Consumer Watchdog: Google Lobbying Budget Outpaces All Other Tech Heavyweights

High-tech and telecom companies continue to spend ever-greater amounts to win friends and influence people in the US government, hoping to push their agenda, according to the latest analysis of lobbying disclosure forms by Consumer Watchdog.

At $3.82 million and up 14 percent from $3.35 million in the year-ago period, the Google lobbying budget ranked the highest on Consumer Watchdog’s list of the top 15 technology and telecommunications companies in terms of spending on federal government lobbying in 1Q 2014.

Comcast, as it seeks to gain approval for its merger with Time Warner Cable, ranked second, spending $3.09 million on federal lobbying in 1Q. Noting that AT&T and Verizon typically outspend their high-tech counterparts, Consumer Watchdog said AT&T spent $3.67 million and Verizon $3.55 million on lobbying in 1Q.

The vast amounts of money companies are spending to influence federal lawmaking and regulations poses serious threats to American democracy, Consumer Watchdog argues.

“These companies continue to spend whatever they think necessary to buy the laws and regulations they want,” said Consumer Watchdog project director John Simpson. “These disclosure statements don’t include payments to trade associations or the sort of ‘soft’ lobbying that has become a Google trademark -- funds to think tanks and academic research centers. When all that is factored in, the amounts are staggering.”