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

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:

• California Strategies (nearly $2.6 million)
• Shaw Yoder Antwih Schmelzer & Lange (more than $2.3 million)
• Axiom Advisors (more than $2.2 million)
• Weideman Group (more than $2.18 million)

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

• Townsend Public Affairs (nearly $1.95 million)
• Platinum Advisors (nearly $1.94 million)
• KP Public Affairs (nearly $1.74 million)
• Nielsen Merksamer Parrinello Gross & Leoni (more than $1.38 million)
• Aaron Read & Associates (more than $1.36 million)
• Campbell Strategy & Advocacy (more than $1.2 million)
• Sloat Higgins Jensen and Associates (more than $1.17 million)
• Lang Hansen Giroux & Kidane (more than $1.16 million)
• Niemela, Pappas and Associates (nearly $1.12 million)
• Political Solutions (more than $1.1 million)
• Carter, Wetch & Associates ($1.037 million)
• Actum (more than $1 million)

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:

• California Advisors (more than $4.8 million)
• Actum (more than $4.7 million)
• Sacramento Advocates (more than $4.5 million)
• Fernandez Jensen Kimmelshue Government Affairs (more than $4.33 million)
• Joe A. Gonsalves & Son (more than $4.3 million)
• Edelstein, Gilbert, Robson & Smith (nearly $4.14 million)
• Caliber Strategies (more than $4.13 million)
• Carpenter Garcia Sievers (more than $4.05 million)

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

• Governmental Advocates (more than $3.99 million)
• Arc Strategies (more than $3.8 million)
• McHugh Koepke Padron Government Relations (nearly $3.52 million)
• Resolute (nearly $3.5 million)
• Capitol Advisors Group (nearly $3.45 million)
• Lighthouse Public Affairs (more than $3.44 million)
• The Gualco Group (more than $3.263 million)
• Cruz Strategies (more than $3.26 million)
• Miller Cespedes and Associates (nearly $3.24 million)
• Manatt, Phelps & Phillips (nearly $3.1 million)
• Public Policy Advocates (more than $3 million)

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

• Buchalter (nearly $2.9 million)
• Aprea & Company (more than $2.85 million)
• Samson Advisors (more than $2.74 million)
• Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck (nearly $2.74 million)
• Capitol Strategies Group (more than $2.7 million)
• Kahn, Soares, & Conway (more than $2.5 million)
• Kate Bell Strategies (nearly $2.5 million)
• Hurst Brooks Espinosa (nearly $2.43 million)
• Norwood Associates (nearly $2.4 million)
• Nossaman (more than $2.3 million)
• Omni Government Relations (nearly $2.3 million)
• Balance Public Relations & Strategic Solutions (more than $2.24 million)
• Fanslau Government Affairs (nearly $2.2 million)
• Mosaic Solutions and Advocacy (more than $2.1 million)
• Capitol Strategic Advisors (more than $2 million)

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:

• California Advocacy (nearly $1.98 million)
• Greenberg Traurig (more than $1.95 million)
• Politico Group (nearly $1.9 million)
• Rostrum (more than $1.84 million)
• Capitol Connection (more nearly $1.7 million)
• The Law Offices of Alberto Torrico (nearly $1.66 million)
• Pinnacle Advocacy (more than $1.63 million)
• School Services of California (more than $1.6 million)
• Houston Magnani and Associates (nearly $1.6 million)
• Murdoch, Walrath & Holmes (more than $1.55 million)
• CA Lobby (more than $1.54 million)
• Kester/Pahos (nearly $1.53 million)
• Capitol Partners (more than $1.5 million)
• WPSS Group (nearly $1.5 million)
• Renne Public Policy Group (nearly $1.4 million)
• Reeb Government Relations (nearly $1.38 million)
• Noteware Government Relations (more than $1.37 million)
• Third House (nearly $1.36 million)
• West Coast Advisors (nearly $1.34 million)
• Ellison Wilson Advocacy (nearly $1.3 million)
• Khouri Consulting (more than $1.28 million)
• The Apex Group (nearly $1.26 million)
• Valencia Government Relations (more than $1.23 million)
• Clear Advocacy (nearly $1.2 million)
• Knudsen & Associates (more than $1.15 million)
• Broad and Gusman Governmental Advocacy (nearly $1.12 million)
• Madden Quinonez Advocacy (nearly $1.1 million)
• Villines Group (nearly $1.04 million)
• Paula Treat (more than $1.03 million)
• Conservation Strategy Group (more than $1.02 million)
• MVM Strategy Group (more than $1.01 million)
• JGC Government Relations (more than $1 million)

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.