The former is a list of the total spent on lobbying, while the latter is political donations (campaign donations, essentially).
Campaign donations are much smaller, and much more regulated, than money spent on lobbying. Maybe the poster meant only donations, but it seems an artificial distinction to me to say that regulated campaign donations are the only way that special interest groups "give" money to congress.
Campaign donations are much smaller, and much more regulated, than money spent on lobbying. Maybe the poster meant only donations, but it seems an artificial distinction to me to say that regulated campaign donations are the only way that special interest groups "give" money to congress.