Let's not forget about Microsoft's Techpolicy.com, which it describes as "a forum for academics." Note this is not funding, say, basic research in computer science; it's a pure policy focus.

I'm not sure if this would also count as "bankrolling friendly academics?"

I don't mean to single out Microsoft; I suspect many large companies do the same. And maybe the practice is defensible in principle--if academics get grants from Ford, Rockefeller, MacArthur and other organizations with a pro-regulation focus, maybe companies should give grants to fund work skeptical of regulation?