New analysis of lobbying spending and government spending from MapLight has revealed that in the past decade U.S. government contractors have received $1,171.00 in taxpayer dollars for every $1.00 that they contribute to lobbying and PACs. MapLight reports, “The 25 largest federal contractors, as ranked by value of contracts received during the 2014 fiscal year, have received almost $1.6 trillion for their work since October 2005. These companies spent about $1.2 billion on lobbying and contributed more than $150 million to PACs during that time, according to MapLight’s analysis of federal procurement data and lobbying and PAC contributions from the Center for Responsive Politics.”
The return for every dollar invested in political influence between October 2005 and September 2015 by the three largest government contractors is listed below. All figures are provided by MapLight.
- Lockheed Martin Corp. – Spent at least $140 million on lobbying and political contributions and received $331 billion in federal dollars, yielding a $2,366 return on every $1 invested.
- Boeing Co.- Spent $150 million on lobbying and political contributions and received $201 billion in federal dollars, yielding a $1,341 return for every $1 invested.
- General Dynamics Corp. Spent $96 million on lobbying and political contributions and received $136 billion in federal dollars, yielding a $1,421 return for every $1 invested.
Interestingly, MapLight reports that not all major government contractors have relied on heavy spending on lobbying. “The consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton, based in the Washington, D.C., suburb of Tysons Corner, Virginia, has earned $29 billion in government contracts since October 2005. During the same period, it spent $80,000 on lobbying and none on political contributions, giving it a return of $362,564 for every $1 spent on political influence.”
