 Qualcomm Inc. squandered $6.8 million in 2007 alone to lobby on legislation of patent and immigration reforms, free trade agreements and an array of other matters.
The revelation surfaced with the online posting of a disclosure form on Feb 13th by the Senate’s public records office. According to the disclosure, the company spent $2.9 million in the first six months of 2007 and has spent over $4 million in the second half of the same year to lobby Congress, the US Patent and Trademark office and the Commerce, Transportation, State and Agriculture departments.
Under the federal law passed in 1995, lobbyists are expected to disclose activities that could influence members of the executive and legislative branches.
Some of the other lobbying issues Qualcomm were found to be involved in comprises of: immigration reform legislation, namely increasing the cap on U.S. visas for highly skilled foreign tech workers; tax credits for research and development; free trade agreements; health information technology; and homeland security matters. |