Using Excel, XLMiner, and Tableau to Get to THE Big Picture

1. CHICAGO’S LOBBYING ACTIVITY
THE PURPLE DATA CONSULTING GROUP
FLAVIO MOTA

2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
• Address Ms. Brown’s Questions Pertaining to Lobbying
• Visualize the Answers
• Discuss Lobbying Trends
• Conclusion

3. WHAT ARE THE TOP ACTIONS BEING
LOBBIED AND WHO ARE THE TOP
CLIENTS?
 The Top Actions Being Lobbied Are
 Zoning
 Procurement
 Zoning Amendment
 Planned Development
 Application for PD
 Amendment to PD

4. WHO ARE THE TOP CLIENTS?
• The Top Clients Are
• Wal-Mart Stores
• Swan Property Development
• 3506 Hospitality LLC
• Boney, Tom
• Loyola University Chicago
• Longford Construction Inc.
• Lipe, Steve
• Walmart Spent over $35 Million
• The Rest of the Clients Invested Well
over $10 Million Each

5. WHICH CLIENTS ARE SPENDING THE
MOST AMOUNT OF MONEY ON
LOBBYING IN CHICAGO?
• The Type of Clients Who are
Spending the Most amount of
Money Lobbying in Chicago are
• Walmart (a Retailer)
• Property Management and
Construction Companies
• Loyola University (Educational
Institute)
• A Jeweler and the Catholic
Church

6. WHAT IS THE OVERALL TREND? ARE
COMPANIES INCREASING OR DECREASING
THEIR LOBBYING INVESTMENTS?
• Using Money as the Measure
• 2012 and 2013 Showed no
Appreciable Difference
• 2014 Showed a Dramatic
Increase (around 67%)
• 2105 Experienced a sharp
Decline (over 60%)
• The available Data Shows a
Big Increase in 2016 (over
100%)

7. WHAT IS THE OVERALL TREND? ARE
COMPANIES INCREASING OR DECREASING
THEIR LOBBYING INVESTMENTS?
• Using the Number of Transactions
as the Measure
• 2013 Showed a Slight
Decrease from 2012
• 2014 Experienced a Large
Increase from 2013
• 2104 Experienced a Dramatic
increase from 2013
• 2015 Showed a sharp Decline
followed by a tremendous
increase in 2016

8. GROUPING THE SPENDING INTO THREE
CATEGORIES
• Group One Accounts for a Very
Small Amount of the Expenses
• Group Two Includes the Majority of
the Lobbying Expenses (Includes
Transaction between $965,000
and $1,294,000)
• Group Three Includes Expenses
between $68,000 and $330,000

9. CONCLUSION
• Walmart, Construction Companies, and Property Management
Companies are the Biggest Customers of Chicago Lobbyist
• 2014 and 2016 Showed an Appreciable increase in the Amount of
Money and the Number of Transactions Related to Lobbying
• The Biggest Lobbyist in Chicago are Thomas Moore, John Bisio, and
Paul Kolpak
• The Median of Many of the Expense Transactions is $1,294,710