| | | | | |  | | By Caitlin Oprysko | Presented by Save Our Standards | PROGRAMMING NOTE: Influence won't publish from Friday, Dec. 24-Friday, Dec. 31. We'll be back on our normal schedule on Monday, Jan. 3. With Daniel Lippman HUGO BOSS ADDS LOBBYING HELP: German fashion house Hugo Boss retained a pair of top lobbying firms in Washington last month, just before a final push in Congress to crack down on imports from China's Xinjiang region, where the U.S. has accused the Chinese government of perpetrating genocide against Uyghur Muslims. — The brand hired Democratic lobbyists Mary Stanton and Nicole Venable of Invariant as well as a team from Fierce Government Relations that includes former aides to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Minority Whip Steve Scalise and former President George W. Bush, to "educate lawmakers on trade matters" and "international sourcing and supply chain," respectively, lobbying disclosures show. — The luxury suit purveyor was the subject of boycott calls in China earlier this year after the company posted on social media there that it would "continue to purchase and support Xinjiang cotton," according to Reuters . The company called that statement unauthorized and removed it, before posting a lengthy statement pledging its "strict ethical standards" and asserting that "so far, HUGO BOSS has not procured any goods originating in the Xinjiang region from direct suppliers." — Lawmakers sent the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act to President Joe Biden's desk last week after intense lobbying from major U.S. corporations and concerns raised by Biden's administration slowed down the legislation. It ultimately passed both chambers of Congress unanimously. The bill would effectively ban the import of products produced in Xinjiang, though companies that produce goods there may be granted an exception if they show proof that those products are not made using forced labor. — Hugo Boss has not had a presence in Washington since it terminated a contract with Williams & Jensen in 2015 to lobby on duties on wool fabrics and implementation of the Farm Bill. Good afternoon and welcome to PI. In honor of PI's last edition of the year *tomorrow,* go ahead and get out that last K Street gossip: coprysko@politico.com. And be sure to follow me on Twitter: @caitlinoprysko. | | A message from Save Our Standards: Technical standards like 5G and Wi-Fi have the power to transform industries, fuel the economy, and create high-quality jobs. But that only happens if owners of patents essential to standards honor their commitments to license all innovators to use those patents on fair and reasonable terms. A new draft Administration statement restores the balance vital to standards adoption and job creation. Support the Administration to promote American manufacturing and limit product bans on standard-essential patents. | | | McCORMICK STAFFS UP WITH FORMER TRUMP HANDS: "Hedge fund executive David McCormick is expected to launch his Pennsylvania Senate candidacy with the help of former top advisers to former President Donald Trump," our Alex Isenstadt reports. — "The list includes Trump White House veteran Hope Hicks. Hicks, who has been helping McCormick arrange meetings and reach out to people ahead of his anticipated early 2022 announcement, is working on her first campaign since being a top staffer on Trump's 2016 effort. Two other prominent top staffers in the Trump administration — Stephen Miller and Cliff Sims — are also expected to serve in advisory roles. Several others, including Kellyanne Conway, Tony Sayegh, Matthew Pottinger and Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who is running for governor in Arkansas, are also supportive." HOW MANCHIN'S LEADERSHIP PAC SPENT ITS MONEY THIS FALL: Sen. Joe Manchin's (D-W.Va.) leadership PAC "spent thousands of dollars on hotel arrangements and travel,"in October and November, as the centrist senator was in the thick of negotiations with fellow Democrats and the White House over the climate and social spending package heeffectively tanked this weekend, CNBC's Brian Schwartz and Jacob Pramuk report. — Campaign finance reports show that "in November, the leadership PAC spent over $40,000 at The Greenbrier, a luxury resort in West Virginia, which is owned by the family of Republican Gov. Jim Justice . The November FEC filing says the money was used for catering, lodging, food and beverages. In October, the PAC spent over $1,000 on travel for Manchin's son, Joseph Manchin IV, according to that month's filing. The Intercept reported that Manchin's son has leadership roles at companies with ties to the West Virginia lawmaker." — "The PAC spent another $1,000 on the Sawgrass Marriott, a golf resort in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., and over $2,000 on catering an event at RPM Italian, a restaurant in Washington, D.C. The PAC also spent just over $10,000 that month as a deposit for an event at The Greenbrier. — "The purpose of the thousands of dollars spent on hotels, meals and travel is unclear. A representative for Manchin's office did not return a request for comment." Manchin did send some cash from his leadership PAC to a vulnerable fellow Democrat, giving $10,000 to Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), who is expected to face a tight race for reelection. — And while Manchin became a top target for lobbyists and outside groups looking to scrap the $1.75 trillion reconciliation bill, Manchin's leadership PAC saw an uptick in contributions from corporate PACs in October and November, though the total money raised dropped slightly in November. "None of the four months prior to October saw as many corporate contributions," per CNBC. | | | | STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president's ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today. | | | | | TOP ED: Susan Molinari, the former New York congresswoman who went on to become Google's top lobbyist, and former EY global vice chair of public policy Beth Brooke penned an op-ed for The Washington Post on Tuesday calling on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to require automakers use the most up-to-date female and male crash dummies in car safety testing, an issue they argue isn't "more worth fighting" for. — "When the crash test dummy was first standardized in the mid-1970s, its proportions were based on an average-size man," the pair writes. "But women's and men's bodies are different," and yet "the voluntary program administered by NHTSA to provide vehicle safety ratings for consumers still only requires that male dummies be tested in the driver seat in several of its key crash tests. As a result, a five-star safety rating for a car or truck means it was highly rated for a 5-foot-9-inch, 170-pound man." — The op-ed is part of a push by VERITY Now, a coalition led by Molinari and Brooke to advocate for equity in transportation rules. Last week, the coalition sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg outlining the case for diversity in crash test dummies that was signed by a dozen former members of Congress — several of whom have gone on to become lobbyists — including former Sen. Mary Landrieu (now at Van Ness Feldman) and former Reps. Charles Boustany (now at Capitol Counsel), Dan Glickman (no longer registered to lobby, now at the Bipartisan Policy Center), Barbara Comstock (now at Baker Donelson) and Dan Bonker (now at APCO Worldwide). | | | | A message from Save Our Standards:   | | | | | | — Todd Halstead has rejoined the National Association of Theatre Owners as director of government relations and strategy development. He previously led the NATO-affiliated Theater Owners of Mid-America. Jackie Brenneman has been promoted to executive vice president and general counsel of the trade group. — Anja Manuel will be executive director at the Aspen Strategy Group, where she was previously director, Playbook reports. She is taking over from Nicholas Burns, who is stepping down to become U.S. ambassador to China. | | | | BECOME A GLOBAL INSIDER: The world is more connected than ever. It has never been more essential to identify, unpack and analyze important news, trends and decisions shaping our future — and we've got you covered! Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Global Insider author Ryan Heath navigates the global news maze and connects you to power players and events changing our world. Don't miss out on this influential global community. Subscribe now. | | | | | | | | Delgado Victory Fund 2022 (Rep. Antonio Delgado, New York State Democratic Committee)
Virginia House Victory PAC 2022 (Reps. Elaine Luria, Jennifer Wexton, Abigail Spanberger) | | | CONSERVATIVE LEADERSHIP IN ELECTIONS PAC (Leadership PAC: Benjamin Lee Cline)
HEALTHCARE FREEDOM SUPER PAC (Super PAC)
Honor Pennsylvania, Inc. (Super PAC)
Jefferson Society (PAC)
Parents and Students First Oklahoma (Super PAC)
Pedro for the People (Super PAC)
STAND FOR COLORADO (Super PAC)
Take Back CO-07 Republican Nominee Fund 2022 (PAC)
Tom Luna USA (PAC) | | New Lobbying Registrations | | Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld: Advanced Medical Technology Association (Advamed)
Beta Technologies: Beta Technologies
Bgr Government Affairs: Nephrology Associates Of Northern Illinois And Indiana
Capitol Counsel LLC: Guarding Against Pandemics
Ferox Strategies: Dla Piper LLP (US) On Behalf Of Illumina, Inc.
Ferox Strategies: Lkq Corporation
Fierce Government Relations: Hugo Boss USa, Inc.
K&L Gates, LLP: St Engineering Urban Solutions USa Inc.
Linden Grove Strategies LLC: Invest In Education Coalition, Inc.
O'Neill And Associates: Edaville Operations LLC
Squire Patton Boggs: Tomer Morad
Thorn Run Partners: Bird Rides, Inc.
Thorn Run Partners: Marin Clean Energy
Thorn Run Partners: Obsidian Renewables, LLC | | New Lobbying Terminations | | The Smith-Free Group, LLC: Scotch Whisky Association
Thorn Run Partners: Tersera Therapeutics | | A message from Save Our Standards: Support US Jobs. Stop SEP Abuse.
A new draft policy statement on standard-essential patents (SEPs) committed for licensing on fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory terms was released jointly by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the Department of Justice. The draft statement provides guidance on appropriate remedies in cases involving the use of these patents, and presents an approach to SEPs that strives to balance the interests of patent holders with the broad range of U.S. industries that use standards to protect the future of innovation.
Save Our Standards is a broad-based coalition working to end abusive practices in SEP licensing. We welcome the draft statement and support the Biden Administration for their leadership protecting U.S. competitiveness in charting out this balanced approach. Comments are being accepted through February 4. Support the Biden Administration to stop SEP abuse. | | | | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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