Joint Legislative Ethics Committee

Office of the Ohio Legislative Inspector General

Uncategorized

Are you using a ridesharing app with a lobbyist?  Make sure you pay your share of the fare.

Legislators and legislative staff are prohibited from accepting personal travel expenses from a lobbyist.  This prohibition applies to transportation in a ridesharing vehicle (even when the trip is less than 50 miles one-way). However, legislators and legislative staff may ride with a lobbyist in a ridesharing vehicle so long as they pay their portion of the total fare. 

Many ridesharing apps will allow you to split the cost of the fare within the app.  If the legislator or legislative staff member chooses to reimburse the lobbyist directly for their share of the total fare, they must do so within seven calendar days.

Questions?  You can find more information in JLEC Advisory Op. 2018-001 available on our website at http://www.jlec-olig.state.oh.us/PDFs/AdvisoryOpinions/18-001.pdf or call JLEC at 614-728-5100.