Former Obama campaign manager and Uber Executive David Plouffe was fined $90,000 on Feb. 16 for illegal lobbying. He tried to lobby Mayor of Chicago Rahm Emanuel on behalf of Uber in 2015.
Plouffe approached Mayor Emmnuel asking for favor through the email sent on Nov. 20, 2015. His email become known to public when Emanuel was forced to release his personal emails related to public business in December, Chicago Tribune reported. Mayor Emanuel was under the allegation in two lawsuits to violate the Illinois law for open records.
In his email, the political strategist who organized two Obama's presidential campaigns in 2008 and 2015 asked a favor from Emanuel. As the board member of Uber, Plouffe asked Mayor Emanuel to help Uber removing the hurdle to legally operate in two Chicago airports.
Plouffe persuaded Emanuel to help Uber operating in the airports before the Thanksgiving. However, after his lobbying activities, Plouffee did not register his position as lobbyist nor reported his lobbying activities to the city administration.
With that findings, according to USA Today, Chicago board of ethics ruled with 5-0 voting that Plouffe violated the lobbying rules. The Chicago lobbying rules require lobbyists to register within five days after approaching the municipal government official for lobbying.
Chicago Board of Ethics fined Plouffee $90,000 for his misconduct, and also imposed fine on Uber for $2,000. In its determination, Board of Ethics explained the violations conducted by Plouffee.
“Mr. Plouffe lobbied city officials via email on Nov. 20, 2015, explicitly on behalf of the company,” wrote the chairman of Board of Ethics William Conlon. He then added to mention that Plouffee never reported his lobbying activity nor registered as lobbyist.
Following the determination, Uber acknowledged it had made a mistake for failed to register its lobbying activities. However, Uber argued the fined should at most be at $1,000.
Watch the report of how Plouffe was fined for violationg lobbying law below:
