News : Edelman acquires China-, Middle East-focused consultancy — CRES goes on the air to pressure Republicans on infrastructure

Tuesday, August 3, 2021

Edelman acquires China-, Middle East-focused consultancy — CRES goes on the air to pressure Republicans on infrastructure — NRECA taps new VP of legislative affairs

Aug 03, 2021

Presented by Paid Leave for All

With Daniel Lippman

EDELMAN EXPANDING INTERNATIONAL FOOTPRINT: Public relations giant Edelman has acquired strategic consultancy Basilinna as the firm looks to grow its international presence even further. Deborah Lehr, Basilinna's chief executive, will run the newly launched Edelman Global Advisory as managing partner and CEO. The new venture will incorporate Basilinna's specialization in China and Middle East markets. Basilinna's Leigh Wedell and Edelman's Gurpreet Brar will round out EGA's leadership team as co-chief operating officers and managing principals, helping oversee a $10 million investment from Edelman for hiring and expanding into new markets to advise governments, businesses and nonprofits.

— "Whether it is the economic and political implications of various geopolitical risks, the increased focus on sustainable action, the demand for equality and equity, or the challenges of funding a post Covid recovery," Edelman CEO Richard Edelman said in a statement, the new advisory firm "will have the deep expertise to advise and help our clients succeed in these complicated times."

CONSERVATIVE CLIMATE GROUP LAUNCHES 7-FIGURE AD BUY TO PRESSURE REPUBLICANS: Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions , which lobbies Republicans on climate change, rolled out a $1.5 million ad campaign today aimed at pushing GOP senators to support the chamber's bipartisan infrastructure bill. The campaign will feature nearly 2,000 TV ads and 40,000 radio spots, in addition to digital ads, urging people to either thank their senator for crafting the package or urge their senator to support it, according to the group.

— The campaign also features ads for nine Republican senators that will run in their home states: Sens. Richard Burr and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Todd Young of Indiana, all of whom voted yes to proceed to the infrastructure bill; and Sens. Joni Ernst of Iowa, Jerry Moran of Kansas and John Thune of South Dakota, who voted against proceeding to the bill. CRES will also run ads for South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds, who did not vote in either procedural vote last week.

ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE GROUP NAMES NEW TOP LOBBYIST: The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association has promoted Hill Thomas to vice president of legislative affairs, shaping the trade group's legislative priorities and congressional engagement strategy. Thomas was previously the association's director of legislative affairs and is a John Barrow and Gwen Graham alum.

Good afternoon and welcome to PI. As all of Washington continues to rifle through the Senate's 2,700-plus-page infrastructure bill, which of your clients are celebrating and which did not fare so well? Get in touch: coprysko@politico.com. And be sure to follow me on Twitter: @caitlinoprysko.

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ANOTHER LEGAL BLOW FOR BARRY BENNETT: A Maryland judge today refused to lift a default judgment against lobbyist Barry Bennett for defying a court order in a lawsuit brought by a former associate over allegedly unpaid referral fees, POLITICO's Josh Gerstein reports. "Montgomery County, Md., Circuit Judge Christopher Fogelman also rebuked Bennett's lawyer Patrick Gaffney for essentially being unresponsive to the litigation filed in 2019 by the Republican pundit and political consultant who brought the suit, Ying Ma."

— "Gaffney provided several explanations for defying the court, including that Ma was passing untrue information about his client to the FBI. He did not offer specifics, but POLITICO reported in May that Justice Department officials had made inquiries regarding Bennett's lobbying work for foreign government clients. 'The plaintiff, we believe, was making false statements to the FBI and the federal government about my client's activities,' Gaffney said. The FBI and federal authorities 'summarily withdrew themselves … once they realized there was nothing there,' Bennett's attorney asserted."

— Bennett served as campaign manager for Ben Carson's 2016 campaign before joining former President Donald Trump's team as an adviser. After Trump won, Bennett and top Trump ally Corey Lewandowski founded the lobbying firm Avenue Strategies, which saw business boom during Trump's presidency. The firm shut down earlier this year, though, with Bennett blaming in part the racial justice protests that took place around Avenue's office. He's since opened a new firm, Bennett Strategies , but has registered only a single client, and brought in just $34,000 in the first six months of the year, disclosure filings show.

INDUSTRY, LAWMAKERS STILL HAGGLING OVER CRYPTO TAX LANGUAGE: Cryptocurrency advocates and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle continue to squabble over language in the bipartisan infrastructure bill to impose reporting requirements on cryptocurrency transactions, POLITICO's Kellie Mejdrich and Brian Faler report. "Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), a senior tax writer, declared Monday that the provisions in a bipartisan infrastructure package are 'unworkable' and said he aims to offer an amendment to the plan. 'Congress should not rush forward with this hastily designed tax reporting regime for cryptocurrency, especially without a full understanding of the consequences,' said Toomey."

— "Echoing the industry's concerns, he complained the language in the legislation is overly broad and could ensnare unintended targets like people who mine cryptocurrencies. His colleague, Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), raised similar concerns." Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), the provision's author and a chief negotiator of the whole bill, has defended the language. Per a GOP aide, he "is expected to deliver a floor speech affirming that the provision does not apply to cryptocurrency miners, software developers and node operators before the legislation passes the Senate," in an effort to pacify critics.

NAVY CHIEF KNOCKS DEFENSE INDUSTRY OVER LOBBYING: "The Navy's top admiral told a room full of defense industry executives Monday that lobbying Congress to add aircraft that he doesn't need to the budget is 'not helpful,' in a rare rebuke from a top uniformed official. Speaking at the annual Sea-Air Space conference, Adm. Mike Gilday said he needs the defense industry to move faster to produce new technologies," POLITICO's Paul McLeary reports. "But he also asked industry leaders to take a step back from their lobbying lawmakers to add new platforms each year after the budget is released. 'Lobbying Congress to buy aircraft that we don't need — and are in excess to need — is not helpful, it really isn't in a budget-constrained environment,' he said. It wasn't immediately clear which aircraft program or programs Gilday was talking about."

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MASK MAKERS LOBBY FOR GOVERNMENT AID: "American face mask manufacturers are warning that they will soon go broke without government support," The Hill's Karl Evers-Hillstrom writes. "Private companies and state and local governments favor Chinese masks, which cost just a fraction of American-made face coverings. The lack of demand has forced mask manufacturers to lay off more than 5,000 employees, and executives say the industry won't make it to next year unless it is thrown a lifeline."

— "'With the virus getting worse, and we're not even into the cold months, we're really worried that this industry won't be here to help when it's needed most,' said Brent Dillie, managing partner at Premium-PPE and chair of the recently formed American Mask Manufacturer's Association (AMMA)."

—As the Delta variant of the coronavirus surges across the country, bringing back mask recommendations and mandates in many areas, "the draft text of the Senate's bipartisan infrastructure bill includes a measure that requires the federal government to enter into long-term contracts with American companies to purchase personal protective equipment. It would also allow the U.S. to sell masks and other medical supplies in its strategic stockpile to public and private entities." But mask manufacturers "are concerned that the legislation contains exceptions similar to those in COVID-19 relief bills that allowed states to use federal funds to buy masks from foreign companies," and the coalition has turned to K Street to lobby lawmakers and federal agencies, paying $100,000 to LSN Partners last quarter.

Jobs Report

— Michael Maitland will join McCarter & English's government affairs practice in D.C. as an adviser. He most recently was chief of staff for Rep. Donald Norcross (D-N.J.).

— Pallavi Guniganti, a former attorney advisor to FTC Commissioner Christine Wilson, is now a senior manager for public policy at Amazon, per Morning Tech.

— David Kautter is returning to the audit, tax and consulting services firm RSM. Kautter was the top tax official in the Trump administration's Treasury Department and also briefly served as acting IRS commissioner under Trump.

— Chitra Ragavan is joining blockchain analytics firm Elementus as chief strategy officer. She previously was vice president of public affairs at the Chamber of Digital Commerce.

— Laura Cunliffe will be executive director of Family Watch International. She is the former chief of staff to the U.S. Mission to the UN and a Trump OMB and White House alum.

— Omidyar Network has hired Troy Perry as director of policy and advocacy. He was most recently a partner at Franklin Square Group and is a Joe Crowley and DCCC alum.

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New Joint Fundraisers

NewDem Action Fund for the Future (New Democrat Coalition Action Fund, Reps. Carolyn Bourdeaux, Kathy Manning, Haley Stevens, Sharice Davids, Cindy Axne, Elissa Slotkin)

New PACs

ALABAMA CONSERVATIVES FUND (Super PAC)
CLEVELAND FOR ALL (Super PAC)
Oklahomans For Law and Order (Super PAC)
Patriot Alliance PAC (PAC)
PATRIOT GUN COALITION (Super PAC)

New Lobbying Registrations

Alpine Group Partners, LLC.: National Spectrum Consortium
Broydrick & Associates: Gold Creek Foods, LLC
Fourth Street Advocacy (Corsa Potomac, LLC): Mcr Oil Tools, LLC
Hannegan Landau Poersch & Rosenbaum Advocacy, LLC: Pl+US: Paid Leave For The United States
Holland & Knight LLP: The Silvie Group Companies
Invariant LLC: Broadcom Inc.
Jenner & Block LLP: Mapetsi Policy Group LLC
Mr. Marshall Brachman: Cardiovascular Associates Of The Delaware Valley
Mr. Marshall Brachman: Heartplace, P.A.
Mr. Marshall Brachman: Virginia Cardiovascular Specialists
Patriot Angels Consulting Corporation: Patriot Angels Consulting Corporation
Suez North America Inc.: Suez North America Inc.
Suez Wts USa, Inc.: Suez Wts USa, Inc.
Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP Dba Taft Advisors LLC Fka (Taft, Stettinius & Hollister, LLP): Aar Corp.
Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP Dba Taft Advisors LLC Fka (Taft, Stettinius & Hollister, LLP): Idemia
Tarplin, Downs & Young, LLC: The George Washington University
The Conafay Group, LLC: Securing America's Medicines And Supply (Sams)

New Lobbying Terminations

None.

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