Lobbying complaint against ex-Senator Fulton dismissed

The Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission has dismissed a complaint against former state senator Tony Fulton for not registering as a lobbyist.

In January, Fulton persuaded current Senator Al Davis to withdraw a bill to tax the rare mineral niobium. Fulton serves on the board of directors of NioCorp Developments Ltd., a company that wants to mine niobium in southeast Nebraska. Fulton said he approached Davis as a private citizen.

Jack Gould of Common Cause Nebraska complained Fulton should have registered as a lobbyist. Accountability and Disclosure Commission Executive Director Frank Daley saids the commission voted unanimously to dismiss the complaint. “The commission found that there was no probable cause to believe that a violation of the Accountability and Disclosure Act had occurred,” Daley said.

Daley said people must register as lobbyists if they’re trying to influence the Legislature for another person or entity, but not if they’re acting for themselves.

Fulton said he thinks the commission made the right decision. Gould said Common Cause felt there were grounds for an investigation. He said another complaint he filed against Davis, for not disclosing conflicts of interest as a stockholder in NioCorp, is still being investigated.

Davis had no immediate comment.