A lobbying disclosure form shows that officials have paid federal lobbyists they hired in May $90,000 — surpassing the amount other universities paid their firms this quarter and GW’s payments to lobbyists in the past.

GW’s payment to Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman and five lobbyists — who officials hired to address “higher education issues” on May 6, a dozen days into the pro-Palestinian encampment in University Yard — is the first time the University has retained lobbyists since 2009. GW’s payment to the firm during Fiscal Year Quarter 2, which spans from April 1 to June 30, is more than the amount that some other private universities paid the firms they retained during the wave of pro-Palestinian encampments on college campuses in the spring.

Northeastern University and the University of Pennsylvania, who hired lobbyists in April, have paid their firms $50,000 and $70,0000, respectively, per lobbying disclosure forms filed earlier this month. Wake Forest University also hired lobbyists in April, but did not submit a disclosure form detailing how much they paid their firm.

Federal law requires all lobbying firms and organizations to register and file reports of the lobbying activities and expenses.

GW paid the lobbying firms they hired in 2007 less than $10,000 per quarter, per the lobbying disclosure forms. The University paid lobbying firms less than $5,000 in 2008 and 2009, according to the forms.

University spokesperson Julia Metjian declined to comment on how long the University’s contract is with Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman and how much GW will pay the firm by the end of the contract. She deferred comment to the University’s response in June, which said GW seeks input from outside counsels when necessary.

“The University retains outside counsel on various issues as needed, in order to maintain compliance and support our academic community,” Metjian said in June.

Metjian also declined to comment on why GW hired the firm and what work the five lobbyists on the account have advocated for on the behalf of the University since their hiring.