Lobbying dollars, image by esferaFor the entire first half of 2023 – that is, the first and second quarters combined – special interests paid more than $147 million to lobbying firms, per California Secretary of State disclosures analyzed in mid-August.
The California seal, photo by Cheri Alguire via ShutterstockCapitol Weekly’s analysis found that nearly a third of the money spent on lobbying in the first quarter went to just 14 lobbying firms – the only firms to report receiving more than $1 million each in lobbying payments over the first three months of 2023.
The 10 lobbying firms in Sacramento brought in more than $40.4 million during 2013, including more than $11.5 million during the final quarter of the year alone. The figures were listed Monday in the Capitol Morning Report, which provides detailed scheduling, employment, campaign and job information to elected officials, government employees, trade groups and lobbyists, among others.