Spending on lobbying firms topped $631 million during the 2023-24 legislative cycle

Special interest groups paid contract lobbying firms more than $81.397 million in the fourth quarter of 2024, the third highest quarter during California’s 2023-24 legislative cycle, according to a Capitol Weekly analysis of lobbying firm reports.

That figure is not a full picture of all the funds spent on lobbying during the eighth quarter of the cycle, as disclosure reports don’t include wages and expenses for in-house lobbyists.

The $81 million also represents a 5 percent decrease from the amount spent on the third quarter of 2024, down from $85 million spent during the third quarter of 2024, accounting in both quarters for disclosure amendments.

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

For the entire 2023-24 legislative cycle, special interests paid more than $631.658 million to lobbying firms, according to SoS disclosures analyzed during early February. (Capitol Weekly notes when we gather our data because the filing of subsequent amendments can change totals. We also take into account any incorrectly formatted data. 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.)

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 generally remained the top firms in the eighth quarter, although once again some of their rankings changed.

After John Latimer’s Capitol Advocacy and Bob White’s California Strategies alternately held the top spot through the first three quarters of the year, Jared Ficker, Cassie Gilson, Jason Kinney, Dustin Moore and Kevin Schmidt’s Axiom Advisors made the most money in the last three months of 2024, receiving more than $2.613 million.

For the cycle, Capitol Advocacy and California Strategies each held the top spot for three quarters in 2023 and 2024 (quarters 1, 3 and 5 for Capitol Advocacy, quarters 2, 6 and 7 for California Strategies, after amendments) while Axiom took home top honors in the fourth quarters of both years.

For the fourth quarter of 2024, California Strategies came in second with more than $2.520 million, followed by Platinum Advisors at $2.449 million and Capitol Advocacy at $2.436 million.

Two other firms reported making more than $2 million in the fourth quarter of 2024:

• KP Public Affairs (more than $2.272 million)
• Townsend Public Affairs (more than $2.146 million)

Fourteen more reported making more than $1 million in the eighth quarter:

• Weideman Group (more than $1.967 million)
• Shaw Yoder Antwih Schmelzer & Lange (more than $1.788 million)
• Political Solutions (more than $1.464 million)
• Sloat Higgins Jensen and Associates (more than $1.46 million)
• Aaron Read & Associates (more than $1.286 million)
• Niemela, Pappas and Associates (also more than $1.286 million)
• Campbell Strategy & Advocacy (more than $1.284 million)
• Nielsen Merksamer Parrinello Gross & Leoni (more than $1.267 million)
• Lang Hansen Giroux & Kidane (more than $1.237 million)
• California Advisors (more than $1.224 million)
• Carter, Wetch & Associates (more than $1.154 million)
• Deveau Burr Group (more than $1.128 million)
• Actum (more than $1.109 million)
• Caliber Strategies (more than $1.077 million)

The 20 firms that reported receipts of more than $1 million for the eighth quarter received 41 percent of all the money paid to lobbying firms during the period.

Four other firms – California Advocates, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, Joe A. Gonsalves & Son and Edelstein, Gilbert, Robson & Smith – reported making more than $900,000 in the eighth quarter, while six – Fernandez Jensen Kimmelshue Government Affairs, Buchalter, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, Carpenter Garcia Sievers, McHugh Koepke Padron Government Relations and Arc Strategies – reported payments of more than $800,000.

One hundred and forty-nine firms reported receiving six figures or more in payments in Q8. At least another 143 firms reported receiving five figures in payments.

For the 2023-24 legislative cycle, two firms reported receiving more than $20 million: Axiom Advisors (more than $21.377 million) and California Strategies (more than $20.909 million).

Platinum Advisors came in third with more than $19.255 million and Capitol Advocacy was fourth at more than $17.270 million.

Nine other firms reported a total of eight-figures in receipts:

• KP Public Affairs (more than $17.015 million)
• Townsend Public Affairs more than ($16.110 million)
• Weideman Group (more than $15.972 million)
• Shaw Yoder Antwih Schmelzer & Lange (more than $15.507 million)
• Political Solutions (more than $10.272 million)
• Sloat Higgins Jensen and Associates (more than $10.250 million)
• Aaron Read and Associates (more than $10.228 million)
• Niemela, Pappas and Associates (more than $10.157 million)
• Campbell Strategy & Advocacy (more than $10.136 million)

These 13 firms received nearly a third (31 percent) of all payments to lobbying firms during the legislative cycle.

Two firms reported making more than $9 million: Nielsen Merksamer Parrinello Gross & Leoni (more than $9.996 million) and Lang Hansen Giroux & Kidane (more than $9.819 million).

Three more firms reported making more than $8 million:

• California Advisors (more than $8.535 million)
• Carter, Wetch & Associates (more than $8.216 million)
• Deveau Burr Group (more than $8.169 million)

Another three firms reported making more than $7 million:

• Actum (more than $7.949 million)
• Caliber Strategies (more than $7.328 million)
• California Advocates (more than $7.281 million)

Another six firms reported making more than $6 million, after amendments:

• Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck ($6.989 million)
• Joe A. Gonsalves & Son (more than $6.792 million)
• Edelstein, Gilbert, Robson & Smith (more than $6.744 million)
• Fernandez Jensen Kimmelshue Government Affairs ($6.432 million)
• Buchalter (more than $6.353 million)
• Manatt, Phelps & Phillips (more than $6.207 million)

These 27 top firms received 48 percent of all payments to lobbying firms over the two-year session.

One hundred and twenty-seven firms reported making more than $1 million during the two-year legislative session. An additional 188 firms reported making six figures during the session.