Lobbying for Dollars
A look at how much companies stand to gain from lobbying Washington for federal earmarks
For years, one of the greatest mysteries in Washington has been exactly how much revenue companies generate through their lobbying efforts. But now, thanks to new government disclosure databases, we can see a part of it: how much companies generate in federal earmarks — those pet spending provisions that members of Congress slip into legislation. In turn, it's possible to compare that amount to how much those same companies spent lobbying in Washington, to form a sense of the ratios between how much cash companies are spreading around the capital, and how much revenue they get in return.
