Latest news with #DanielLippman
Politico
2 days ago
- Politics
- Politico
Bush 43 alum joins ‘shadow' RNC
With Daniel Lippman FIRST IN PI: Marc Racicot, the former Montana governor and RNC chair, is joining Our Republican Legacy as chair, lending his voice to the organization as it expands efforts to grow grassroots support for the pre-MAGA era of the GOP ahead of the midterms next year and presidential election in 2028. — Racicot joins former Sens. John Danforth and William Cohen, two founding chairs of the nonprofit that bills itself as the inheritor of true Republican Party values. Former Reps. Charlie Dent and Barbara Comstock are also being elevated to chairs as the organization seeks to grow its foothold in all 50 states. — 'There are a lot of good people that can come back into the fold, we just have to have the time and the messaging to work with them and show them what's going on,' Racicot told PI. — Racicot, who left public service after successfully managing President George W. Bush's 2004 reelection campaign, went on to spend four years as the president of the American Insurance Association (now known as the American Property Casualty Insurance Association). — 'We're building a 50-state national committee, basically a shadow version of the party,' Our Republican Legacy senior adviser Chris Vance told PI, while emphasizing that the organization is not a PAC and will not be endorsing specific candidates or making donations. — 'Maybe we, at some point, will form a PAC,' Vance said. 'But right now we are an advocacy group, like the NRA is an advocacy group, the Sierra Club, all these different organizations. They can't say the magic words — elect, donate, that sort of thing — but they still have a very big political impact by fighting for their ideas.' Happy first Friday of Summer and welcome to PI. This is Daniel (no, not that one) and I'm your guest host today. Send tips and recommendations on how to beat the heat this weekend to dbarnes@ or ping me on Signal. And follow me on X: @dnlbrns. Caitlin will be back on Monday. You can always reach her on Signal, email her at coprysko@ and follow her on X: @caitlinoprysko. BURR LOBBYING FOR BIOTECH: Former Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) will represent the Biotechnology Innovation Organization on issues related to drug pricing and supply chains, Medicare and Medicaid and reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act, POLITICO's Amanda Chu reports. Burr is currently health policy chair at DLA Piper. FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES: Gaurav Srivastava, the Indian American businessperson who last year had major donations to Democrats frozen or returned after allegations he had posed as a spy for the CIA, now appears to be trying to curry favor with top Republicans, Daniel L. reports. — Srivastava on Thursday posted a photo he recently took with Vice President JD Vance, adding in a caption, 'Pleasure seeing Vice President @JDVance during last week's event in #WashingtonDC as we work towards strengthening America's future!' — The photo was taken at the performance of 'Les Misérables' at the Kennedy Center that President Donald Trump and Vance attended along with a slew of other senior administration and Republican figures. — 'Thousands of people were at the Kennedy Center that evening, and the Vice President took photos with many of them,' a spokesperson for Vance said in a statement to PI. A spokesperson for Srivastava did not provide a comment. Srivastava has disputed the 'fake spy' allegations in the past. — Earlier this year, Srivastava also had lunch with Hunter Biden, according to photos the Daily Mail snapped. — In 2023, the FBI reportedly began investigating Srivastava and where he got his money. Srivastava has been engaged in a long-running battle with Dutch oil trader Niels Troost after their business relationship went sour. An FBI spokesperson declined to comment on the status of the investigation. FOUL-MOUTH FAIN: 'In a scathing report from a court-appointed union watchdog, UAW President Shawn Fain is depicted as a foul-mouthed, hotheaded leader,' Liam Rappleye reports in the Detroit Free Press. — The 93-page report makes several references to 'a moment where Fain told hundreds of UAW members at a large staff meeting that he would 'slit' or 'cut' their throats if they messed with his closest aides.' — 'In another anecdote — which Fain admitted to be true — the UAW president confronted a print shop employee and launched into a 'tirade' upon hearing that [UAW Secretary-Treasurer Margaret Mock] wanted a photo of herself to appear alongside Fain on a pamphlet outlining details of an ongoing bargaining campaign.' — 'Fain reportedly confronted the Head of the Print Shop in a tirade, demanding, among other things, that she tell him, 'Who told you to put [Mock's] motherf------ photo on there? This is my motherf------ membership.'' SPOTTED at the Rainey Center's 'Tea Party Revival: Don't Tax the Light' at Butterworth's on Wednesday night: Citizen Solutions Inc.'s Tomer Kagan, National Nuclear Security Administration's Charles Moran, RNC's CJ Pearson, Log Cabin Republicans' Ed Williams, Andre Soriano, TSG Advocates' Chase Kroll, Rainey Center's Sarah Hunt, Chet Love and Connor Sandagata, Foundation for American Innovation's Zach Graves, Latinos for America First's Bianca Gracia, HHS' Gregory Angelo, Fox News' Ryan Schmelz, Treasury's Shane Shannon and Dean Ball of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Jobs report — The Modular Building Institute has added Alex Carmack as government affairs director, Andrew Muchnick as government affairs manager and Chastity Meade as communications manager. Carmack joins from the United Network for Organ Sharing where he worked as a policy analyst. Muchnick was previously a senior director in Bullpen Strategy Group's media intelligence practice. Meade was a community manager and social media manager for the MIT Sloan CIO Symposium. — Mike Spratt has joined the Investment Company Institute as an associate general counsel from the SEC where he previously was assistant director in the division of investment management disclosure review. — The American Land Title Association has promoted three members of their government relations staff. Elizabeth Blosser has been appointed chief strategy, communications and innovation officer. She was previously vice president of government affairs overseeing state advocacy. Emily Tryon has been promoted to chief advocacy officer. She was previously vice president of government affairs managing federal advocacy. Kevin Cameron takes on a new title as vice president, head of federal government affairs. He was previously senior director of federal government affairs. — Gregory Cox is the new executive director of the office of government relations at Texas Christian University. He was most recently an attorney in private practice and is a Greg Abbott alum. — Brett Tolman is the new chair for law and justice at America First Policy Institute. He previously served as chair of AFPI's weaponization of government initiative. — CropLife America has added Tonya Parish as senior manager of communications and government relations. Parish was previously communications manager for the Alliance for Automotive Innovation. She is joined at CropLife by Jay Ivey, new manager of government relations. He was previously state outreach and public affairs coordinator at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. New Joint Fundraisers Blue Dog Victory Fund (Cooke for Congress, Rep. Jared Golden, Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp, Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, Rep. Lou Correa, Rep. Adam Gray, Rep. Sanford Bishop, Rep. Jim Costa, Rep. Henry Cuellar, Rep. Josh Gottheimer, Rep. Mike Thompson) New PACs American Fidelity PAC (Super PAC) BDA PAC (Hybrid PAC) Founding Father's Vision PAC (Hybrid PAC) DraftKings Inc. Political Action Committee DBA DraftKings PAC (PAC) Fire Fetterman (Super PAC) Archer Aviation Inc. Political Action Committee (AKA Archer PAC) (PAC) MAGA KY (Super PAC) Lunatic Fringe Political Action Committee (PAC) New Lobbying REGISTRATIONS Axadvocacy Government Relations: 503 Capital Partners Ballard Partners: Transportation Management Services Boundary Stone Partners: Mantel Capture, Inc Boundary Stone Partners: National Carbon Technologies, LLC Brightspring Health Services: Brightspring Health Services Continental Strategy, LLC: Cm Consortium LLC Covenant Government Affairs, LLC: Auto-Mark, Inc. Dba Sea Foam Sales Company Covenant Government Affairs, LLC: Royal Engineering And Consulting, LLC. Cruce Capitol Consulting LLC: American Sugar Cane League Of The USa, Inc. Dga Group Government Relations LLC: Kyowa Kirin Inc, USa DLA Piper LLP (US): Biotechnology Innovation Organization Ervin Graves Strategy Group, LLC: Hereford Ethanol Partners, L.P. Hogan Lovells US LLP: Artanis Capital, LLC J.A. Green And Company (Formerly LLC): Aimpoint US J.A. Green And Company (Formerly LLC): American Center For Manufacturing & Innovation Federal General LLC Javelin Advisors LLC: Fred Daibes Lilette Advisors: Rf Catalytic Capital Lilette Advisors: Vale USa LLC Mercury Public Affairs, LLC: Sentinelone Inc. Michael Best Strategies LLC: Charter Casting Michael Best Strategies LLC: Dairyland Power Cooperative Michael Best Strategies LLC: Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P. (Kkr) Michael Best Strategies LLC: Maxar Intelligence Michael Best Strategies LLC: Tricolor Holdings Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough: United Opticians Association Park Strategies, LLC: Global Dairy Distributors LLC Steptoe LLP: Lake Charles Methanol Ii, LLC The Mckeon Group, Inc.: Momentum Solutions The Mckeon Group, Inc.: Sunation Energy The Mckeon Group, Inc.: Umo & National Association Of Ukrainian Defense Industries (Naudi) The Vogel Group: Allentown, Inc The Vogel Group: Auto Approve The Vogel Group: Canadian National Railway The Vogel Group: Contingency Capital The Vogel Group: Graftech International Ltd. The Vogel Group: William Tierney Venn Strategies: Ohio Coating Company New Lobbying Terminations Accelerate Strategies: Sports And Fitness Industry Association Cgcn Group, LLC: National Oilseed Processors Association Ess Tech, Inc.: Ess Tech, Inc. Forbes-Tate: Crestview Strategies Obo Teknion Forbes-Tate: Ginkgo Bioworks Forbes-Tate: Lykos Therapeutics Lot Sixteen LLC: North Star Manganese, Inc. Ms. Virginia Ainslie: American Geophysical Union
Politico
4 days ago
- Business
- Politico
DraftKings bets on politics
With help from Katherine Long and Daniel Lippman PROGRAMMING NOTE: PI will be off Thursday but will be back in your inboxes on Friday, June 20. FIRST IN PI: Sports betting powerhouse DraftKings is jumping into electoral politics with a new corporate PAC. The DraftKings PAC will be led by the platform's senior director of federal affairs, Lauren Pfingstag Vahey, and senior vice president and deputy general counsel, Griffin Finan. — DraftKings is one of the first major sports betting platforms to start a corporate PAC. Fantasy sports company PrizePicks started a PAC in 2023, and prominent casinos like MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment as well as the American Gaming Association — which DraftKings belongs to — also have their own federal PACs. — Sports betting has taken off in the U.S. since it was legalized by a 2018 Supreme Court decision, with nearly $150 billion wagered across 38 states and Washington, D.C., last year, according to the AGA. But that popularity has begun to earn the industry a closer look from regulators concerned about personal finance and addiction. — Earlier this month, Democratic Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed into law legislation that will hit sportsbooks with a new per-transaction tax. The move triggered an outcry from the gaming industry, which contended that the fees would prompt some bettors to take their action from regulated platforms that provide state revenue to unregulated ones. — At the federal level, lawmakers introduced a bill last year aimed at creating new consumer protections. The Senate Judiciary Committee also held a hearing in December diving into legalized sports betting, and two of the committee's members separately called for an antitrust investigation into DraftKings and rival sportsbook FanDuel. — DraftKings' PAC isn't the company's first foray into political spending: It dropped $420,000 on federal lobbying last year, according to disclosure filings. The sportsbook also gave $502,000 in in-kind donations to President Donald Trump's inaugural committee, FEC filings show. Happy Wednesday and welcome to PI. We'll be off tomorrow, and POLITICO's Daniel Barnes will be pinch-hitting for your host when we return to your inboxes Friday. Say hello and send him your lobbying and legal tips: dbarnes@ And be sure to follow him on X: @dnlbrns. You can always reach me on Signal, email me at coprysko@ and follow me on X: @caitlinoprysko. FIRST IN PI II — THE SINCEREST FORM OF FLATTERY: The National Taxpayers Union is launching a new website that will spotlight the stories of small businesses that have been hit by Trump's tariff policies by posing as a copycat of the Drudge Report. — The Tariffs Report will emulate Drudge's bulletin board-style of aggregation to feature stories of 'real pain born by small businesses in a constantly changing environment with tariffs imposed, paused, or postponed regularly,' the conservative anti-tax group announced. —'We hope that the small business stories featured on The Tariffs Report encourage the administration to reject broad-based tariff increases and focus on other policies to achieve its worthy goal of trade that supports American prosperity,' said Bryan Riley, who leads the group's Free Trade Initiative. — NTU isn't alone in imitating the Drudge Report. In April, the White House launched its own take on Drudge's anachronistic format to promote positive news coverage of the president and his administration. ENERGY LEADERS LOBBY ON MEGABILL: Lobbyists and industry leaders are increasing their efforts to salvage some of the energy tax credits included in the Inflation Reduction Act, as the Senate megabill text proposes cuts to certain credits, our Timothy Cama writes for E&E News. — Battery maker Energizer Holdings, chemical manufacturer Johnson Matthey, the Hydrogen Jobs Now Coalition, battery recycler Ecobat and the Clean Energy Buyers Association have all hired new lobbyists in recent months to advocate for credits they support. But the true impacts remain unclear as Republican leaders continue to revise the spending package. TECHNET'S MILESTONE: Silicon Valley trade group TechNet has added three more industry players to its ranks, crossing the 100-member threshold. Persona and Runway join the ranks of major tech players like Apple, Google, Intuit, Meta and Amazon at the nearly three-decade-old association. K STREET'S NEW AI PLAYER: A new startup hoping to corner the market for artificial intelligence in the advocacy world announced a series of investments today from top government affairs and communications firms. — Delve, which was founded by former GOP opposition researcher Jeff Berkowitz, has secured backing from BGR Group and Rokk Solutions along with Silicon Valley investor Moxxie Ventures for the AI tool Berkowitz designed for K Street. — 'When you're trying to pull an industry into the future, it requires resources,' Berkowitz told Bloomberg's Kate Ackley, who writes that Berkowitz 'also acknowledges the limits of technology in [an] industry built on personal connections.' — The AI startup, a spinoff of Berkowitz's research outfit of the same name, 'will use the new funds to hire more engineers as it works to build out its platform that includes numerous news and data sources aimed at helping lobbyists research policy positions and write memos for clients, he said. In a demonstration, Delve's deep research tool drafted a memo on the state of play around the Trump administration's steel and aluminum tariffs.' — Delve's new investments come as the lobbying and public affairs world grapple with how best to integrate AI into the industry in order to maximize its potential and steer clear of the various risks of the rapidly evolving technology. Professional associations for the industry, like the National Institute for Lobbying & Ethics and the Public Affairs Council, have set out to craft guidelines for AI's use in influence efforts. ANNALS OF FUNDRAISING: 'Just months into the tenure of a new party leader, Ken Martin, the Democratic National Committee's financial situation has grown so bleak that top officials have discussed whether they might need to borrow money this year to keep paying the bills,' The New York Times' Shane Goldmacher and Reid J. Epstein report in an eyebrow-raising look at the party's finances. — 'Fund-raising from major donors — some of whom Mr. Martin has still not spoken with — has slowed sharply. At the same time, he has expanded the party's financial commitments to every state, and even to far-flung territories like Guam.' — The malaise burst out in the open earlier this week with the news that a pair of prominent labor leaders — Randi Weingarten and Lee Saunders — were leaving their roles at the committee. 'Fellow Democrats are grumbling that Mr. Martin, who quietly accepted a raise after taking the post, has been badly distracted by internal battles. So far, they say, he has been unable to help unite his party against Republicans, who control the federal government,' according to the Times. ON THE AIRWAVES: Hospital and patient advocacy group Coalition to Strengthen America's Healthcare released a new ad as part of its ongoing seven-figure ad blitz on Medicaid cuts. The spot, titled 'These Halls,' begins in the halls of Congress before cutting to a hospital and arguing that Medicaid cuts would devastate hospital care. — The ad follows the release of the Senate's proposed Medicaid cuts, which went further than the House bill. The Senate version would curtail states' abilities to impose taxes on providers, a move that was strongly opposed by hospital executives as the taxes help increase hospital payments. — Industry leaders and lobbyists are urging GOP lawmakers to reconsider. The ad cites decreased services, hospital closures and longer wait times as some of the impacts of the proposed cuts. SPOTTED last night at happy hour hosted by the Fiber Broadband Association, the Rural Broadband Association, the Telecommunications Industry Association and the Wireless Infrastructure Association at Santa Rosa Taqueria, per a tipster: Marissa Mitrovich of FBA; Colin Andrews, Patrick Lozada and Melissa Newman of TIA; Mike Saperstein and Stephen Keegan of WIA; Makenzie Shellnutt and Mike Romano of NTCA; Harsha Mudaliar of the FCC; Tom Hastings of Sen. Ted Cruz's (R-Texas) office; Al David Saab of Sen. Roger Wicker's (R-Miss.) office; Johanna Shelton of Rep. Frank Pallone's (D-N.J.) office; John Lin of the House Energy and Commerce Committee; Asad Ramzanali of the Vanderbilt Policy Accelerator; Tim Donovan of the Competitive Carriers Association; Bill Wilhelm of Frontier Communications; and Crystal Tully of Wiley Rein. — And at a Mozilla mixer held yesterday on the Glen Echo Group office's rooftop, per a tipster: Linda Griffin, Jenn Taylor Hodges and Brandon Samuel of Mozilla; Halie Craig of Origin Advocacy; Katie Barr and Halley Roth of Glen Echo Group; Chris Lewis of Public Knowledge; Ali Sternburg and Tricia McCleary of CCIA; Colin Crowell of Blue Owl Group; Joseph Coniglio of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation; Khloe Greenwood and Ali Guckes of Franklin Square Group; Keir Lamont, Beth Do and Justine Gluck of the Future of Privacy Forum; Nathalie Maréchal of the Center for Democracy & Technology; Simone Shenny of the Cato Institute; Brian Smith of Roblox; Peter Chandler of Internet Works; Marshall Erwin of Fastly; Christine Bannan of Proton; Tim Lynch of Yahoo; Jessica Jones of Zoom; and David Peluso of KDCR Partners. Jobs report — Varun Jain is joining K&L Gates as an of counsel in its public policy and law practice. He previously was deputy general counsel at the Biden Transportation Department. — Saul Hernandez is now vice president for government affairs at Charter Communications. He previously was a principal at theGROUP and is an NCTA alum. — The International Bottled Water Association is adding Jeremy Pollack as vice president of government relations. He was most recently with the Water Quality Association, where he served as director of government affairs. — Samantha Kemp is now director of government affairs at Target. She previously was deputy director of government affairs at Albertsons Companies. — Kendra Wharton is returning to Wharton Law, where she previously worked as a defense attorney for Trump. She's currently associate deputy attorney general and DOJ's senior ethics official. — Carolyn Davis is now communications director at Better Markets. She previously was director of external communications at Leadership for Educational Equity. — Karen Davis is now vice president of business development and marketing at the American Society for Radiation Oncology. She most recently was chief development and external affairs officer for the National Council on Aging. — Sharmistha Das has rejoined Crowell & Moring as a partner. She most recently was deputy chief of staff and deputy general counsel at DHS. — William Benson is now a staff assistant for the Domestic Policy Council at the White House. He most recently was a communications intern at America First Policy Institute. New Joint Fundraisers Balderson Victory Fund (Rep. Troy Balderson, Your Ohio Republican Team, NRCC) ROYCE WHITE VICTORY FUND (Royce White for Senate, Stop the Left PAC) New PACs Arsenal PAC (Hybrid PAC) North Star PAC (Hybrid PAC) New Lobbying REGISTRATIONS Ballard Partners: Altamed Health Services Corporation Ballard Partners: Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP: Wgc USa, Inc. Capitol Resources, LLC: Health Resources Cgcn Group, LLC: Solar Landscape Chartwell Strategy Group LLC: Uniformed Firefighters Association Dga Group Government Relations LLC: Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. Ervin Graves Strategy Group, LLC: 3D Glass Solutions, Inc. Ervin Graves Strategy Group, LLC: Dc Police Union First Principles Strategies, LLC: Old North Strategies, LLC On Behalf Of Qualexa Healthcare, LLC Hogan Lovells US LLP: Click Therapeutics, Inc. K&L Gates, LLP: Talus Renewables, Inc. Michael Best Strategies LLC: America's Health Insurance Plans, Inc. Michael Best Strategies LLC: Ford Motor Company Miller Strategies, LLC: Aclara Technologies Inc. Rising Tide Associates: American Combat Boot Alliance Rjl Solutions: Indiana State University Rjl Solutions: Trans-Care Ambulance S2R, LLC: National Association Of Convenience Stores The Artemis Group, LLC (Oklahoma): Viasat, Inc. Tiber Creek Group: Patient Square Capital Vision Americas LLC: Atlas Lithium Corporation New Lobbying Terminations Husch Blackwell Strategies: A. T. Still University
Politico
5 days ago
- Health
- Politico
Senate's Medicaid cuts stun a DC power player
With Daniel Lippman MEGABILL TWEAKS LEAVE HOSPITALS SMARTING: One of the most powerful lobbies in Washington is redoubling its efforts to avoid a cut to Medicaid payments in the GOP's megabill, your host reports with Robert King and Jordain Carney. — Hospital executives weren't happy last month when the House included a provision in its version of the bill freezing a loophole states have used to boost payments to hospitals serving the low-income patients enrolled in Medicaid. Hospitals have long enjoyed deference from lawmakers — since they both care for and employ their constituents. — But they were infuriated when Senate Republicans on the Finance Committee released their version of the bill on Monday. Their proposal went even further than the House measure in curtailing the ability of states to impose taxes on providers. States have used those taxes to gain a larger federal Medicaid contribution, which they have then directed back to hospitals with higher reimbursements. — The changes have hospital lobbyists painting a bleak picture of their financial prospects in a last-ditch effort to change senators' minds. 'No senator wants to be the reason their local hospital shutters its doors, and now is their opportunity to stop that from happening,' said a source familiar with hospital industry thinking granted anonymity to speak freely on strategy. — Hospitals are not used to losing on Capitol Hill. But now, the industry is working against a Senate hungry for savings to pay for the megabill, the primary purpose of which is to extend the tax cuts President Donald Trump and a Republican Congress enacted in 2017. It's also up against conservatives' philosophical opposition to the state taxes. — While the House version of the bill was somewhat palatable to the industry, thanks in part to intervention from governors and hospital systems from red states, the Senate's tweaks have sent hospitals and their allies scrambling. — 'I would assume there will be just a massive amount of pushback from states, and we'll see whether it moves the needle,' said one lobbyist who was granted anonymity to speak candidly. A lot of hospitals are 'probably going to be in panic mode because … they didn't expect that the bill was going to get worse,' they added. 'I think folks are really worried.' — And there are signs of encouragement, as several influential GOP senators lodged objections to their colleagues' proposal after its release Monday. — Another lobbyist working for hospital systems ventured so far as to predict that the reconciliation bill won't be able to pass with the Medicaid provisions as written. 'I think there are enough rural legislators who will wake up in the next few weeks and see that this is just fundamentally flawed,' they told PI. — Hospital CEOs, nurses and doctors 'are really critically important constituents to members of Congress,' the lobbyist argued, adding that their clients 'are making sure that every member of Congress is fully apprised of the devastation that this bill will wreck on their professions.' Happy Tuesday and welcome to PI. Send K Street intel on the megabill. You can add me on Signal, email me at coprysko@ and be sure to follow me on X: @caitlinoprysko. NEW GOP GROUP GOES TO THE MAT FOR IRA: A new advocacy group led by a former Republican lieutenant governor of West Virginia and a former Trump adviser is pouring another seven figures into an ad campaign aimed at persuading Republicans in Washington to preserve one of former President Joe Biden's signature legislative achievements. — Built for America launched last week with a $2 million ad buy targeting Trump and his inner circle, declaring that 'Trump country is booming' thanks to the incentives in the Biden-era Inflation Reduction Act and the wave of new investment the law has brought to Republican-held districts. — Built for America is now infusing another $1.5 million into the effort to expand the ad blitz into the home states of six key GOP senators: Todd Young of Indiana, Dave McCormick of Pennsylvania, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Jerry Moran of Kansas, John Cornyn of Texas and Mike Crapo of Idaho, who was the key author of megabill's tax title released yesterday. — The group is led by Mitch Carmichael, who was now-Sen. Jim Justice's ( deputy in the governor's mansion. Carmichael was in Washington today for meetings with Trump administration officials to discuss the issue, according to the group, whose funders have not been disclosed. — Bryan Lanza, a former Trump campaign adviser who works at Mercury Public Affairs, is serving as a senior adviser to Built for America. In a statement, Lanza called the IRA tax credits — which passed without a single Republican vote in Congress and which Trump campaigned on repealing — 'a Trump success story — results-driven, pro-growth, pro-worker.' — The group's initial ad buy co-opting Trump's 'America First' rhetoric is running on conservative platforms like Fox News, Newsmax, Truth Social and Rumble and on digital trucks that have circled Trumpworld haunts in D.C. like Ned's Club and Butterworth's. — The new state ads will follow the same playbook in terms of placement, but they frame the repeal of the IRA tax credits as a win for China at the expense of U.S. manufacturing: 'Maintain the energy tax credits that are delivering on the president's promise to bring jobs and factories back home where they belong,' a narrator says in the new 30-second spot. — While the Senate's changes to the IRA incentives are less drastic than the severe cuts that would be imposed under the House-passed reconciliation bill, 'the changes still represent a significant weakening' of the clean energy law, POLITICO's Kelsey Tamborrino, Josh Siegel and James Bikales noted last night. ALSO ON THE AIRWAVES: The National Federation of Independent Business is rolling out a new ad campaign calling for the repeal of a 2021 law cracking down on anonymous shell companies. Treasury effectively gutted the law in March, when it finalized a rule exempting tens of millions of U.S. companies from requirements to report information about their true owners. — Business groups like NFIB had complained the reporting requirements, meant to get a handle on illicit finance, would be too onerous for many small businesses. As part of a fly-in last week, the trade group pushed lawmakers to repeal the Corporate Transparency Act and for the deletion of ownership information already submitted to the government. — NFIB's new ad buy will supplement that lobbying with radio and digital ads that will begin airing this week across Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, South Dakota and D.C. until August. MORE MAHA REPORT FALLOUT: 'More than 250 agriculture groups are asking the Trump administration to 'correct' the direction of its Make America Healthy Again goals after releasing a report that criticized the use of common herbicides and food ingredients,' POLITICO's Grace Yarrow. — 'The groups criticized the MAHA Commission's lack of transparency in creating the report, which was released in May, and claimed that its number of citation errors and 'false claims' could have been avoided with better industry input ahead of the release. They also asked the commission to hold a public comment period for all of its future reports and activities,' according to a letter addressed to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin.' TRUMP'S DEPORTATION SNAG: Trump's 'aggressive deportation push has slammed into an economic reality: Key industries in the U.S. rely heavily on workers living in the U.S. illegally, many of them for decades. That presents a major challenge for the administration unfolding in real time, with business leaders urging a softer approach while anti-immigration hard-liners demand more deportations,' according to The Wall Street Journal's Arian Campo-Flores, Rebecca Picciotto, Patrick Thomas and Tarini Parti. — Several days of back and forth in the administration's stance on immigration raids targeting farms, restaurants and hotels 'followed weeks of pressure from industry groups that predated the latest raids. Farm and meatpacking representatives argued that labor shortfalls loomed if current policy continued, and that the result could be higher food prices, according to trade groups and company lobbyists.' — Meanwhile 'the hospitality industry told administration officials that it faced acute workforce shortages and lobbied for more temporary visas for hotel workers, said Rosanna Maietta, chief executive of the American Hotel & Lodging Association.' THE SIGNAL CHAT WHERE IT HAPPENED: 'A private group chat of Democratic Party operatives and crypto industry advocates has been secretly coordinating to push Democratic Senators' to to back a landmark crypto bill up for a vote today, The Lever's Freddy Brewster and Luke Goldstein report. — The chat, dubbed the 'Dem Crypto Policy Roundtable,' counts 'over a hundred members on both sides of Washington, D.C.'s revolving door, ranging from venture capitalists, lobbyists, and lawyers for major crypto companies to former Capitol Hill staffers and members of the Democratic National Committee.' Some of the more active members include Paradigm's Justin Slaughter and the Crypto Council for Innovation's Sheila Warren. — Participants in the chat 'admitted that while 'Trump's corruption is manifesting dramatically in crypto,' it would be 'political suicide' for Democrats to reject doing the industry's bidding, even if they have reservations about the impacts on consumers and the financial system.' Jobs report — Adfero has named Teressa Wykpisz-Lee as senior vice president and public affairs practice lead. She previously served as senior vice president of public affairs at Weber Shandwick. — Heather Purcell is now vice president of communications for Reproductive Freedom for All. She previously was deputy assistant secretary for public affairs and public health at HHS and is a Ro Khanna and Gavin Newsom alum. — Dean Garfield is now senior vice president of government affairs at TKO Group Holdings. He most recently was vice president of public policy at Netflix. — Marty Wilson has joined AxAdvocacy as a principal to lead its new state-level public affairs practice in California. He previously served as executive vice president of public affairs at the California Chamber of Commerce for over a decade. — Acting Consumer Product Safety Commission Chair Peter Feldman has added Tripp DeMoss as senior counsel and White House liaison and Noah Vehafric as special assistant. DeMoss most recently was an attorney at Balch & Bingham. Vehafric previously was an associate at AxAdvocacy. — Lauren Oppenheimer is joining Brunswick Group's Washington office as a director. She was previously chief of staff and senior deputy comptroller for public affairs at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. — Brian Glenn is now a director of government affairs at the American Farm Bureau Federation. He previously was a senior manager of federal government relations at CropLife America. — Lee Goodall is now chief of staff at UL Standards and Engagement. He previously was a senior adviser at the General Services Administration in the Biden administration. — Mackenzie Martinez is now public affairs adviser at the Commerce Department's International Trade Administration. She previously was comms director for Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.). — Katie Inman has joined Holland & Knight's Tallahassee office. She was previously special assistant to the chief counsel at the FAA and assistant general counsel at the NTSB. — The America First Policy Institute is adding Julie Kirchner, Tony Pham and Emilio González to build out its stable of immigration policy experts. — Rob DeConti has joined King & Spalding as a partner on the health care team in its government matters and regulation practice group, Morning Pulse reports. DeConti is the former chief counsel and deputy inspector general for the HHS Office of Inspector General. — Global Action to End Smoking has appointed Natasha Toropova as chief development officer, per Pulse. Toropova was most recently CEO of the nonprofit Healthy Initiatives. — Jeff Vogel is now vice president of legal for TOTE Services. He was previously a shareholder and co-chair of the government contracts practice group at Cozen O'Connor and is a former acting chief of the U.S. Maritime Administration's division of maritime programs. — Michael Marn is now a senior manager for federal affairs at the Computer and Communications Industry Association, per Morning Tech. He was previously a legislative assistant to Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), and before that a policy analyst for Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck. — Chad Banghart is now president of the New Tolerance Campaign. He is an RNC and U.S. Chamber of Commerce alum. — Eric Feder is now local legal initiative director at the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. He previously was a partner at Davis Wright Tremaine. — Ben Melano is now director of government affairs at the American Podiatric Medical Association. He previously was deputy director of federal affairs at the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. — Vik Ath will be managing director at Climate Solutions Fund. He previously was director of donor communications at Stand Together and is a Steve Daines alum. New Joint Fundraisers Ohio Grassroots Victory Fund 2026 (Ohio Democratic Party - Federal, Reps. Emilia Sykes, Marcy Kaptur) Magaziner Ossoff Victory Fund (Rep. Seth Magaziner, Sen. Jon Ossoff) New PACs Arsenal PAC (Hybrid PAC) Common Ground Project (Hybrid PAC) iPowerPolitics Super PAC, Inc. (Super PAC) National Association of Rural Health Clinic Action Fund (PAC) National Federation of College Republicans (PAC) New Lobbying REGISTRATIONS Arentfox Schiff LLP: Gulfsands Petroleum Plc Ballard Partners: Data Integrity Advisors, LLC Ballard Partners: University Of Washington Breakaway: Arnall Golden Gregory (O/B/O Housing Authority Of The County Of Butte) Breakaway: Arnall Golden Gregory (O/B/O Housing Authority Of The County Of Santa Barbara) Breakaway: Arnall Golden Gregory (On Behalf Of Southwest Housing Compliance Corporation) Breakaway: Pennymac Financial Services Breakaway: San Diego Housing Commission Breakaway: Vantagescore Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP: Eptura, Inc. Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP: Hydrogen Jobs Now Coalition Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP: Princess House Inc Covenant Government Affairs, LLC: Anfield Resources Holding Corporation Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP: Barrick Mining Corporation Crest Hill Advisors LLC: Radiant Industries, Inc. Cuneo Gilbert & Laduca: Writers Guild Of America West Dentons US LLP: Easterly Government Properties, Inc. Dentons US LLP: US Chamber Of Commerce Dga Group Government Relations LLC: Solvay America LLC, A Member Of The Syensqo Group Double Haul Strategies LLC: Michael Williams Capitol Strategies Monument Advocacy: Bonneville Environmental Foundation Off Hill Strategies L.L.C.: American Principles Project Passage Consulting Group LLC: Echomav Technologies, Inc. Platinum Advisors Dc, LLC: Ecobat Platinum Advisors Dc, LLC: Shaolin Capital Management, LLC Ridge Path Strategies: Ineos USa LLC Rockies Aria LLC: Vintage Hotels Squire Patton Boggs: Banco Angolano De Investimentos, S.A. Tai Ginsberg & Associates, LLC: Village Of Crestwood The Mcmanus Group: Owlet Torrey Advisory Group (Formerly Michael Torrey Associates, LLC): Meristem Crop Performance Group LLC Valcour LLC: Biotechnology Innovation Organization New Lobbying Terminations Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld: Brightline Holdings LLC Hb Strategies: A. T. Still University
Politico
6 days ago
- Business
- Politico
Vogel Group plants a flag in Canada
With help from Katherine Long and Daniel Lippman ANOTHER CROSS-BORDER ALLIANCE: As the G7 summit kicked off in Alberta today following a tense few months between the U.S. and Canada, the Vogel Group became the latest firm on K Street to team up with one of its Canadian counterparts. Vogel Group has struck up a strategic partnership with Bolero Strategies, a government relations and PR firm based in Montreal. — The alliance 'provides us greater access and visibility to clients in the Canadian marketplace and vice versa,' Vogel Group CEO Alex Vogel told PI in an email. He said the partnership is a response to increased demand for cross-border insight as a result of the 'the pace of current policy changes/developments' on trade issues and beyond. In addition to Vogel Group's home base of D.C., the firm also has offices in state capitals across the country. — In March, amid President Donald Trump's repeated threats to make Canada the 51st state and his tariff warnings, Ballard Partners partnered with Quebec-based communications and public affairs firm TACT. And just before Trump took office, Capitol Counsel announced its own partnership with the Canadian firm Rubicon Strategy Inc. to provide 'a seamless solution' to cross-border advocacy issues. McKINSEY FORMS A PAC: Consulting giant McKinsey has formed a corporate PAC, allowing the company to engage in direct spending to support candidates for the first time. Marianne Casserly, McKinsey's director of government and securities compliance, and Emily Mellencamp Smith, a former top Democratic fundraiser, who now works in McKinsey's public affairs operation, will steer the PAC, according to an FEC filing. — 'Since McKinsey's founding in Chicago nearly 100 years ago, our work has been rooted in the American values of free enterprise, innovation, and economic growth and mobility,' Neil Grace, a McKinsey spokesperson, told PI. 'Establishing a PAC will help us continue to advance these values as we engage with elected officials on both sides of the aisle.' — McKinsey isn't the only top consulting firm with a federal PAC. Deloitte has run a corporate PAC since the 1980s, and raised $3.6 million from employees during the 2024 cycle. Happy Monday and welcome to PI. How'd your priorities (or your clients') fare in the Senate reconciliation bill? Drop me a line: You can add me on Signal, email me at coprysko@ and be sure to follow me on X: @caitlinoprysko. QUAADMAN TO ICI: U.S. Chamber of Commerce veteran Tom Quaadman is joining the Investment Company Institute to lead government affairs. — Quaadman joins ICI after 17 years at the Chamber, where he served as senior vice president of economic policy and oversaw the Chamber's Center for Capital Markets Competitiveness, which was founded in 2007 to promote financial regulatory policies. — 'I'm thrilled to welcome Tom to ICI to lead our government affairs efforts, bringing to bear his extensive experience in financial services policy,' ICI President and CEO Eric J. Pan said in a statement. 'He will markedly strengthen ICI's advocacy in matters of financial regulation, retirement policy, and tax to promote the use of asset management by individual investors saving for the long-term.' BEING PRO-TRUMP PAYS: New financial disclosures released by the White House Friday reveal that it pays to be in Trump's orbit, Kenneth P. Vogel writes for The New York Times. The mandatory filings — which were not announced upon their release — include financial statements for dozens of officials who received financial backing from Trump-affiliated companies and groups before joining the administration. — 'Top Trump advisers like Dan Scavino, a deputy chief of staff, and Sergio Gor, the director of the presidential personnel office, reported making more than $1 million each from media-related ventures linked to Mr. Trump.' — Pro-Trump think tanks and advocacy groups paid top Trump administration officials including White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and policy adviser Stephen Miller, and a number of officials received payments from Trump's campaign as consultants before being appointed to positions in the administration. VIRGIN ISLANDS LOBBIES ON TAX BILL: 'The tax bill before Congress would partially exempt the U.S. Virgin Islands from a law meant to crack down on tax havens, after a lobbying campaign by the territory's government and a large private credit firm that stands to benefit from the measure,' per Jeff Stein and Clara Ence Morse at The Washington Post. — 'Over the past three years, an affiliate of the credit giant Golub Capital paid a Washington firm more than $500,000 to urge Congress to relax a global minimum tax approved as part of the 2017 GOP tax law, lobbying disclosures show.' — The exemption, which has received scant attention, has received criticism from certain tax policy experts who argue it 'appears designed to benefit a small number of U.S. firms, rather than to promote economic growth or some other public policy goal.' A NEW ETHICAL DEBATE: 'Saturday's military parade in Washington celebrating the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army was sponsored by at least four brands that have strong financial and political ties to President Trump, raising questions about whether the event benefited his allies and supporters,' Minho Kim writes for The New York Times. — 'Palantir, the data analysis and technology firm whose contracts with the federal government are expanding, and Coinbase, a cryptocurrency firm that donated to the president's inauguration, also sponsored the event. Oracle, a database company whose co-founder is a close friend of Mr. Trump's, received a shout-out on Saturday as a sponsor.' — UFC was also mentioned during the event and on the event's website, but a spokesperson for the company told The New York Times that it was not an official corporate sponsor. — 'Federal regulations prohibit the use of public office for the private gain of officeholders or their friends, relatives or nongovernmental affiliates, said Richard W. Painter, who served as the chief ethics lawyer in the White House Counsel's Office under President George W. Bush.' — 'The parade is being used for advertising by these entities with close business ties to the president,' Painter told The New York Times. 'You're in a situation where the U.S. government has been used to endorse a product.' BETTER THAN REVENGE: 'Business lobbyists are working to kill a tax measure embraced by Republican lawmakers that would punish companies based in countries that try to collect new taxes from American firms,' The Times' Alan Rappeport and Colby Smith report. — 'On Monday, Senate Republicans unveiled their domestic policy bill, which included a so-called revenge tax on foreign companies. That tax would punish companies based in countries that either adhere to the terms of a 2021 global minimum tax agreement or that impose digital services taxes on American technology companies,' but the Senate's version of the bill would punt enforcement of the tax until 2027. — The latest version 'also has a lower maximum tax rate, making it somewhat less onerous. However, the fact that the tax remained intact indicates that its inclusion in the final bill that heads to the president's desk for his signature remains likely.' LOCKHEED ADDS TRUMP ALUM: Former Trump spokesperson Jalen Drummond has joined Lockheed Martin as vice president of corporate affairs and international communications. Drummond most recently oversaw public affairs and corporate communications at the crowdfunding platform GoFundMe. Before that, he worked in media relations for Leidos and was an assistant White House press secretary during Trump's first term. — Drummond joined GoFundMe at a tricky time for the crowdfunding site, which had been facing Republican accusations it was censoring conservative viewpoints. By last summer, that anger appeared to have dissipated, with Trump's campaign launching a fundraiser on GoFundMe for the victims of the assassination attempt at his Butler, Pennsylvania, rally. — Lockheed faced the ire of the MAGA crowd earlier this year, when Breitbart highlighted social media posts from Lockheed's then-head of government affairs expressing left-leaning political views like support for allowing transgender people to serve in the military and diverse hiring practices, and references to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol as an insurrection. Shelly Stoneman, an Obama administration alum, resigned shortly after. — The hire comes at a high stakes moment for the defense contractor, with violence breaking out across the Middle East and the top Pentagon officials simultaneously declaring war on the military industrial complex amid a push to cut wasteful spending. Jobs report — Maddie Heyman is joining Monument Advocacy as a vice president of public affairs in Monument's Seattle office. She spent the past decade with Microsoft, most recently as group manager of external relations for Vice Chair and President Brad Smith. — Jennifer Abril will be the next president and CEO of the American Cleaning Institute beginning in August. She currently leads the Society of Chemical Manufacturers & Affiliates. — Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck has added Matt Grinney as a policy director, and Michele Blackwell as a shareholder in the state government relations and state attorneys general practices. Grinney most recently served as managing director at the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association and Blackwell most recently served as senior public policy manager for Uber. — Cole Randle has been promoted to chief of staff and head of corporate affairs at Heart Aerospace. He was previously head of strategic engagement. — John Barsa is joining Continental Strategy as a partner. He previously was acting USAID administrator in Trump's first term. — Alex Floyd is joining the new anti-Trump war room Defend America Action as rapid response director. He previously was rapid response director at the DNC, and is an Andy Beshear alum. — Lauren Oppenheimer is joining Brunswick Group as a director. She most recently was chief of staff and senior deputy comptroller for public affairs at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. — Graeme Crews will be senior director of media and public relations at Brady United. He previously was communications director for Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.) and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. — Valeria Ojeda-Avitia will be chief communications officer for BOLD PAC. She previously was deputy chief of staff, senior adviser and comms director for Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.). New Joint Fundraisers None. New PACs Civic Roots Fund (Super PAC) (Super PAC) Helpful Housing, Safe Streets PAC (Super PAC) McKinsey & Company, Inc. United States Political Action Committee (McKinsey PAC) (PAC) Tucson Families Fed Up PAC (Super PAC) WSB LLC PAC (WSB PAC) (PAC) New Lobbying REGISTRATIONS Ballard Partners: Publix Super Markets, Inc. Ballard Partners: Taurus Holdings Inc. Boundary Stone Partners: The Pew Charitable Trusts Branstad Churchill Group, LLC: Bitmain Delaware Holding Company Inc Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP: Axa Xl Global Services, Inc. Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP: Christian Brothers Academy Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP: Coinstar Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP: Corex Holding B.V. Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP: Daniels Fund Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP: Figure Markets, Inc. Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP: Glytec, LLC Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP: Independent Sector Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP: Junior Achievement USa Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP: National Organization To Save Flathead Lake Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP: Timios, Inc. Carmen Group Incorporated: Pediatrix Medical Group Inc Kelley Drye & Warren LLP: Mrcool LLC Maven Advocacy Partners LLC: Sagint Mindset Advocacy, LLC: Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners Inc. Rubin, Turnbull & Associates: USantibiotics New Lobbying Terminations None.
Politico
13-06-2025
- Business
- Politico
PhRMA bolsters its lobbying lineup
Presented by Recycled Materials Association With Daniel Lippman PhRMA HIRES RUBIN TURNBULL: Florida transplants Rubin Turnbull & Associates have registered to lobby for the brand name drug lobby PhRMA. The trade group retained Rubin Turnbull in March to lobby on a range of issues related to the drug industry, according to a newly filed disclosure. — It's the third new outside lobbying hire for PhRMA this year, after the organization hired DLA Piper and GOP lobbyist Doug Schwartz of HillNorth at the beginning of January. — PhRMA's latest hire came about a month into vocal industry skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s tenure atop the Health and Human Services Departmen. He has heaped criticism on vaccines and blamed drug industry lobbying for contributing to chronic disease among children in a report last month. — The industry already has no shortage of lobbying prowess, of course, with more than 40 other outside firms on retainer and lobbying outlays of $12.9 million just in Q1 of 2025 — a quarterly record. MORE IRA TAX CREDIT LOBBYING: Energizer Holdings has brought on Washington Council Ernst & Young for help salvaging an Inflation Reduction Act incentive for advanced manufacturing of products like batteries and battery components. — Tommy Brown, who worked in Treasury's legislative affairs office during the Biden administration, will work on the account along with Bob Schellhas, Evan Giesemann and Ryan Abraham, who was the Democratic tax counsel on the Senate Finance Committee during negotiations on the 2017 GOP tax bill, according to a disclosure filing. — The battery behemoth previously had just one other outside lobbying firm — Holland & Knight — on its roster. — Meanwhile, the Residential Solar Association retained a team of lobbyists at Becker & Poliakoff that includes a former chief of staff to Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) to help save the IRA's residential clean energy credit and the clean electricity investment credit, according to a disclosure filing. TGIF and welcome to PI. Send K Street tips and gossip. You can add me on Signal, email me at coprysko@ and be sure to follow me on X: @caitlinoprysko. NEW BUSINESS: Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck has signed more than a dozen new clients, including chrome and nickel mining giant Corex Holdings, insulin management software company Glytec, and the philanthropy Daniels Fund. — Florida-based grocery chain Publix, meanwhile, has hired Ballard Partners to lobby on labor issues, compliance with environmental regulations and PBM reforms, according to a disclosure. — And Moody's Corp., the parent company of the credit rating service that downgraded the creditworthiness of the U.S. last month — eliciting brushback from the White House — has hired Republican firm CGCN Group. CGCN's Sam Geduldig, Ja'Ron Smith and Scott Riplinger began working on April 30 to provide 'education on economic trends impacting the global economy,' according to a disclosure filing. MORE TRUMP FALLOUT IN BIG LAW: 'Seven partners at Willkie Farr & Gallagher, a prominent law firm that cut a deal with President Trump to head off a potentially crippling executive order, announced on Friday that they were departing to join a firm that helped successfully challenge one of Mr. Trump's orders in court,' The New York Times' Mike Schmidt and Maggie Haberman report. — 'The decision by the partners, who are leaving Willkie Farr to join the law firm Cooley, is the latest of several high-profile departures of lawyers from firms that cut deals with the president. Cooley represented Jenner & Block in that firm's legal efforts to challenge an executive order rather than settle with the president. Last month, a federal judge struck down the executive order against Jenner, saying it was 'doubly violative of the Constitution.'' — 'Two of the partners leaving Willkie led its San Francisco office: Benedict Y. Hur and Simona Agnolucci, who served as a member of the firm's executive committee. Both are litigators and have told others they were extremely disappointed that the firm capitulated to Mr. Trump, according to two people briefed on the matter.' — Those departures are the 'latest reshuffling amid the fallout from the executive orders. In just the past month, six top partners at the law firm Paul Weiss, the first firm to cut a deal with Mr. Trump, decided to leave. Four of them started their own law firm, while another joined one of the other firms that has successfully fought Mr. Trump in court.' CVS TROUBLE ON THE BAYOU: 'Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill announced Thursday she is investigating whether pharmaceutical giant CVS improperly used customers' personal information to send out text messages lobbying against a proposed state law' that would have prohibited companies like CVS from owning both PBMs and drug stores, per the Associated Press' Sara Cline and Jack Brook. — 'Murrill also said she plans to issue a cease-and-desist letter to the company to stop the messages. As lawmakers debated a now-failed bill on Wednesday they held up screenshots of text messages sent by CVS.' — 'Last minute legislation in Louisiana threatens to close your CVS Pharmacy — your medication cost may go up and your pharmacist may lose their job,' one text obtained by The AP read. The company's texts 'to Louisiana residents included a link to a draft letter urging lawmakers to oppose the legislation that someone could sign with their email address and send to legislators.' ANNALS OF CAMPAIGN FINANCE: 'The House Ethics Committee is launching a subpanel to review its guidance on campaign activities,' POLITICO's Hailey Fuchs writes. A new working group led by Texas Reps. Nathaniel Moran, a Republican, and Sylvia Garcia, a Democrat, will 'review and make recommendations to improve, clarify, and modernize the Committee's guidance regarding campaign activity by House Members, officers, and employees,' according to the panel. — 'It's unclear what prompted the committee to create a new body tasked with improving resources around campaign activity rules. A spokesperson for the Ethics Committee did not respond to a series of questions about the working group.' — 'However, a number of lawmakers have been dogged by allegations in recent years that they violated rules around campaigning — including, for example, accepting a campaign donation in connection to some kind of official action as a lawmaker.' FOR YOUR RADAR: 'As the Trump administration considers approving a proposed merger between two of the world's largest advertising agencies, Omnicom Group and Interpublic Group, regulators may impose unusual conditions,' per NYT's Lauren Hirsch, Benjamin Mullin, Kate Conger and Tiffany Hsu. — 'A proposed consent decree would prevent the merged company from boycotting platforms because of their political content by refusing to place their clients' advertisements on them, according to two people briefed on the matter.' — 'The restrictions being discussed by the Federal Trade Commission as part of its merger review are part of an effort by the Trump administration to use federal agencies to root out what it considers political bias in corporate America against conservative voices and causes.' — Omnicom has faced scrutiny from Republicans in Washington for its participation in the advertising coalition Global Alliance for Responsible Media, which launched in 2019 in an effort to persuade social media companies to tighten up their content moderation policies. — The group came into the spotlight more recently for recommending a pause for advertising on X following Elon Musk's takeover of the company, triggering an antitrust lawsuit from Musk and prompting the alliance to shut down not long after, though the alliance maintained it had done nothing wrong. Jobs report — Patrick McGill is now director of client services at StackAdapt. He previously was lead associate account director at Trade Desk. — Joe Grogan and John Czwartacki have launched Public Policy Solutions. Grogan is a Trump OMB and Domestic Policy Council alum. Czwartacki is a Trump OMB and CFPB alum. — Jesse Binnall and former Rep. John Sweeney (R-N.Y.) have launched King Street Solutions, a boutique government affairs firm. Binnall currently is a partner at Binnall Law Group. — NCTA announced two major retirements: Rick Chessen, senior vice president of legal and regulatory affairs and chief legal officer, and Mark Bell, senior vice president of creative services. Chessen will be succeeded by Russ Hanser, who joined NCTA in 2024 by way of the Commerce Department. Kristin Buch, who joined NCTA in 2012 and currently serves as NCTA's veep of creative services, will ascend to Bell's role. — Anthony DiGrado is joining ClearPath as a senior manager. He was previously the director of public affairs at the Plastics Industry Association. — Liya Rechtman has joined Evergreen Action as senior transportation policy lead. She previously worked as an environmental protection specialist at DOT. New Joint Fundraisers Frontline Organizing for Representation, Change & Equity (FORCE) PAC (Reps. Emilia Sykes, Steven Horsford, Jahana Hayes, Don Davis, Janelle Bynum) New PACs CITIZENS FOR A HEALTHY NEW MEXICO (Hybrid PAC) Nezarus (PAC) Rising Dems (Hybrid PAC) New Lobbying REGISTRATIONS Agios Pharmaceuticals: Agios Pharmaceuticals Asha Strategies LLC: Nigerian Physician Advocacy Group Ballard Spahr LLP: Wallenius Wilhelmsen Ocean As Barker Leavitt, Pllc (Ska Mr. James C. Barker): Advantage Capital Boundary Stone Partners: The Ray Breakaway: Arnall Golden Gregory (On Behalf Of The Local Housing Administrators Coalition) Breakaway: National Rental Home Council Breakaway: Pretium Breakaway: U.S. Mortgage Insurers Capitol Hill Consulting Group: Acadiana Regional Airport Capitol Hill Consulting Group: United Network For Organ Sharing Cgcn Group, LLC: Moody's Corporation Crossroads Strategies, LLC: The Law Offices Of Christopher E. Chang On Behalf Of Mr. Jerry Wang Ernst & Young LLP (Washington Council Ernst & Young): Energizer Holdings Inc. Fierce Government Relations: Haas Automation, Inc. Invariant LLC: American Automotive Leasing Association Invariant LLC: Mysten Labs, Inc. John Watts: California Natural Resources Agency K&L Gates, LLP: Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Lot Sixteen LLC: American Physical Society Mike Williams Capitol Strategies LLC (F/K/A Mw Capitol Strategies LLC): Andronaco Industries Mike Williams Capitol Strategies LLC (F/K/A Mw Capitol Strategies LLC): Waterfleet LLC Oculus Strategies, LLC: The Livingston Group, LLC Obob Health Supply LLC O'Neill And Associates: Cora Systems US Inc Rubin, Turnbull & Associates: Phrma Rubin, Turnbull & Associates: Universal Technical Institute Rubin, Turnbull & Associates: USantibotics Strategics Consulting, LLC: Town Of Stanley The Friedlander Group: Logista Advisors LLC The Roosevelt Group: Thermoanalytics New Lobbying Terminations Invariant LLC: Nextdoor Law Offices Of Frederick H. Graefe, Pllc: National Medical Funding Services Richard Sawaya: Halliburton Energy Services
