Open Secrets
blank 1021 mult oops i declare this main:
prolly neglect, but often in nodes
merri ok
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2 24 open secrets DB
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Top 20 Spenders, 2015-2023
| Lobbying Client | State Total | Federal Total | Combined Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Chamber of Commerce | $4,497,484 | $741,995,000 | $746,492,484 |
| National Assn of Realtors | $0 | $533,560,847 | $533,560,847 |
| Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America | $611,201 | $235,293,750 | $235,904,951 |
| Blue Cross/Blue Shield | $0 | $228,825,472 | $228,825,472 |
| American Hospital Assn | $0 | $227,021,995 | $227,021,995 |
| Business Roundtable | $0 | $191,720,000 | $191,720,000 |
| American Medical Assn | $0 | $185,252,000 | $185,252,000 |
| Amazon.com | $19,584,966 | $141,660,000 | $161,244,966 |
| Boeing Co | $9,855,672 | $138,416,000 | $148,271,672 |
| Verizon Communications | $34,683,333 | $105,158,309 | $139,841,642 |
| AT&T Inc | $5,228,834 | $128,329,000 | $133,557,834 |
| Alphabet Inc | $0 | $133,549,000 | $133,549,000 |
| Chevron Corp | $55,465,352 | $75,943,500 | $131,408,852 |
| Lockheed Martin | $6,892,198 | $123,889,015 | $130,781,213 |
| AARP | $33,285,086 | $96,439,000 | $129,724,086 |
| Comcast Corp | $0 | $129,622,000 | $129,622,000 |
| NCTA The Internet & Television Assn | $0 | $125,540,000 | $125,540,000 |
| Pfizer Inc | $19,647,812 | $101,997,650 | $121,645,462 |
| National Assn of Broadcasters | $0 | $115,468,000 | $115,468,000 |
| Open Society Policy Center | $0 | $114,790,000 | $114,790,000 |
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Top 20 Lobbying Firms or Lobbyists, 2015-2023
| Lobbying Firm/Lobbyist | State Income | Federal Income | Combined Income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akin, Gump et al | $12,075 | $406,895,000 | $406,907,075 |
| Brownstein, Hyatt et al | $355,750 | $376,840,250 | $377,196,000 |
| Ballard Partners | $165,041,000 | $121,967,000 | $287,008,000 |
| Holland & Knight | $15,547,287 | $263,300,000 | $278,847,287 |
| BGR Group | $24,000 | $262,474,000 | $262,498,000 |
| Cornerstone Government Affairs | $10,927,559 | $237,324,500 | $248,252,059 |
| Squire Patton Boggs | $0 | $214,867,000 | $214,867,000 |
| Greenberg Traurig LLP | $117,485,662 | $69,800,000 | $187,285,662 |
| Capitol Counsel | $0 | $178,640,000 | $178,640,000 |
| Invariant LLC | $0 | $170,240,000 | $170,240,000 |
| K&L Gates | $237,573 | $167,085,000 | $167,322,573 |
| Van Scoyoc Assoc | $0 | $167,005,000 | $167,005,000 |
| Southern Group | $155,794,000 | $40,000 | $155,834,000 |
| Mehlman, Castagnetti et al | $0 | $155,202,000 | $155,202,000 |
| Forbes Tate Partners | $1,501,620 | $149,347,000 | $150,848,620 |
| Cassidy & Assoc | $0 | $149,815,000 | $149,815,000 |
| Crossroads Strategies | $0 | $138,640,000 | $138,640,000 |
| Covington & Burling | $1,674,227 | $134,297,381 | $135,971,608 |
| Williams & Jensen | $10,000 | $135,000,000 | $135,010,000 |
| Thorn Run Partners | $12,000 | $134,460,000 | $134,472,000 |
Ranked Sectors, 2015-2023
| Sector | State Total | Federal Total | Combined Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health | $1,348,029,280 | $5,606,710,995 | $6,954,740,275 |
| Finance/Insur/RealEst | $1,168,936,970 | $4,898,517,009 | $6,067,453,979 |
| Misc Business | $1,190,004,312 | $4,693,956,963 | $5,883,961,275 |
| Communic/Electronics | $599,825,819 | $4,130,317,921 | $4,730,143,740 |
| Energy/Nat Resource | $1,083,912,817 | $3,011,790,127 | $4,095,702,944 |
| Other | $1,286,063,990 | $2,362,550,334 | $3,648,614,324 |
| Transportation | $434,649,116 | $2,280,721,622 | $2,715,370,738 |
| Ideology/Single-Issue | $598,086,243 | $1,425,933,645 | $2,024,019,888 |
| Agribusiness | $321,946,201 | $1,326,854,316 | $1,648,800,517 |
| Defense | $22,116,775 | $1,143,639,785 | $1,165,756,560 |
| Labor | $506,685,704 | $442,767,079 | $949,452,783 |
| Construction | $246,666,602 | $537,032,068 | $783,698,6 |
// above?
Top 20 Industries, 2015-2023
| Industry | State Total | Federal Total | Combined Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmaceuticals/Health Products | $295,505,810 | $2,801,151,234 | $3,096,657,044 |
| Insurance | $498,426,829 | $1,432,123,944 | $1,930,550,773 |
| Electronics Mfg & Equip | $153,560,827 | $1,529,300,695 | $1,682,861,522 |
| Civil Servants/Public Officials | $735,920,220 | $857,131,364 | $1,593,051,584 |
| Hospitals/Nursing Homes | $510,873,598 | $1,018,319,468 | $1,529,193,066 |
| Oil & Gas | $350,488,720 | $1,125,806,096 | $1,476,294,816 |
| Electric Utilities | $348,608,906 | $1,071,374,600 | $1,419,983,506 |
| Business Associations | $175,761,056 | $1,181,569,920 | $1,357,330,976 |
| Real Estate | $262,478,603 | $985,757,252 | $1,248,235,855 |
| Telecom Services | $273,457,591 | $924,644,959 | $1,198,102,550 |
| Health Services/HMOs | $260,084,426 | $904,903,286 | $1,164,987,712 |
| Securities & Investment | $94,039,738 | $1,036,228,484 | $1,130,268,222 |
| Health Professionals | $281,328,585 | $814,094,487 | $1,095,423,072 |
| Education | $336,599,388 | $717,505,954 | $1,054,105,342 |
| Misc Manufacturing & Distributing | $99,762,938 | $943,038,215 | $1,042,801,153 |
| Air Transport | $64,217,220 | $946,099,257 | $1,010,316,477 |
| Automotive | $159,620,034 | $642,647,778 | $802,267,812 |
| Internet | $71,544,777 | $676,387,269 | $747,932,046 |
| Misc Issues | $241,758,227 | $461,155,785 | $702,914,012 |
| TV/Movies/Music | $57,777,574 | $589,974,000 | $647,751,574 |
Top Spenders
2023
| Lobbying Client | Total Spent |
|---|---|
| US Chamber of Commerce | $69,580,000 |
| National Assn of Realtors | $52,395,289 |
| American Hospital Assn | $30,238,230 |
| Blue Cross/Blue Shield | $28,589,340 |
| Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America | $27,628,000 |
| American Medical Assn | $21,215,000 |
| Amazon.com | $19,840,000 |
| Business Roundtable | $19,740,000 |
| Meta | $19,300,000 |
| CTIA | $17,180,000 |
| AARP | $16,520,000 |
| American Chemistry Council | $15,800,000 |
| Pharmaceutical Care Management Assn | $15,434,955 |
| NCTA The Internet & Television Assn | $14,560,000 |
| Boeing Co | $14,490,000 |
| General Motors | $14,420,000 |
| Pfizer Inc | $14,360,000 |
| Alphabet Inc | $14,360,000 |
| Amgen Inc | $14,290,000 |
| Lockheed Martin | $14,066,565 |
https://www.opensecrets.org/federal-lobbying/top-spenders}:}:}:
SECTIONS
Summary ›
Lobbying Primer ›
Trends in Spending ›
Business, Labor & Ideological Split ›
Top Spenders ›
Top Lobbying Firms ›
Ranked Sectors ›
Industries ›
Recent Registrations ›
Top Contracts ›
Top Issues ›
Top Agencies ›
Bills ›
Contributions ?
Methodology ›
Foreign Lobby Watch ›
Whether they do their own lobbying or hire it out to DC’s infamous K Street firms (and often they do both), these organizations spend the most trying to influence government policy.
2021
Top Spenders
Lobbying Client Total Spent
US Chamber of Commerce $29,630,000
National Assn of Realtors $18,133,428
PharmaceuticalResearch & Manufacturers of America $15,218,000
American Hospital Assn $12,121,176
Blue Cross/Blue Shield $12,018,300
American Medical Assn $10,880,000
Amazon.com $10,190,000
Facebook Inc $9,560,000
Business Roundtable $8,840,000
Raytheon Technologies $8,150,000
National Assn of Manufacturers $7,710,000
Lockheed Martin $7,467,350
Comcast Corp $6,720,000
Northrop Grumman $6,690,000
Pfizer Inc $6,670,000
NCTA The Internet & Television Assn $6,570,000
Biotechnology Innovation Organization $6,560,000
America's Health Insurance Plans $6,410,000
Boeing Co $6,170,000
CTIA $5,930,000 TELECOMM
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an 1 24
in the wake of the insurrection at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, in which a mob of far-right rioters attempted to violently disrupt Congress' certification of the 2020 Electoral College count, numerous corporations vowed publicly to stop donating to Republicans who supported the rioters' cause.
However, a new report from nonpartisan campaign finance research group Open Secrets shows that corporations have been flooding the campaign war chests of Republican election deniers in Congress, with more than $108 million donated since the insurrection.
"Companies pledged to pull back, but we have not seen that play out," Open Secrets investigations manager Anna Massoglia recently told the New York Times.
To come to that amount, Open Secrets tracked donations to the campaigns of the 147 House and Senate Republicans (also known as the "Sedition Caucus") who voted to overturn the 2020 election the same day supporters of former President Donald Trump ransacked the US Capitol, killing five police officers and injuring hundreds more in the process. Researchers then zeroed in on donations that came from approximately 1,400 business political action committees and trade associations.
According to Open Secrets, PACs and trade groups donated roughly $91.4 million to the Sedition Caucus in the three years since the insurrection, and funded leadership PACs affiliated with Sedition Caucus members to the tune of $16.7 million more. Some of the biggest donors include the National Association of Realtors — a trade group for the real estate industry — the American Bankers Association and United Parcel Service. Other major corporate donors to election deniers include military contractors like Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics and General Atomics.
Notably, many of these donations came from the very same companies that pledged to stop supporting the Sedition Caucus. As journalist Judd Legum reported in his newsletter Popular Information, household name brands like Airbnb, Amazon, AT&T, Boeing and Pfizer publicly vowed to cut off donations to election deniers in 2021. However, Open Secrets found that all of those companies quietly resumed donations, in addition to other companies that pledged to stop supporting 2020 election conspiracy theorists like Comcast, Deloitte, General Motors, Home Depot, Marathon Petroleum, Raytheon and SpaceX, among others.
"Support for these organizations does not represent an endorsement for all issues that the organization supports," General Motors said of a 2021 donation to the Republican State Leadership Committee, which signed a statement in support of election denialism.
READ MORE:Media's 'performative neutrality' about Jan. 6 helps Trump threaten democracy: columnist
Click here to read Open Secrets' full report.
corporate-pacs-and-industry-trade-groups-steered-over-108-million-to-election-objectors-since-jan-6
Corporate PACs and industry trade have given more than $108 million to election objectors in Congress who voted against certifying the 2020 election results, according to a new OpenSecrets analysis of campaign finance reports.
Many corporations that vowed to suspend or reevaluate PAC giving to election objectors resumed making PAC donations to the so-called Sedition Caucus” within weeks or months of the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, according to the new analysis, which was first reported by the New York Times.
Over 1,400 business PACs, which include corporate PACs and industry trade groups, poured more than $91.4 million of that into political contributions directly to the campaigns of election objectors. Corporate PACs and industry trade groups added about $16.7 million more to the coffers of leadership PACs affiliated with those same members of Congress.
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Major corporations that have since resumed corporate PAC giving to election objectors include: AT&T, Boeing, Comcast, Home Depot, Lockheed Martin, Marathon Petroleum, Pfizer, Raytheon, SpaceX, Union Pacific, UPS, Verizonand Walmart.
The American Bankers Association, which paused contributions after the Jan. 6 attack, was the top contributor to election objectors in the first three quarters of 2023, followed by the National Association of Realtors and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.
These PACs are not necessarily donating funds exclusively to election objectors. Instead, most of the corporate PACs spread money around with little discrimination. Many of the top corporate contributors to election objectors give to Democrats as well as Republicans. As companies often strive to appear politically impartial, several of the top contributors to election objectors have given about evenly to politicians on both sides of the aisle.
About 70% of contributions from the American Bankers Association’s PAC, which gave election objectors over $430,000 in the first three quarters of 2023, have benefited Republicans in recent cycles.
The National Auto Dealers Association, which gave over $203,000 to election objectors in the first three quarters of 2023, similarly gives around 70% of its PAC contributions to Republicans.
UPS, which gave about 60% of its PAC contributions to Republicans in recent years, gave $164,500 to election objectors in the same period.
The PAC of the Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers, which gave $194,000 to election objectors in the first three quarters of 2023, also leans slightly right with their PAC contributions but have histories of giving to Democrat and Republican politicians.
The National Association of Realtors, the second highest overall contributor to election objectors during the first three quarters of 2023, has given about evenly to Democrats and Republicans in recent election cycles — meaning the election objectors were just a few names on a long list of the trade association’s beneficiaries. In some prior cycles the real estate trade group’s PAC has given more to Democrats while in other cycles it has given more to Republicans.
Boeing’s corporate PAC steered over $345,000 to election objectors in the first three quarters of 2023, more than any other company. But the aerospace giant has supported both Democrats and Republicans in recent years. While its PAC has given more to Republicans most recent cycles, it has also given more to Democrats in some prior cycles.
Following a similar trend, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association — which ranked third in giving to election objectors during the same period with $272,000 in PAC contributions has given slightly more to Republicans in recent years but gave more to Democrats in some prior cycles. Lockheed Martin’s PAC also generally gives slightly more to Republicans but sometimes gives more to Democrats.
AT&T’s PAC has also given about evenly to Democrats and Republicans in recent election cycles but leans slightly Republican.
Comcast, which made $192,000 in PAC contributions to election objectors since Jan. 6, has given about evenly to politicians of both parties in recent cycles. SpaceX and Honeywell International have also given roughly the same amounts to politicians of both parties in recent cycles.
American Crystal Sugar’s PAC giving leaned slightly Democratic while the National Cattlemen's Beef Association has predominantly given to Republicans.
Marathon Petroleum’s PAC, which gave $133,500 to election objectors during that period, has also given more than 90% of its contributions to Republicans – similar to many other oil and gas companies.
Koch Industries is another major contributor to election objectors that has also predominantly given to Republicans, but the Koch brothers’ energy company has a more complicated relationship with former President Donald Trump. The Kochs saw some key policy wins under the Trump administration but also clashed with the former president on several issues during his time in the White House and announced in 2023 that stopping Trump would be a key goal of their 2024 political strategy.
But that tension did not stop Koch Industries from continuing to give to members of Congress who voted against certifying 2020 election results after the Jan. 6 attack, with the company contributing $166,000 to election objectors in the first three quarters of 2023 alone. AFP Action, a super PAC affiliated with Americans for Prosperity that is predominantly funded by the Koch’s political network and Koch Industries, spent millions more to support election objectors during the same period.
Election objectors continue to rake in corporate PAC cash in 2023
Members of Congress who opposed certification of 2020 presidential election results received over $35 million in campaign and leadership PAC contributions from PACs affiliated with corporations and industry trade groups representing business interests in the first three quarters of 2023.
Rep. Jason Smith (R-Mo.) received more campaign and leadership PAC money from PACs affiliated with corporations and business trade groups than any other election denier’s campaign during the first three quarters of 2023.
Business PACs collectively steered over $2 million to Smith during that period with about $1.5 million to his campaign and nearly $470,000 to his leadership PAC.
Smith served as the top Republican on the House Budget Committee in the 117th Congress and now chairs the House Ways and Means Committee.
Smith has already received $10,000 from more than a dozen companies during the 2024 election cycle. Corporate PAC contributors that have maxed out to Smith this cycle include American Crystal Sugar, Cigna, CVS Health, Deere & Co., Qualcomm and Toyota.
Trade associations whose PACs maxed out to Smith include the National Structured Settlements Trade Association, the National Council of Farmer Co-Ops, the National Association of Truck Stop Operators, the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trustsand the National Association of Enrolled Agents.
Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) and former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who left Congress at the end of 2023, are also top recipients of corporate PAC funds.
Several other election objectors supported by the business PACs have also announced their retirement or were voted out of office in the 2022 midterms, but many are also running for reelection in 2024.
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