1. When you think of lobbying, you probably picture corporations lobbying government. But in LA, the government pays outside lobbyists to lobby… other government agencies. City departments pay lobbyists to influence the County. County agencies pay to influence Sacramento. All

2. Take the Los Angeles County CEO’s Office — it hired outside lobbying firms to “advance County priorities” in Sacramento and D.C. Meanwhile, the County already has a full-time Legislative Affairs unit with salaried staff whose job is literally to do that. So why double up?

3. In 2024, LA County spent $1.3 million on just one contract with a D.C. lobbying firm. The Department of Public Health also hired a separate firm — even though the County already employs a full team of government liaisons. Where’s the oversight?

4. It’s the same story in the City of LA. Departments like LADWP, LAX, and Public Works routinely hire outside lobbying firms, each with their own contracts — often worth $100k to $500k per year. Sometimes these firms lobby each other. It’s government inception.

5. The irony? These same departments operate under elected officials who could just… talk to each other. Why does the City need to pay a lobbyist to influence the County Board of Supervisors? Why does LAUSD need outside help to talk to the State Legislature?

6. This creates a shadow influence network — unelected firms pushing policies with taxpayer dollars, shielded from public accountability. And the contracts often renew quietly, with zero performance metrics or competitive bidding.

Ask yourself: •Why are we paying twice for the same job? •Who’s tracking what these firms actually accomplish? •And how many of these lobbyists end up back in government themselves? Because in LA, lobbying is a revolving door — and you are the ATM.