Google and Verizon are two of the biggest and wealthiest companies in America. Google being the almighty search giant, and the third most valuable company in America – behind Apple and Exxon Mobile. While Verizon is the largest wireless carrier, who is also part of an ISP known as Verizon. They offer FiOS in some areas of the country, but mostly along the east coast. In the past two years, these two companies have spent $53 million together in Washington to sway legislature in their favor. That’s some serious cash. And so far in 2014, it looks like another big year in Washington for these two companies. So far they’ve spent $6 million in 2014 alone and Google is leading the way with $3.8 million of that out of their own pocket.
Google has been in politics for quite some time. In fact, they held a conference at George Mason University and stacked the invite list with Federal Trade Commission regulators and others that would be instrumental in the fate of the 2011 Google FTC Investigation. Nothing like swaying the FTC in an investigation. However, Google has the money to do so. And as expected, Verizon isn’t a slouch when it comes to lobbying in Washington either. They’ve previously thrown their weight around for spectrum auctions and such in the past. And that’s likely to happen again with the upcoming spectrum auction, that AT&T is supposedly trying to boycott.
It’s quite obvious that neither company are taking a break in Washington in 2014, as they are on pace to meet their spendings from the last few years and even make it a record year. The real question here is which one will spend more? We should also point out that Google and Verizon aren’t the only companies that lobby in Washington to sway the legislature to give them what they want. It’s just that Verizon and Google spend a boat load.