For some of the nation's largest corporations, political spending delivers a remarkable return on investment, according to a new report from the watchdog group Public Citizen.

After pouring millions into political campaigns and lobbying, 88 corporations, earning a combined $105 billion in pretax profits last year, paid no federal income taxes.

Eileen O’Grady, researcher for Public Citizen, said combined, the companies saw a 3,000% return from lobbying efforts. O’Grady pointed out the companies avoided taxes they would have had to pay if not for laws passed during the first and second Trump administrations and the savings allowed companies to spend even more to influence lawmakers.

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"What we're seeing here is a self-reinforcing loop, where corporate cash buys policy, and policy pays cash back," O’Grady explained.

Proponents of tax cuts have long argued companies can use those savings to grow their business and boost federal tax revenues by raising wages and creating jobs. According to IRS data, North Dakota residents paid $4.4 billion in federal income taxes in 2022, the most recent year available.

Among the companies in the report, several have local operations, including manufacturing giant 3M, which partners directly with regional educational institutions like the University of North Dakota.

The authors said the companies avoided paying a new minimum corporate tax rate of 21% through accounting strategies like accelerated depreciation. They also collected close to $5 billion in tax rebates.

O’Grady noted nearly a third of the corporations featured in the report did the opposite of creating jobs.

"We found that of the 88 corporate tax dodgers, 25 of those companies instituted mass layoffs that totaled about 21,200 workers," O’Grady reported.

The GOP’s signature One Big Beautiful Bill Act made tax breaks passed in 2017 permanent in part by cutting over $1 trillion in health care and food assistance programs.

O’Grady argued there is a path forward for Congress to generate enough revenue to help make life more affordable for families in North Dakota and across the U.S. The report recommended resetting corporate tax rates to 35% and closing tax loopholes like offshoring profits and tax deductions for executive bonuses.