The powerhouse business lobby spent $21.6 million on advocacy efforts in the second quarter, which lasted from April through June, according to new disclosure forms. That number represents a near 55 percent increase over the same period in 2013.
Perennially the most prolific spender on K Street, the Chamber increased its expenditures primarily through voter education projects, according to Chamber spokeswoman Blair Latoff Holmes.
“The Chamber continued its significant voter education campaign in the second quarter, highlighting candidates’ positions on issues important to the business community with the goal of electing people who understand how jobs are created and are interested in governing,” Latoff Holmes wrote in an email.
“The Chamber also focused on critical job creation issues being considered by Congress, including transportation, infrastructure, energy and trade,” she added.
Unlike most business groups in Washington, the Chamber uses the IRS method to calculate its advocacy spending, which includes lobbying spending as well as grassroots organizing and independent expenditures on election ads.
The Chamber’s 65-page disclosure document shows the group continues to mount the most wide-ranging lobbying operation in Washington.
The business group reported contacting...
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