For the fourth year in a row, Tim Perry and his lobbying firm Perry White Ross & Jacobson remain the highest paid lobbyists in Annapolis, according to annual reports from the State Ethics Commission.
Perry earned almost $2.4 million and his lobby partners strategist Josh White, House of Delegates veteran Justin Ross and environmental expert Jonas Jacobson, took in twice that amount, $4.8 million.
Based on calculations by MarylandReporter.com, companies, trade groups and organizations spent $44 million on 153 lobbyists — counting only those making $50,000 or more as reported to the state, a few more than last year. (See last year’s story.)
As has become routine, the most money for lobbying — $26 million — went to just a dozen firms and about 30 mostly white, male lobbyists with long histories at the State House.
The rare exception is Lisa Harris Jones of Harris Jones & Malone, the only woman and the only African American among the eight lobbyists who earned over $1 million in the 12 months from Nov. 1, 2017 to Oct. 31, 2018, the time period for filings with the State Ethics Commission. The commission apparently miscalculated the overall earnings of the Harris Jones firm, since the commission shows its four registered lobbyist earning over $1.9 million.
Here is the list of lobbying firms who were paid more than $1 million in the year ending Oct. 31.
Perry, White, Ross & Jacobson ……..$4,755,280
Rifkin Weiner Livingston LLC ……..$3,661,815
Manis Canning & Associates ………$2,603,350
Alexander & Cleaver, P.A………….$2,427,822
Gerard E. Evans, Ltd. ……………….$2,399,606
Venable, LLP …………………………….$2,023,022
Bruce Bereano ………………………….$1,917,800
Harris Jones & Malone LLC ……….$1,909,079
Schwartz, Metz & Wise, P.A. ………$1,702,492
Capitol Strategies, LLC ……………..$1,666,758
Cornerstone Government Affairs …$1,191,646
DLA Piper LLP ….. …………………..$1,006,969