It included a case study on Microsoft, saying it displays "best governance practices in terms of political spending disclosures."

The report gives a brief history of Microsoft's political spending, which started only after the U.S. Department of Justice sued the company for antitrust violations in 1998. Since 1998, the company has stepped it up, contributing to both parties at a federal level, political action committees and 527 political committees. The company now spends a minimum of $6 million on lobbying per year, the report said. It also contributes at least $500,000 each year to state campaigns, according to the report.

An interesting highlight in the report about the European Union's antitrust suit against Microsoft:

"Almost immediately following the announcement of the European fine, Microsoft noted 33 U.S. members of Congress and Senators publicly supported its position against Europe and posted their quotes on the company's Freedom to Innovate website. Of the 33 congressmen and senators, 31 had received donations from Microsoft's PAC. While there is no way to directly tie the public endorsements to the contributions, it is noteworthy that the company did not receive nearly as much public support from members of Congress and senators after the Department of Justice filed its suit in 1998."

The report also notes that "Microsoft's political contributions policy and reporting are detailed and complete, although it says little about how its policies are implemented."