Syracuse University briefed government officials on its lobbying for civil rights and civil liberties in the fourth quarter of 2014, according to a lobbying report filed on Tuesday.

The university reported $60,000 in total lobbying activity for the fourth quarter of 2014 — down $10,000 from the $70,000 SU lobbied in the third quarter. The fourth quarter report covered Oct. 1, 2014 through Dec. 31, 2014.

The lobbying activity listed in the university’s report referred to a meeting between members of SU’s Cold Case Justice Initiative and members of the Congressional Black Caucus about the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act of 2007.

Members of the Cold Case Justice Initiative met with U.S. Rep. John Conyers (D-Michigan), Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Mississippi), Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas), Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas), Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Illinois), Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio) and Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II (D-Missouri).

The Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act of 2007 was introduced on Feb. 8, 2007 and signed into law by President Barack Obama on Oct. 7, 2008. The law directs the United States Attorney General to designate a deputy chief in the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice and makes the deputy chief responsible for investigating and prosecuting violations of criminal civil rights statutes in which the alleged violation occurred before Jan. 1, 1970 and resulted in death. Rep. John Lewis (D-Georgia) was the sponsor of the bill.

Emmett Till was a 14-year-old African American who was murdered in Mississippi in 1955 after allegedly flirting with a white woman. The trial following his murder galvanized public attention and ultimately the two men charged with his murder were acquitted.

Daniel J. French & Associates, a firm hired by SU to lobby, did not release a lobbying report for the fourth quarter as of Tuesday.

Eric Persons, SU’s associate vice president of government and community relations, did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment.

In total, SU lobbied for $250,000 in 2014, down from $300,000 in 2013 and $280,000 in 2012.

The $250,000 is the lowest total amount of lobbying since 2011, when SU reported lobbying activity of $210,000. In the fourth quarters of 2013 and 2012, SU reported lobbying $70,000, while in the fourth quarter of 2011, SU reported a total of $60,000 in lobbying activity.

In the third quarter of 2014, SU reported lobbying for science and technology in terms of research efforts in unmanned aircraft systems, better known as drones.

The first quarter of 2015 runs from Jan. 1 to March 31 with a filing date of April 21.

Published on January 21, 2015 at 12:01 am

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