Flock Safety spent $2 million lobbying as Congress ramps up scrutiny of its cameras

By Mary McCue Bell - The Washington Times - Thursday, August 27, 2026

The company behind license plate surveillance cameras has pulled more than $2 million out of its purse to put toward federal and state lobbying since 2025, according to a new report.

Flock Safety spent nearly $1.3 million on federal lobbying in 2025 and the first half of 2026, on top of $1 million for statehouses, according to an OpenSecrets report published Wednesday.

Flock’s $220,000 between April 1 and June 30 marked its highest-spending quarter since it began lobbying federally in 2024, up from $210,000 in each of the five preceding quarters.

Flock, now valued at $8.3 billion, surpassed $300 million in annual recurring revenue last year after raising $275 million in 2025.

Its lobbying push comes as Flock faces new bipartisan scrutiny on Capitol Hill, with local municipalities declining to renew contracts with the security company.

The company has had active lobbyists in 34 states, according to OpenSecrets.

Because not all states require lobbyists or their clients to disclose compensation, the more than $1 million in reported state lobbying spending is a floor, not a complete accounting of what Flock spent.

In 18 of those states, Flock’s lobbyists were active, but no spending totals were available.

Federal lobbying disclosures list homeland security as an issue for Flock, with descriptions referencing safety and security in local communities.

Filings from the lobbying company BGR Group are more specific, listing public safety and security and the fiscal 2026 appropriations bill, including law enforcement and criminal justice.

Five of Flock’s seven named lobbyists previously worked in the federal government, including Bryan Lanza, a partner in Mercury Public Affairs’ Washington office, who served as communications director for President Trump’s transition team.

Four worked in Congress.

On Wednesday, Sen. Josh Hawley, Missouri Republican, launched a formal investigation into Flock through his Senate Judiciary subcommittee, demanding documents from CEO Garrett Langley about how Flock collects, retains and shares data.