The year 2022 was a record-breaking year for lobbying spending in New York, the Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government (COELIG) said in a new report released Monday.

The report said lobbying reached a $331 million record last year, an increase of 13.2% from 2021.

In addition, more than 84,000 state officers and employees have participated in live or live online ethics training in just under a year, the report found.

The top five client spenders were:

• 1199SEIU Labor Management Initiatives, Inc. Healthcare Education Project: $5.7 million
• Greater New York Hospital Association, Indc.: $3.5 million
• Genting New York, LCC: $2.5 million
• 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East: $2.3 million
• AARP: $2.3 million

"New Yorkers have a right to transparency in government and to know what entities may attempt to influence government decision-making. This is especially true in a year when lobbying spending shattered all previous records," COELIG Executive Director Sanford N. Berland said in a statement. "The annual report sheds light on which individuals and interests are lobbying state and local elected officials and policymakers."