Watchdog: Most HHS grant recipients lobby

All of the grantees said they knew about the ban on use of the grant money for lobbying.

• 5.1 percent of the grantees said they comply with the rules by not engaging in lobbying activities.
• 66 percent of the grantees said they comply with the rules by reviewing expenditures or conducting internal audits.
• 55 percent of the grantees said they use internal policy to keep from using grant funds for prohibited activities.

The investigators said they learned about two cases of possible use of HHS grant money for lobbying.

In one case, a project officer at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention heard about a grantee that was involved with a press event for a local smoke-free ordinance, investigators say.

In another case, the Health Resources and Services Administration was looking into allegations that a grantee had overcharged it for personnel and other items. While looking at that grantee's spending, agency staffers found that the grantee had paid for dinner and drinks for several legislative staffers during a trip to Washington.