Spending on lobbying firms already tops $222 million in 2023

Special interests paid firms more than $77 million to lobby California state government in the third quarter of 2023, according to a Capitol Weekly analysis of lobbying firm reports.

That doesn’t include all of the money spent on lobbying during the third quarter; lobbying firm reports don’t capture wages and expenses for in-house lobbyists, for example.

But $77 million spent in the third quarter represents roughly a 4 percent increase in spending over the second quarter of 2023 and a 9 percent increase over the first quarter. These increases are based on revised spending totals after lobbying firms have filed amendments to disclosure forms.

For the first three quarters of 2023, special interests paid more than $222 million to lobbying firms, according to California Secretary of State disclosures analyzed in early November. (We’re noting when we conducted our analysis because the filing of subsequent amendments can affect totals.)

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

Form 625 is only filled out by lobbying firms, which the state defines as businesses that are “compensated to communicate directly with any state, legislative or agency official to influence legislative or administrative action on behalf of a client.”

The top firms from the second quarter all remained top firms in the third, although several reported making more in the third quarter than in the second, sending some of them over $1 million in reported payments for the quarter.

After being surpassed by California Strategies in the second quarter, John Latimer’s Capitol Advocacy regained the top spot as the lobbying firm to report receiving the most money in the third quarter. (Capitol Advocacy was also No. 1 in the first quarter.) Latimer’s firm reported receiving more than $2.5 million from July through September 2023.

Four other lobbying firms reported making more than $2 million in the third quarter:

• California Strategies ($2.4 million)
• Axiom Advisors (nearly $2.3 million)
• Platinum Advisors ($2.1 million)
• Weideman Group (more than $2 million)

Seventeen more firms reporting making more than $1 million in the third quarter:

• KP Public Affairs ($1.9 million)
• Shaw Yoder Antwith Schmelzer & Lange (nearly $1.9 million)
• Townsend Public Affairs (nearly $1.8 million)
• Niemela, Pappas and Associates ($1.4 million)
• Campbell Strategy & Advocacy (nearly $1.4 million)
• Political Solutions (nearly $1.4 million)
• Strategies 360 (nearly $1.4 million)
• Nielsen Merksamer Parrinello Gross & Leoni ($1.3 million)
• Lang Hansen Giroux & Kidane ($1.3 million)
• Aaron Read & Associates (nearly $1.2 million)
• Sloat Higgins Jensen and Associates (nearly $1.2 million)
• Sacramento Advocates ($1.1 million)
• California Advocates (more than $1 million)
• Actum (more than $1 million)
• Carter, Wetch & Associates (more than $1 million)
• California Advisors (more than $1 million)
• Fernandez Jensen Kimmelshue Government Affairs (more than $1 million)

These 22 firms received nearly 44 percent of all of the money paid to lobbying firms in the third quarter.

Three other firms – Caliber Strategies, Carpenter Garcia Sievers and Joe A. Gonsalves & Son – reported making more than $900,000 in the third quarter. Two more firms reported payments of more than $800,000: Edelstein, Gilbert, Robson & Smith and Governmental Advocates.

In all, 142 firms reported receiving six figures or more in payments in the third quarter. Another 152 firms reported receiving five figures in payments.

For the first three quarters of 2023, two firms reported receiving more than $7 million in payments: Capitol Advocacy ($7.6 million) and California Strategies (nearly $7.4 million). Two more firms reported receiving more than $6 million in payments during that time: KP Public Affairs ($6.1 million) and Platinum Advisors (more than $6 million).

Three firms reported receiving more than $5 million: Shaw Yoder Antwith Schmelzer & Lange (more than $5.9 million), Weideman Group ($5.7 million) and Townsend Public Affairs ($5.5 million). Three other firms reported receiving more than $4 million: Axiom Advisors (nearly $4.3 million), Strategies 360 (more than $4 million) and Niemela, Pappas and Associates (more than $4 million).

There were eight firms that reported receiving more than $3 million: Political Solutions ($3.8 million), Lang Hansen Giroux & Kidane (nearly $3.8 million), Nielsen Merksamer Parrinello Gross & Leoni (nearly $3.7 million), Sloat Higgins Jensen and Associates ($3.6 million), Campbell Strategy & Advocacy (nearly $3.5 million), Aaron Read & Associates ($3.4 million), California Advocates (more than $3 million) and Carter, Wetch & Associates (more than $3 million).

These 18 firms (which made $3 million or more) received more than 38 percent of all payments to lobbying firms during the first three quarters of 2023.

Fourteen firms reported receiving more than $2 million in payments:

• Sacramento Advocates ($2.8 million)
• California Advisors ($2.8 million)
• Fernandez Jensen Kimmelshue Government ($2.8 million)
• Actum (nearly $2.7 million)
• Joe A. Gonsalves & Son ($2.6 million)
• Carpenter Garcia Sievers (nearly $2.5 million)
• Edelstein, Gilbert, Robson & Smith ($2.4 million)
• Governmental Advocates ($2.4 million)
• Caliber Strategies (nearly $2.3 million)
• Arc Strategies (nearly $2.3 million)
• McHugh Koepke Padron Government Relations ($2.1 million)
• The Gualco Group (more than $2 million)
• Capitol Advisors Group (more than $2 million)
• Resolute (more than $2 million)

The 32 firms that made $2 million or more received more than 53 percent of all payments to lobbying firms during the first three quarters of 2023.

Twenty-four firms reported receiving more than $1 million in payments:

• Miller Cespedes and Associates (more than $1.9 million)
• Lighthouse Public Affairs (more than $1.9 million)
• Cruz Strategies ($1.9 million)
• Public Policy Advocates (nearly $1.9 million)
• Aprea & Micheli ($1.8 million)
• Manatt, Phelps & Phillips (nearly $1.8 million)
• Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck ($1.7 million)
• Capitol Strategies Group ($1.6 million)
• Samson Advisors (nearly $1.6 million)
• Kate Bell Strategies ($1.5 million)
• Kahn, Soares, & Conway ($1.5 million)
• Buchalter (nearly $1.5 million)
• Capitol Strategic Advisors (nearly $1.5 million)
• Hurst Brooks Espinosa ($1.4 million)
• Norwood Associates (nearly $1.4 million)
• Omni Government Relations ($1.3 million)
• Balance Public Relations & Strategic Solutions (nearly $1.3 million)
• Mosaic Solutions and Advocacy ($1.2 million)
• Greenberg Traurig (nearly $1.2 million)
• Fanslau Government Affairs (nearly $1.2 million)
• Nossman (nearly $1.2 million)
• Politico Group (nearly $1.2 million)
• California Advocacy ($1.1 million)
• Rostrum ($1.1 million)

The 56 firms that made $1 million or more received more than 69 percent of all payments to lobbying firms during the first three quarters of 2023.

An additional 167 firms reported receiving six figures in payments during that time. One hundred and seven firms reported receiving five figures in the first nine months of 2023.