![Google Slashes Lobbying Outlay 25.5 Percent, AT&T Leads Tech, Communications Group Spending](https://cdrinfo.com/d7/system/files/styles/siteberty_image_770x484/private/site_news_image/Lobbying_120.jpg?itok=O0xuHZOp)
Google Slashes Lobbying Outlay 25.5 Percent, AT&T Leads Tech, Communications Group Spending
Google slashed spending on lobbying by 25.5 percent in the first quarter of 2016 to $3.80 million, while AT&T reported the highest lobbying outlay at $4.48 million among a group of 16 tech and communications companies. Google spent $5.10 million in the comparable 2015 period and AT&T’s spending was up 2.5 percent from $4.37 million in 2015, according to disclosure reports just filed with the Clerk of the House of Representatives.
Facebook, which has been increasing its Washington presence, spent $2.78 million, an increase of 13.9 percent from $2.44 million, in the comparable 2015 quarter. Microsoft also topped $2 million in lobbying spending. It reported expenditures of $2.02 million, an increase of 6.9 percent from $1.89 million in 2015.
Lobbying spending increased 39 percent at Amazon, to $ 2.65 million from $1.91 million in the first quarter of 2015, the disclosure records show. It was the fourth straight quarter that its spending topped $2 million.
Seven of the companies spent more than $2 million on lobbying, Consumer Watchdog noted. Twelve spent more than $1 million on lobbying in the first quarter.
Here are lobbying expenditures for the first quarter of 2016 for six other tech companies:
- Apple spent $1.13 million, an 8.9 percent decrease from $1.24 million.
- Cisco spent $420,000, a 30 percent decrease from $600,000.
- IBM spent $830,000 a 17 percent decrease from $1 million.
- Intel spent $1.23 million, an increase of 5.1 percent from $1.17 million.
- Oracle spent $1.72 million, an increase of 33.3 percent from $1.29 million.
- Yahoo! spent $690,000, a 5.5 percent decrease from $730,000.
Here are lobbying expenses for three other communications companies in the first quarter 2016:
- Sprint spent $523,041 a decrease of 28.8 percent from $734,927.
- T-Mobile spent $1.80 million, an increase of 52.5 percent from $1.18 million.
- Verizon spent $3.59 million, an increase of 7.2 percent $3.35 million.
Here are 2016 first quarter lobbying expenditures for two cable companies:
- Comcast spent $3.72 million, a 19.5 percent decrease from $4.62 million.
- Time Warner Cable spent $1.5 million, an 11.8 percent decrease from $1.7 million.