The 20 lobbying groups that spent the most money to get their voice heard in Washington last year

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Washington, UNITED STATES: A sign showing K Street is shown 01 February 2006 in Washington,DC. A stone's throw from the White House, K Street is an alternative corridor of power in US politics, packed with thick carpeted offices and lobbyists with even deeper pockets.But the largesse that flowed from Jack Abramoff, an influential member of the K Street lobbying army, threatens now to rebound against the whole sector. Both opposition Democrats, and President George W. Bush's majority Republicans, who face the most serious charges from the Abramoff scandal, are making proposals to clamp down on lobbyists.There are an estimated 30,000 lobbyists working in Washington, mainly lawyers, working for groups ranging from big business contract hunters to turkey hunters who feel their pastime is under threat.For example, Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer and and Felt, a Texan firm, has about 100 lawyers in Washington who represent some 200 pressure groups and associations, making sure that lawmakers are aware of their concerns. AFP PHOTO/KAREN BLEIER (Photo credit should read KAREN BLEIER/AFP/Getty Images)KAREN BLEIER/AFP/Getty Images

  • Corporations and trade organizations spend tens of millions of dollars every year to influence public policy.
  • The top companies and groups spend large sums of money to push their policy objectives to their own benefit.
  • Here are the 20 lobbying groups that spent the most in Washington, DC in 2018.

Corporations, organizations, and groups looking to influence public policy one way or another shell out large sums of money to lobbying firms every year.

In 2018, it was no different. According to data from OpenSecrets, a watchdog website that tracks money in politics, here are the biggest spenders on lobbying in 2018.

Southern Company

David McNew/Newsmakers

Southern Company, which focuses on American gas and electric utilities, spent $12,300,000 in 2018.

Facebook

David Ramos/Getty Images

Amid several scandals and public relations fiascos, Facebook spent $12,620,000 on lobbying in 2018.

Lockheed Martin

Joe McNally/Getty Images

Defense giant Lockheed Martin spent $13,205,502 in 2018.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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SEE ALSO: How the 15 richest members of Congress made their money

Source: Business Insider – jperticone@businessinsider.com (Joe Perticone)

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