Lobbying spending growing …
Spending on lobbying in Washington soared to $1.2 billion during the last half of 2005, an increase of more than 10 percent over the previous six months, according to federal disclosure forms.
“It’s definitely an uptick,” said Alex Knott, the political editor at the Center for Public Integrity. “It shows the [Jack] Abramoff scandal has not had an effect on K Street spending.”
And for the first time ever, that spending topped $200 million per month.
“There is no let up. These groups are spending more each six-month period,” said Kent Cooper, vice president of PoliticalMoneyLine, which gathers the spending data from lobbying disclosure forms.
Spending is also likely to have grown further during the first six months of 2006, said Cooper, particularly in light of bills on high-stake issues like Internet-usage fees for major Web sites like Amazon.
Data on the first six months of 2006 will be available in August.
“When you think of the number of advertisements, print and broadcast, that have flowed — especially in the Washington area. I think you’ll see continued growth,” Cooper said.
… Except at Copeland Lowery
Another client has left the lobbying firm Copeland Lowery Jacquez Denton & White due to the turmoil surrounding an ongoing federal investigation into the relationshipbetween that firm and Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Calif.
The Redlands City Council voted last week to terminate its contract according to The Press Enterprise in Riverside.
Neither the firm nor Lewis have been accused of illegal activities. A number of the firm’s clients, however, have been subpoenaed as part of the investigation. Boeing, Riverside County and the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority have also severed ties, according to the Press Enterprise.
