Amazon hires Monument Policy

Online retailer Amazon hired its seventh lobby firm, Monument Policy Group, according to disclosure forms posted on Thursday.

The growing roster of outside firms signals the company’s growing influence within the technology sector.

The disclosure forms say lobbyists including Stewart Verdery, a former high-ranking official at the Department of Homeland Security, and Jessica Herrera-Flanigan will be talking with lawmakers about “trade, technology, and telecommunications.”

Amazon has a hand in several arenas within online, retail and technology — including a burgeoning drone delivery program, known as Amazon Prime Air, in the works.

Larger firms, such as Van Ness Feldman, Squire Patton Boggs, Akin Gump and Venable already represent Amazon (and Akin Gump also represents Amazon Prime Air), coupled with smaller firms like TwinLogic Strategies and Capitol Tax Partners.

Monument Policy Group, which lobbies on a large spectrum of policy issues, has a slew of other tech clients, including the Entertainment Software Association, FileRight, LinkedIn, Zillow, Microsoft and the Reform Government Surveillance coalition — a group comprised of Apple, Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, Facebook and other big players who hope to change the National Security Agency’s surveillance programs.

The firm also has an office in Washington State, where both Microsoft and Amazon are headquartered.

Recently filed disclosures show that Monument Policy Group also registered to lobby for NerdWallet, an online personal finance company, and Starbucks.

— This post was updated at 5:06 p.m.