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"The bill ended AT&T's obligation to provide landline phone service to all state residents"

All that for a $22,500 payment. Talk about leverage.

I don't get it, what is the difference between what was done here and paying a lobbyist?

They made the payment through a lobbyist if I read this right.

In any case, lobbyists are paid to talk at people, not bribe them.

Cynically, lobbyists are paid to find ways of bribing people without getting caught, or inventing forms of bribery that aren't illegal yet.

If by “cynically” you mean “inaccurately.” Lobbying involves making Power Points for staffers and doing their homework for them by drafting proposed legislation.

Lobbyists probably also tend to hire ex-politicians as a form of (perfectly legal) delayed bribery; and hire family members of politicians (https://youtu.be/jXf04bhcjbg?t=1493).

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