Tuesday, January 10, 2006
Corporations purchasing politicians by the numbers.
With the Jack Abramoff scandal making headlines across the country, the issue of lobbying and other forms of influence peddling at the federal level has reemerged. Below are a few quick facts showing the size and scope of this burgeoning Washington, DC industry.
| Amount spent on federal lobbying, 1999 | $1.5 billion |
| Amount spent on federal lobbying, 2004 | $2.1 billion |
| Percent increase in federal lobbying from 1999-2004 | 40 |
| The amount Interpublic Group of Companies, the top lobbying firm from 1998-2004, spent during that time | $265 million |
| Number of federal lobbyists, 2000 | 16,000 |
| Number of federal lobbyists, 2005 | 35,000 |
| Percent increase in the number of federal lobbyists, 2000-2005 | 119 |
| Number of companies that lobbied the U.S. House of Representatives from 1998-2004 | 17,300 |
| Number of companies that lobbied the U.S. Senate from 1998-2004 | 17,200 |
| Number of former members of Congress or heads of federal agencies now working as lobbyists | 240 |
| Number of former senior government officials now working as lobbyists | More than 2,000 |
| Average salary for a lobbyist | $89,944 |
| Number of congressional earmarks, FY1996 | 958 |
| Number of congressional earmarks, FY2005 | 14,000 |
| Total value of congressional earmarks in 2004 | $32.7 billion |
from thinkprogress
