How do I find out the top xx lobbying firms based on payments made to the firms?

  1. Go to the "Lobbying Activity" page. (You may also reach this site from the Secretary of State's Home Page - by clicking on "Lobbying Activity & Finance" under "Political Reform.")
  2. Click on the "Advanced Search" link in the upper left-hand corner. The "California Filings Searchable Database" will be displayed.
  3. Under "Lobbying," on the right-hand side of the page, click on "Lobbying Firms." The "Lobbying Firm Disclosure Report Summary" page will be displayed.
  4. Select the "Legislative Session" from the drop down list box that indicates "Any" or a particular session. Note that you can select for any session back to 1999-2000.
  5. Click on the check marks of the quarters you are NOT interested in viewing to remove them from the search criteria.
  6. Click on "Search" at the bottom of the page to run the report. Several seconds may be required to process your request.
  7. The report is returned with the following information displayed: "Total Payments Received: $____" and "#Records Found." The firms are listed alphabetically in the left column and the payments received in the right. Click on the magnifying glass in the "View Detail" column to see the payment amount the firm received for each quarter selected.
  8. You can narrow the search by clicking the "Top xx Firms" drop list box to reduce the number of firms you want to view. The report is returned with the "Top xx Firms."
  9. Click the "Download" button to view your results in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.