Cox Pays Akin Gump $380,000 for Lobbying

The Atlanta-based company spent $340,000 in the second half of 2007 to lobby the House of Representatives on general broadband and broadcasting issues, according to a disclosure form posted online Tuesday by the Senate's public records office.

Akin Gump also lobbied on behalf of Cox for a provision related to the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System in a House appropriations bill. The program provides an electronic system to verify information on paper ownership documents. In addition to its media businesses, Cox Enterprises owns vehicle auction company Manheim.

The company also lobbied on general Internet safety issues. Cox has sponsored public service announcements and events to educate parents and children about sexual predators and safety issues on the Internet.

Akin Gump first registered to represent Cox Enterprises in June 2007. For the first half of 2007, the company paid the firm $40,000 to lobby on general broadband and broadcasting issues.

Bill Paxon, the former congressman who served as chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, is among those registered to lobby on behalf of Cox.

Lobbyists are required to disclose activities that could influence members of the executive and legislative branches, under a federal law enacted in 1995.