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Spending on lobbying firms topped $381 million through 15 months of legislative cycle

Two connected puzzle pieces with the words politics and money, representing the influence of wealth in elections.
by BRIAN JOSEPH posted 05.06.2024
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Special interests, otherwise known as “lobbyist employers,” paid lobbying firms a little more than $76 million to lobby California state government in the first quarter of 2024, according to a Capitol Weekly analysis of lobbying firm reports.

That number doesn’t include all of the money spent on lobbying during the fifth quarter overall of the 2023-24 legislative cycle. For instance, lobbying firm disclosure reports don’t include wages and expenses for in-house lobbyists.

The $76 million represents roughly a 3.5 percent decrease from the amount spent in the fourth quarter of 2023, after accounting for disclosure amendments. According to updated figures, special interests spent the most on lobbying firms during the last quarter of 2023, more than $79 million, and spent more than $77 million in both the second and third quarters of that year.

Special interests spent the least amount of money during the first quarter of last year, more than $71 million, again according to figures updated after amended disclosures.

For the first five quarters of the 2023-24 legislative cycle, special interests paid more than $381 million to lobbying firms, according to California Secretary of State disclosures analyzed during late April and early May. (Capitol Weekly notes in these quarterly lobbying spending stories when we generally gathered our data because the filing of subsequent amendments can affect totals. We also note that we try at every turn to catch any mis-formatted data to avoid any miscounts. Scraping numbers from Cal-Access, however, can be an imperfect process and mis-formatted data isn’t always properly flagged in spreadsheet calculations. Please contact us if you see any incorrect totals.)

The $76 million represents roughly a 3.5 percent decrease from the amount spent in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Capitol Weekly’s analysis aggregates the total dollar value of all lobbying payments received by lobbying firms that are registered with the state, as disclosed on Form 625, which is filed quarterly with the SoS.

The Form 625 is only for lobbying firms, which are defined as businesses “compensated to communicate directly with any state, legislative or agency official to influence legislative or administrative action on behalf of a client.”

As usual, the top firms from previous quarters remained top firms in early 2024, although some changed places within the rankings.

John Latimer’s Capitol Advocacy, the top earning firm in the first and third quarters of 2023, regained the top spot in the first quarter of 2024, reporting receipts of more than $2.97 million.

Four other firms reported making more than $2 million in the first quarter of 2024:

Twelve more firms reported making more than $1 million in the fifth quarter:

These 17 firms received more than 37 percent of all of the money paid to lobbying firms during the first quarter of 2024.

Four other firms – Caliber Strategies, Sacramento Advocates, California Advisors and California Advocates – reported making more than $900,000 in the fifth quarter. Six more firms reported payments of more than $800,000: Governmental Advocates, Deveau Burr Group, Arc Strategies, Carpenter Garcia Sievers, Lighthouse Public Affairs and Joe A. Gonsalves & Son.

One hundred and fifty-three firms reported receiving six figures or more in payments in Q5. At least another 137 reported receiving five figures in payments.

For the first five quarters of the 2023-24 legislative cycle, one firm reported receiving more than $13 million: Capitol Advocacy (nearly $13.2 million). California Strategies reported receiving $12.5 million; Axiom Advisors, nearly $11.9 million.

Two more reported receiving more than $10 million: Platinum Advisors (nearly $10.2 million) and Weidman Group (more than $10 million). Three more firms reported receiving more than $9 million: KP Public Affairs ($9.9 million), Shaw Yoder Antwih Schmelzer & Lange (nearly $9.9 million) and Townsend Public Affairs (more than $9.6 million).

These eight firms received more than a fifth of all payments to lobbying firms during the first five quarters of the legislative cycle.

Six more firms reported making more than $6 million: Niemela, Pappas and Associates (nearly $6.4 million), Nielsen Merksamer Parrinello Gross & Leoni (nearly $6.35 million), Lang Hansen Giroux & Kidane (nearly $6.23 million), Political Solutions (nearly $6.2 million), Sloat Higgins Jensen and Associates (nearly $6.16 million) and Campbell Strategy & Advocacy (nearly $6.1 million).

Another four firms reported making more than $5 million: Aaron Read & Associates (more than $5.99 million), Strategies 360 (more than $5.3 million), Carter, Wetch & Associates (nearly $5.1 million) and California Advocates ($5.05 million).

These 18 firms received 38 percent of all payments to lobbying firms over the first five quarters.

Eight additional firms reported making more than $4 million:

Eleven more firms reported making more than $3 million through the first five quarters of the legislative cycle:

An additional 15 firms have reported earning more than $2 million thus far through the cycle:

These 52 firms received 67 percent of all payments to lobbying firms over the first 15 months of the cycle.

Thirty-two more firms reported earning more than $1 million during the first five quarters of the 2023-24 legislative cycle:

These 84 total firms that earned more than $1 million over the first five quarters of the legislative cycle received nearly 80 percent of all payments made to lobbying firms during that time.

An additional 187 firms reported making six figures during the first five quarters. An additional 88 firms reported making five figures during the first five quarters.

 

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