Penn Foundation Cleared in Lobbying Inquiry

Philadelphia’s Board of Ethics has concluded that the William Penn Foundation’s work with a consulting firm for the city schools did not constitute lobbying, reports The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Last December, three organizations filed a complaint against the foundation, which had paid the Boston Consulting Firm $1-million to report on cost-cutting measures and privatization, saying the grant maker should have registered as a lobbyist. The groups claimed that the foundation’s motive was to close private schools and replace them with charter schools.

The Ethics Board concluded that the foundation’s actions “did not strictly constitute lobbying,” though it added that contracts between William Penn and the consulting firm “create the appearance that BCG was working for the foundation and not the School District.”