The U.S. Chamber of Commerce (at $103 million, including the Institute for Legal Reform) and the National Association of Realtors (at nearly $65 million) topped the list once again. Both groups spent heavily on elections last year, and included those numbers in their totals. Many big trade groups and professional societies reported spending less on lobbying last year, as attention turned to elections and not so much on legislation. That could change for 2017. "Look at the big issues you're dealing with—immigration, health care, tax reform, a lot of other big-ticket issues," said Paul Miller, president of the National Institute for Lobbying and Ethics, a new… Read More