Sept 18 (Reuters) - Lyft ( LYFT ) has paid $19.4 million

to New Jersey after an audit found the ride-sharing company

misclassified more than 100,000 drivers as independent

contractors, state officials said on Thursday.

Officials including New Jersey Attorney General Matthew

Platkin said Lyft ( LYFT ) made the payment after withdrawing its request

for a hearing to review an audit of its books and records from

2014 to 2017 by the state's Department of Labor and Workforce

Development.