The Top 10 Philly Lobbyists of 2012

Far and away, the biggest spender was the American Beverage Association. Now that a soda tax has twice been defeated in city council, in 2010 and 2011, ABA spent $343,372 more this year lobbying public officials to quash it for good. Other big spenders include US Airways, and Comcast, which lobbied against a proposal to make paid sick leave mandatory. The data below was compiled by the Philadelphia Public Interest Information Network. [PPIIN]

1. The American Beverage Association – $343,372

2. The Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust (PREIT) – $105,000

3. U.S. Airways – $83,325

4. Comcast Cable Communications, LLC – $75,669

5. CH2M Hill – $75,000

6. NHS Pennsylvania – $51,924

7. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc – $49,097

8. PECO – $46,053

9. Sugarhouse Casino – $45,000

10. Verifone, Inc. – $44,317