Google Now Has The 8th Largest Lobbying Budget In Washington

Sadly, these days, companies need a presence in Washington DC to attempt to slowdown aggressive new regulation against them. Unfortunately, this often leads to firms using the  presence to stifle competition by promoting other regulations that will negatively impact the competition..

Ad Age reports:

Google is moving its Washington office closer to Capitol Hill after spending $18.2 million on lobbying, more than Northrop Grumman and enough to rank the technology company as the eighth-biggest advocacy spender.

It's an investment that's already paying off in increased influence. Google has hired lobbyists and boosted political giving on its way to wins at the U.S. Federal Communications Commission and Federal Trade Commission, and it has entrée to the White House where an employee on leave is helping fix the ailing Obamacare website.