In campaign for T-Mobile, AT&T spends almost $7M on lobbying in Q1

AT&T (NYSE:T) contends that it is not seeing any more opposition to its proposed $39 billion acquisition of T-Mobile USA than it expected. However, that doesn't mean the company is taking any chances when it comes to its lobbying efforts on the deal. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, AT&T spent $6.8 million in the first three months of 2011 on lobbying, the third-largest among companies and trade groups so far this year. That spending pace puts AT&T on track to spend more than the $15 million it poured into lobbying last year. Moreover, according to the Washington Post, many organizations that have written in to the FCC in support of AT&T's purchase of T-Mobile have direct financial links to AT&T in the form of donations AT&T has made. Article