Ex-PMA Clients Lower Their Hill Profile

It’s been almost a year since the PMA Group shut its doors amid a federal probe, but things are still not back to normal for many former clients of the now-defunct lobbying firm. A recent analysis shows that most of the corporations that once hired the defense lobbying shop spent significantly less on K Street last year.

In times when most companies are spending more to influence the government, almost 100 of PMA Group’s 131 clients in 2008 spent less on lobbying during 2009, according to a CQ MoneyLine study of lobbying records. In all, these groups cut their lobbying by more than $3.2 million last year, an average drop of nearly $25,000 per client.

Some of the companies with the most drastic reductions in the wake of PMA’s closure include defense contractor Textron, which decreased its overall spending by more than $1.9 million. DRS Technologies Inc. trimmed $940,000 in 2009, and Health Net Federal Services pulled back $730,000.

Some former PMA clients eliminated their lobbying work altogether.

At least 18 companies that spent money with PMA Group at one time in 2008 did not spend any money to lobby with any firms last year, including Intevac Inc., which spent $150,000 in 2008; Science Center, which spent $120,000 in 2008; and Noble Biomaterials, which spent $110,000 in 2008.

Read more: (Alex Knott, “Ex-PMA Clients Lower Their Hill Profile,” Roll Call, 03/03/2010)