SGI, Institutional Investors Continue to Press Companies for Disclosure of Lobbying

Among issues of corporate governance, lobbying disclosure remains an urgent topic for shareholder proposals in 2019. Five SGI members are a part of a coalition of at least 70 investors who have filed proposals at 33 companies asking for disclosure reports that include federal and state lobbying payments, payments to trade associations and social welfare groups used for lobbying and payments to any tax-exempt organization that writes and endorses model legislation. That last sentence was detailed precisely because “following the money” is so complicated when it comes to lobbying expenditures. This year’s campaign highlights the theme of corporate political responsibility, with a focus on climate change lobbying.

Corporate lobbying impacts all aspects of the economy. Companies fund lobbying efforts on issues ranging from climate change and drug prices to financial regulation, immigration and workers’ rights. While lobbying can provide decision-makers with valuable insights and data, it can also lead to undue influence, unfair competition, and regulatory capture. In addition, lobbying may channel companies’ funds and influence into highly controversial topics with the potential to cause reputational harm.

In 2018, more than $3.4 billion in total was spent on federal lobbying. Additionally, companies spend more than $1 billion yearly on lobbying at the state level, where disclosure is far less transparent than federal lobbying. Beyond that, trade associations spend in excess of $100 million each year, lobbying indirectly on behalf of companies. For example, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce spent $95 million on federal lobbying in 2018 and has spent over $1.5 billion on lobbying since 1998.

To address potential reputational and financial risk associated with lobbying, investors are encouraging companies to disclose all their lobbying payments as well as board oversight processes. We believe that this risk is particularly acute when a company’s lobbying, done directly or through a third party, contradicts its publicly stated positions and core values. Disclosure allows shareholders to verify whether a company’s lobbying aligns with its expressed values and corporate goals.

“The faith community has been an active investor voice for around a decade pressing companies to expand disclosure on political spending (related to elections) and also lobbying disclosure. This is more important than ever as we look at issues of concern to ICCR members. For example it is a crucial time to hold companies accountable on their lobbying related to climate change and to urge them to lobby only for legislation consistent with the Paris Accord. Or monitor how drug companies lobby on opioids or drug pricing. Lobbying is not a remote governance issue but it intimately linked to a whole range of corporate responsibility issues we are all working on.”

Tim Smith of Walden Asset Management

Companies Receiving Lobbying Disclosure Resolutions for 2019 are:

• AbbVie (ABBV)
• Altria Group (MO)
• American Water Works (AWK)
• AT&T (T)
• Bank of America (BAC)
• BlackRock (BLK)
• Boeing (BA)
• CenturyLink (CTL)
• Chevron (CVX)
• Comcast (CMCSA)
• Duke Energy (DUK)
• Emerson Electric (EMR)
• Equifax (EFX)
• Exxon Mobil (XOM)
• FedEx (FDX)
• Ford Motor (F)
• General Motors (GM)
• Honeywell (HON)
• IBM (IBM)
• JPMorgan Chase (JPM)
• Mallinckrodt (MNK)
• MasterCard (MA)
• McKesson (MCK)
• Morgan Stanley (MS)
• Motorola Solutions (MSI)
• Nucor Corporation (NUE)
• Pfizer (PFE)
• Tyson Foods (TSN)
• United Continental Holdings (UAL)
• United Parcel Service (UPS)
• Verizon (VZ)
• Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX)
• Walt Disney Company (DIS)