Lobbying: What Companies Spend in Washington
Companies must report every quarter how much they spend to lobby Congress and federal agencies, and on which issues. Here is that spending for listed companies, added up.
The first figures will appear after the next updates; we add a few dozen companies every day.
From LD-2 reports in the federal Lobbying Disclosure Act database (lda.gov). In-house lobbying is reported as expenses; outside lobbying firms report the fees they received from the company. Companies are matched by name, so subsidiaries filing under other names may be missing.
Examples
- Big technology and drug companies each spend tens of millions of dollars a year on lobbying, especially when Congress is writing rules for their industry.
- A sudden jump in lobbying on one issue, such as taxes or trade, often comes before a law that matters to the company.
About this page
WallStPal explains public SEC filings and congressional stock trade reports in plain English. Nothing is for sale; the site is free and supported by ads.
How to read it
- Form 4
- The form a company insider (officer, director or owner of more than 10%) must file with the SEC within two business days of buying or selling the company's shares.
- 13F
- A quarterly list of U.S. stocks held by an investment manager with more than $100 million, filed within 45 days after each quarter ends.
- STOCK Act
- A 2012 law that requires members of Congress to report stock trades by themselves, a spouse or a dependent child within 45 days.
A real example
In January 2016, when bank stocks were falling, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon bought 500,000 JPMorgan shares with his own money, worth about $26 million. His Form 4 made the purchase public within days, and investors read it as a strong sign of confidence.
Explain it like I'm 13
We read the long, boring forms that grown-ups file with the government and tell you what they say in normal words.
Data from public SEC filings and congressional reports. Information, not investment advice. Check every number against the filing linked on the page.