Some Tech, Telecom Heavyweights Spent More on Q1 Lobbying
Several top tech and telecom companies reported major swings in their Q1 lobbying spending. Google and AT&T showed significant drops, while Twitter and Sprint saw increases. Tech companies and groups generally had big upticks, as did at least one telecom provider being taken over.
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Some other tech and telecom sector firms also filed their Q1 lobbying reports by late Monday afternoon. The Senate’s lobbying database was down for maintenance for a significant part of the day, and it was inaccessible.
Sprint, being bought by T-Mobile, said it spent $1.36 million. That's a 72 percent increase. T-Mobile's filing wasn't yet available, but 22 outside firms reported a combined $969,000 in fees for lobbying on the carrier's behalf.
Google reported $3.36 million on lobbying in Q1, down 33 percent. The Internet Association reported $690,000, up 130 percent. The Information Technology Industry Council paid $460,000, rising 12 percent. Twitter reported $420,000 in lobbying expenditures, gaining 180 percent.
Telecom outlays continued, with more disclosures to come. AT&T said it spent $2.58 million, a 37 percent decline. At least 22 outside lobbying firms reported at least $806,000 in fees for lobbying on behalf of Verizon. The carrier's filing wasn't yet available.
Cable filings, with many more to come, didn't show the big increases of some other companies. Charter Communications reported $2.37 million in Q1 spending, up about 1 percent from the year-ago period. Cox reported $890,000 in spending, down more than 34 percent.