 13.68 which he or she does not believe to be true is guilty of a Class H felony.

(7) In addition to the penalties imposed for violation of ss. 13.61 to 13.68, the license of any lobbyist who is convicted of a violation may be revoked for a period not to exceed 3 years and a lobbyist who is convicted of a criminal violation is ineligible for licensure for a period of 5 years from the date of conviction.

History: 1977 c. 278; 1985 a. 332 s. 251 (1); 1989 a. 338, 359; 1997 a. 186, 283; 2001 a. 109; 2007 a. 1; 2015 a. 117; 2015 a. 118 s. 266 (10); 2015 a. 295.