Google lobbying spending reached new high in early 2015

By Diane Bartz WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Google Inc, already one of Washington's biggest spenders, set a company record for its lobbying activity in the first quarter of 2015 when it spent $5.5 million (3.68 million pounds), according to a government database. Google ranked ninth in terms of total lobbying spending in 2014 at $16.8 million, behind the U.S. Chamber of Commerce ($124 million) and the National Association of Realtors ($55 million), according to the Center for Responsive Politics.