NY fracking foes: will become lobby if required
NY anti-fracking group, celebrities say will register as lobbyists if required
FILE - In this Jan. 17, 2013 file photo, Sean Lennon and actress Susan Sarandon visit to a fracking site in New Milford, Pa. Dozens of celebrities may be running afoul of the law as they unite under the banner of one group that is seeking to prevent a method of gas drilling in New York state. Artists Against Fracking opposes hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, and boasts members including Yoko Ono and actors Mark Ruffalo and Susan Sarandon. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -- Artists Against Fracking say the group and supporter-celebrities, including Yoko Ono and Sean Lennon, haven't been told to register as lobbyists in their campaign to stop gas drilling in New York, but will if required to continue their cause.
A good-government advocate and two lobbying experts said Monday the state should review whether Artists Against Fracking and the celebrities should be registered as lobbyists. That would require disclosure of how much money they've raised and how it's been spent. The measure a way for the public to know who is influencing policy.
A spokesman for the group said it will register if required to.
The group and dozens of celebrities have opposed the hydraulic fracturing method of gas drilling that New York is considering for an economically depressed area upstate.
