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Telegraphing cash
The leading telecommunications company donors to state gubernatorial and legislative races and state political parties from 1999 to 2004 gave almost $615,000:
Qwest: $220,083
AT&T: $145,946
National Cable & Telecommunications Association and state organizations: $108,765
Liberty: $71,000
Level 3 Communications: $68,250
Lobbying efforts
Major telecom interests lobbying state government in 2003 and 2004 spent more than $510,000:
AT&T: $135,532
Qwest: $90,000
Deutsche Telekom: $86,000
MCI (formerly WorldCom): $75,000
Sprint: $68,845
National Cable & Telecommunications Association and state organizations: $56,250
Source: The Center for Public Integrity
