Lobbying records
How federal lobbying disclosure works
Federal lobbying disclosure makes certain registrations and activity reportable. The records are useful evidence of what a filer reported, not a complete diary of contacts or proof of a result.
Why this is in the initial collection: This guide was selected because quarterly lobbying filings are the foundation of the current organization, firm, and issue analysis; understanding their client, registrant, code, description, and amendment fields makes every profile easier to evaluate.
Reviewed Sep 9, 2026 · Examples cover Q1–Q2 2026 lobbying records and 119th Congress legislative records
Registration and activity are different
An LD-1 registers a lobbying relationship and identifies the registrant, client, and covered issues. An LD-2 reports activity for a quarter. Registration does not substitute for a quarterly report, and a quarter with no published match does not prove that no lobbying occurred.
Client, registrant, and listed lobbyist
The client is the organization on whose behalf lobbying is reported. The registrant files the record: it may be the client itself as an in-house filer or an outside firm. A listed lobbyist is a person named in the filing; that field does not by itself resolve identity, document every contact, or justify a Gov Influence person profile.
Codes, descriptions, and amendments
Issue codes are broad official categories. The specific-issue description preserves the filer's own wording and is usually more precise. An amendment can replace an earlier version, so Gov Influence keeps the latest reviewed report for the same client, filer, year, and quarter. The detailed version-selection rule is available in Methodology.
Worked example from the current collection
The Boeing Q1–Q2 2026 profile contains both a Boeing Company in-house filing and outside-registrant filings for approved Boeing client names. The client field identifies Boeing; the registrant field tells you which reporting basis applies. Issue codes and original descriptions explain the disclosed subjects, while the separate income or expense field identifies the amount type.
How to read this on a profile
- Start with the reporting quarter and client name shown in the source.
- Check whether the filer is the organization itself or an outside firm.
- Read the broad issue code beside the filer's more specific wording.
- Check whether a later amendment replaced an earlier report before counting records.
- Follow the direct filing link and note the retrieval and review dates.
Visitor checklist
- Is this an LD-1 registration or LD-2 activity report?
- Who is the client and who is the registrant?
- Is the person merely listed, or is identity independently reviewed?
- Which quarter and version does the record cover?
- Is the amount income or expenses?
- What does the filing not establish?