EAO 333

For purposes of Government Code section 572.024, a state officer “actually knows” that a client directly compensates or reimburses a person required to be registered as a lobbyist if the state officer has express information to that effect or can acquire that express information through readily available means. A fee received by a business entity from a client who directly compensates or reimburses a person required to be registered as a lobbyist is not a fee received by a state officer for purposes of section 572.024 unless the business entity is the alter ego of the state officer.