Uber spends $540,000, sets lobbying record in Washington under new leader

Uber Technologies Inc. spent a record on federal lobbying in the first three months as it seeks to emerge from a series of scandals and change gears in Washington under new leadership.

The ride-hailing company disclosed spending $540,000 in the first quarter of 2018, up from $510,000 in the last quarter of 2017 and from its previous quarterly record of $520,000 in the third quarter.

The rise in Uber’s lobbying spend coincides with a changing of the guard in the company’s leadership ranks. Uber’s Chief Executive Officer Dara Khosrowshahi, who was appointed in August, made his first trip to Washington earlier this