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NY celebrity anti-frackers not registered as lobby

ALBANY, N.Y. — A good-government advocate and two experts in lobbying law are calling on New York to examine whether celebrities opposing gas drilling should reveal their finances.

Barbara Bartoletti, of the League of Women Voters, says the state lobbing board should look into whether Artists Against Fracking and its celebrity members should register as lobbyists.

The Associated Press found neither the group nor its members appear to be registered lobbyists despite seeking to block New York from approving drilling. They feel the hydraulic fracturing method threatens the environment.

New York’s former lobbying chief and a former member of the lobbying commission agree a review is needed.

The group says forcing water and chemicals deep into shale deposits to extract gas threatens drinking water and the environment. Members include Yoko Ono and actors Mark Ruffalo and Susan Sarandon.

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