With the Jack Abramoff scandal making headlines across the country, the issue of lobbying and other forms of influence peddling at the federal level has reemerged. Below are a few quick facts showing the size and scope of this burgeoning Washington, DC industry.
| Amount spent on federal lobbying, 1999 | $1.5 billion |
| Amount spent on federal lobbying, 2004 | $2.1 billion |
| Percent increase in federal lobbying from 1999-2004 | 40 |
| The amount Interpublic Group of Companies, the top lobbying firm from 1998-2004, spent during that time | $265 million |
| Number of federal lobbyists, 2000 | 16,000 |
| Number of federal lobbyists, 2005 | 35,000 |
| Percent increase in the number of federal lobbyists, 2000-2005 | 119 |
| Number of companies that lobbied the U.S. House of Representatives from 1998-2004 | 17,300 |
| Number of companies that lobbied the U.S. Senate from 1998-2004 | 17,200 |
| Number of former members of Congress or heads of federal agencies now working as lobbyists | 240 |
| Number of former senior government officials now working as lobbyists | More than 2,000 |
| Average salary for a lobbyist | $89,944 |
| Number of congressional earmarks, FY1996 | 958 |
| Number of congressional earmarks, FY2005 | 14,000 |
| Total value of congressional earmarks in 2004 | $32.7 billion |
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