Thursday, February 11, 2021

New clients for former congressmen, Biden campaign alum — Mobile payment app Zelle hires first lobbyists — Hedge fund leaders expected to testify at GameStop hearing

Presented by the American Civil Liberties Union, Inc.: Delivered daily, Influence gives you a comprehensive rundown and analysis of all lobby hires and news on K Street.
Feb 11, 2021 View in browser
 
POLITICO Influence newsletter logo

By Caitlin Oprysko

Presented by the American Civil Liberties Union, Inc.

With Daniel Lippman

PROGRAMMING NOTE: POLITICO Influence will not publish on Monday, Feb. 15. We'll be back on our normal schedule on Tuesday, Feb. 16.

NEW BUSINESS: Cloud computing giant Salesforce has added Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough's Jim Moran, the former congressman from Virginia, to its roster of outside lobbyists. Moran will lobby on "issues related to IT and software utilization" throughout the federal government, and it's his first new client since last July, according to disclosure filings. Salesforce also retains teams from Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, Crossroads Strategies and Franklin Square Group, in addition to its own in-house team.

— A team of lobbyists from Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld that includes former House Science Chair Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) has signed the metal detector manufacturer Garrett Electronics. They will lobby on "business and domestic production-related government contracting issues," according to disclosures. And the automobile battery manufacturer BYD has hired Capitol Counsel's Robert Diamond, an Obama White House alum and a former state director for the Biden campaign, and Lyndon Boozer to advocate on implementation of last year's defense policy bill.

— Meanwhile Early Warning Services, which operates the mobile payment software Zelle, has hired its first lobbyists, opting to go in-house. Zelle has seen usage soar over the pandemic, reporting a record amount of money sent through its peer-to-peer service, though the Better Business Bureau has warned of scams on the app. Its lobbyists will advocate on issues relating to, among other things, fraud mitigation, digital identity and consumer protection, according to a disclosure filing.

A message from the American Civil Liberties Union, Inc.:

Abortion is essential, time-sensitive health care. But outdated FDA restrictions on medication abortion are forcing patients and their families to risk exposure to COVID-19 in order to access it.
The Biden-Harris administration must listen to medical experts and let patients safely access abortion care by mail. Learn more.

 

Good afternoon and welcome to PI, where your host is still reeling from the cruelty of the Red Sox dealing away another homegrown World Series champion on the one-year anniversary of the trade that sent Mookie Betts to LA. At least we're getting new Taylor Swift music soon. Send condolences and lobbying tips: coprysko@politico.com. And follow me on Twitter: @caitlinoprysko.

WATERS TO HAUL UP HEDGE FUND EXECS FOR GAMESTOP HEARING: Citadel CEO and Republican megadonor Ken Griffin and Melvin Capital CEO Gabriel Plotkin are expected to join Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev for a grilling in a House Financial Services hearing next week on the role that each company played in last month's GameStop trading frenzy, POLITICO's Zach Warmbrodt reports.

— Citadel Securities pays the online brokerage "to execute its customers' trades, and its separate hedge fund bailed out Melvin Capital after it lost money from betting against GameStop stock, which surged thanks in part to retail investors organized on social media site Reddit. People close to the situation said the House committee was also interested in hearing from the leadership of Reddit itself."

SELLING THE STIMULUS: CNBC's Brian Schwartz reports that the White House has been making calls across several industries in order to build support for his nearly $2 trillion relief package. "In the past week, administration officials have held at least two calls with leaders from multiple business sectors, including Wall Street and tech." The president's top economic adviser, Brian Deese, has "participated in some of the calls," but most "have been anchored by the Office of Public Engagement, which is run by former Rep. Cedric Richmond." The administration's outreach has included American Airlines, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, The Business Roundtable, Ernst & Young, the National Association of Manufacturers, General Motors and the Black Economic Alliance, CNBC reports.

 

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BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE LINCOLN PROJECT: "Last June, the Lincoln Project was on a high. … The group tried to claim a higher moral ground in an effort to purge Trump from the GOP. Money flowed in by the tens of millions of dollars from donors eager to help. But within the organization, a crisis was brewing," according to The Associated Press' Steve Peoples and Brian Slodysko.

— "In June 2020, members of the organization's leadership were informed in writing and in subsequent phone calls of at least 10 specific allegations of harassment against co-founder John Weaver , including two involving Lincoln Project employees," warnings that raise questions about the group's "statement last month that it was 'shocked' when accusations surfaced publicly this year," though co-founder Steve Schmidt maintained the group was unaware of the allegations. The group has also parted ways with another founder, Jennifer Horn, in recent weeks, and has faced scrutiny over how it spent the tens of millions of dollars it's raked in from donors.

INVESTORS TO PRESSURE TYSON FOR MORE LOBBYING TRANSPARENCY: Investors at Tyson Foods' annual shareholders meeting will vote on a proposal to require more disclosure about the meat producer's lobbying activities, one of several aimed at confronting the company's decisions after coronavirus ravaged meatpacking plants last year, according to Reuters' Tom Polansek.

— The proposal, introduced by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, asks for details on Tyson's payments to trade associations "after an industry group lobbied the Trump administration to waive limits on slaughtering speeds in chicken plants last year." The industry "also supported an order from former President Donald Trump last year to keep slaughterhouses open, despite concerns about coronavirus outbreaks." Tyson defended its membership in trade groups and told Reuters that it reports its political contributions in accordance with the law.

 

A message from the American Civil Liberties Union, Inc.:

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Jobs Report

Amy Lawrence joined Pinkston, as a director. She was previously communications director for Sen. Martha McSally (R-Ariz.).

Siemens has announced a slate of hires and promotions in its D.C. office: Brie Sachse has been promoted to vice president and head of government affairs for Siemens USA, Abby Campbell Singer has been promoted to senior director and head of climate and infrastructure policy, Harrison Wadsworth has been promoted to senior director and head of digital and transportation policy, David McCarthy has been hired as policy and legislative analyst and Ryan Dalton has been hired as director of external affairs.

Andrew Walker has joined the Ethics and Public Policy Center as a fellow in its Evangelicals in Civil Life program. He is also a professor of Christian ethics at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary , where he is an associate dean in the School of Theology and the executive director of the Carl F. H. Henry Institute for Evangelical Engagement.

New Joint Fundraisers

None.

New PACs

NNH PAC (Super PAC)
Stonk PAC (Super PAC)

 

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New Lobbying Registrations

Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld: Garrett Electronics, Inc.
Allon Advocacy, LLC: The Alliance For Innovative Regulation
Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP: America Achieves
Capitol Counsel, LLC: Byd North America
Cross Potomac Consulting LLC: Blue Force Gear, Inc.
Dutko Worldwide, LLC: New York Association Of Training And Employment Professionals
Early Warning Services, LLC: Early Warning Services, LLC
Monument Advocacy: Securityscorecard
Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough: Salesforce.Com, Inc.
O'Keeffe Shahmoradi Strategies, LLC: Nextnav
The Madison Group: Alliance For Safety And Justice, A Project Of The Tides Center
The Madison Group: Carlyle Investment Management, LLC
The Madison Group: Nano Cures, Inc.
The Madison Group: Si Group Client Services
The Reparationist Collective: The Reparations Collective
The Wessel Group Incorporated: American Clean Power Association
Van Scoyoc Associates: National Veteran Small Business Coalition
Venable LLP: Digital Realty Trust, Inc.
Waxman Strategies: Ajw Inc. On Behalf Of Carbon Engineering Ltd.

New Lobbying Terminations

None.

A message from the American Civil Liberties Union, Inc.:

Medication abortion is safe, effective, and legal. But out of 20,000 FDA-approved drugs, it is the only one patients are forced to pick up in a clinical setting even though they can take it at home.

Medical organizations like the American Medical Association, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and American Academy of Family Physicians agree that the FDA's requirement that patients pick up medication abortion in person is unnecessary -- and dangerous for patients and their families during the pandemic.

We agree with the Biden-Harris administration: it's time to put science before politics. That's why the Biden-Harris administration should let patients access medication abortion by mail, just like thousands of other FDA-approved drugs. Learn more.

 
 

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