| | | | |  | | By Caitlin Oprysko | | | With Daniel Lippman and Hailey Fuchs DOORDASH ADDS ANTITRUST LOBBYIST: Food delivery app DoorDash has added a prominent antitrust expert to its growing roster of outside lobbyists, amid soaring revenues for the industry and increasing consolidation that has fueled scrutiny from federal regulators, as well as local lawmakers. The company hired Seth Bloom of Bloom Strategic Counsel, a former general counsel for the Senate Judiciary Committee's antitrust panel, in January to lobby on "competition issues impacting the delivery and technology industry," according to a newly filed disclosure. — Bloom's roster of current and past clients comprises a who's who of corporate conglomerates who have faced federal antitrust scrutiny or undergone high-profile mergers, including Comcast, Aetna, Apple, Sprint and Molson Coors Beverage Company. Bloom also previously represented Yelp, a frequent proponent of breaking up tech giants, before officially parting ways in October. — DoorDash hired its first lobbyists in 2020 as the Covid-19 pandemic prompted restaurants to turn to delivery apps as a lifeline. It reported lobbying on antitrust issues for the first time in the third quarter of 2021, when lawmakers in New York City passed bills making permanent pandemic-era caps on delivery fees for apps like DoorDash and its rivals Uber Eats and Grubhub. — As the pandemic hit the restaurant industry especially hard, food delivery companies were criticized for charging businesses commissions of up to 30 percent per order, prompting many localities to temporarily cap those fees. But as demand for food delivery services exploded during the pandemic, the food delivery space also saw rapid consolidation. — In 2019, DoorDash acquired one of its rivals, Caviar, while Uber Eats acquired another food delivery platform Postmates last year, as well as the alcohol delivery service Drizly. Federal regulators are reportedly probing a separate partnership between Uber Eats and the convenience delivery app Gopuff, in addition to the Drizly acquisition. In November, DoorDash expanded its reach into Europe, acquiring the European food-delivery company Wolt for more than $8 billion. Good afternoon and welcome to PI. Happy February! It's my half birthday month, so send hot K Street gossip and the best ways to half-celebrate your birthday: coprysko@politico.com. And be sure to follow me on Twitter: @caitlinoprysko.
| | | | A message from Save The American Inventor: Invention breakthroughs like the many technologies in a wireless communication standard such as 5G come from years of expensive R&D, incentivized by strong patent rights. A campaign to weaken related patent rights threatens to undermine U.S. innovation and is aimed only at boosting Big Tech profits. Read below to learn more. | | | FIRST IN PI — NARRATIVE LAUNCHES CREATIVE DIVISION: The public affairs firm Narrative Strategies is launching a creative services division to offer clients access to in-house production services for paid advertising across numerous platforms, including television, radio and digital. The firm has nabbed veteran ad maker Tom Dunn, an OnMessage, Inc. and NRCC alum, to lead the new offering as creative director. Narrative is also adding Laragh Cronin as an associate. IF YOU WANT TO BE A STAR, THAT'S WHERE YOU'VE GOT TO GO: The Vogel Group is continuing its expansion outside the Beltway, adding a team of Tennessee lobbyists and opening its first office on the Nashville scene . "Vogel Group has always had a unique, and important, relationship with Tennessee — driven originally by my work for former Senate Majority Leader [Bill] Frist and our work for a large group of federal clients that are headquartered in Tennessee," Alex Vogel, the firm's chief executive officer, said in a statement, referring to the former Tennessee senator. — "This team's deep relationships and substantive knowledge across the state better position our clients to navigate the business and policy environment during a time of continued economic expansion across Tennessee," he added. — The Nashville office will comprise Tommy Alsup, a former Tennessee mayor who was a government affairs executive for Envision Healthcare, the private prison health care contractor Corizon Health and the private prison operator CoreCivic; Bryan Kaegi, a former adviser to several former and current Tennessee lawmakers: Lamar Alexander, Chuck Fleischmann, Phil Roe and Bill Lee; and Rob Mortensen, who most recently served as the president and chief executive of the Tennessee Hospitality & Tourism Association. — The Tennessee office is just the latest expansion for the nearly four-year-old Vogel Group, which poached three lobbyists from a high-powered Florida lobbying firm to open an office in Tallahassee last year. The firm also merged with Democratic lobbyist Bob Van Heuvelen and his firm, Van Heuvelen Strategies, to expand the GOP shop's offerings across the aisle. WHERE SINEMA'S CASH DIDN'T COME FROM LAST QUARTER: "Sen. Kyrsten Sinema had her best fundraising quarter since her election, bringing in nearly $1.6 million in the last three months of 2021 as she positioned herself as one of her party's high-profile contrarians in the Senate," our Hailey Fuchs reports. "But underneath that record number is a starker reality for the Arizona Democrat. Sinema is increasingly leaning on corporate PACs and big donations to fill her campaign coffers. The Democratic grassroots fundraising world has largely abandoned her." — "Just over 2 percent of Sinema's fundraising haul this quarter — $33,983 — came from small-dollar donors, or those who have given an aggregated total this election cycle of $200 or less. By comparison, the PAC 'Change for Arizona 2024 ' — which is preparing its attempt to unseat Sinema with a more progressive candidate — reported $180,000 in small-dollar unitemized contributions during the last quarter of 2021. The numbers revealed in a filing with the Federal Election Commission on Monday are the continuation of a recent trend for Sinema, who has seen her small-dollar donations grind to a near halt." — And that's not for a lack of trying, either. Sinema's campaign spent $44,500 on advertising, list acquisition and digital fundraising consulting with Authentic Campaigns Inc. last quarter — or about $10,000 more than it raised from small-dollar donors.
| | | | 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. | | | | | BARRACK'S ARGUMENT FOR DISMISSING FOREIGN LOBBYING CASE: "Thomas J. Barrack Jr., a real-estate investor and close friend of former President Donald J. Trump, asked a federal judge to dismiss the foreign lobbying and obstruction of justice charges against him on Monday, contending that the Justice Department delayed prosecuting him until after Mr. Trump left office," The New York Times' Rebecca Davis O'Brien reports. — "The argument, laid out in a court filing, marks Mr. Barrack's first substantive response to an indictment unsealed last July in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn, which accused him of using his access to Mr. Trump to advance the foreign policy aims of the United Arab Emirates and then misleading federal agents about his activities. Mr. Barrack, 74, was arrested on July 20 in Los Angeles. He pleaded not guilty and was freed on a $250 million bond, over objections from federal prosecutors who argued he was a flight risk." — "In addition to raising 'the specter that the government intentionally delayed bringing this case for political reasons or tactical advantage,'" Barrack's attorneys "took issue with the lobbying and conspiracy charges against him, which contend that he failed to register with the U.S. attorney general's office as an agent of the U.A.E. The indictment includes Mr. Barrack's communications and public statements but, according to the court filing, 'conspicuously omits any facts that he undertook these activities because he agreed to be directed or controlled by the U.A.E.'" DEFENSE CONTRACTORS MOBILIZE TO PRESERVE R&D TAX BREAK: "Top U.S. defense companies are urging lawmakers to allow them to continue immediately writing off their research and development costs and preserve a generous tax benefit that's been on the books the past several years," POLITICO's Lee Hudson, Connor O'Brien and Aaron Lorenzo report. "But the outlook for a change in the law is murky now that Democrats' Build Back Better mega bill is on the ropes." — "CFOs of defense companies voiced their concerns about the expiring tax break during recent fourth quarter earnings calls with investors. Northrop Grumman anticipates $1 billion in higher taxes due to the change, CFO Dave Keffer said Thursday," while Raytheon Technologies CFO Neil Mitchill said last week the company is bracing for a hit of approximately $2 billion. — "Four out of the five largest defense contractors paid outside firms to lobby for an R&D tax provision in Build Back Better in the fourth quarter of 2021. Boeing spent $110,000 for Ernst & Young and Mehlman Castagnetti Rosen & Thomas to advocate for the firm in the Build Back Better Act, according to disclosures. General Dynamics paid HLP&R Advocacy $50,000 and Meltsner Strategies $37,500. — "Disclosures also showed that Raytheon Technologies paid Invariant $80,000 to advocate for the company, and Northrop Grumman spent $50,000 for Covington & Burling to do the same. While numerous industries are lobbying on the tax, defense companies are notably affected by the change because it also applies to research and development efforts on behalf of the federal government, one defense lobbyist said." SPOTTED at a dinner over the weekend at the home of John Jameson for the Democratic Governors Association, per a PI tipster: North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, Maine Gov. Janet Mills, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, former Texas Lt. Gov. Ben Barnes, Jim Moran and Connie Myers of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, Mark Schauer and Jameson of Winning Connections, New Jersey first lady Tammy Murphy, Lyndon Boozer of Capitol Counsel, Yebbie Watkins of House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn's office, Doug Friednash and Michael Stratton of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, Holly Kinnamon, Jeremy Kennedy of Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, John Blandford of the Blandford Group, Gila Bronner of the Bronner Group, Patrick Dolan of BGR Group, Mona Mohib of McGuireWoods Consulting, Corey Platt of Scarlet Oak Strategies, Monisha Smith of Everytown for Gun Safety, Richard Sullivan of State Federal Strategies, Marvin Figueroa of HHS and Eden Tesfaye of the White House.
| | | |   | | | | | | — NVG, LLC has promoted Abby Bownas and Lisa Foster to partner. Both have been with the firm for more than a decade, and Bownas is a Harry Reid alum while Foster is a Jack Reed alum. — Matt Bryza has joined Ballard Partners as a senior policy adviser. He was previously U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan and former deputy assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia. — CGCN Group has promoted Amanda Horne to communications associate. Horne joined the firm in 2019 and previously served as a staff assistant to then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). — Andrew Nehring has been named chief operating officer and partner of the Logan Circle Group. He will remain a principal at Fourth Street Advocacy, which will merge with Logan Circle Group. He was most recently vice president for client relations at DDC Public Affairs and is a Citizens Against Government Waste alum. — Mollie Binotto has joined Sena Kozar Strategies as a vice president for the 2022 cycle, per Playbook. She most recently was campaign manager for New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy's reelect. — Anthony Marcum is now counsel to Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), Playbook reports. He previously was a resident fellow of governance at the R Street Institute. — Marissa Shorenstein is joining SKDK as a principal in the New York office. She most recently was director of the executive transition for Gov. Kathy Hochul. Loren Riegelhaupt is also being promoted to principal. — The American Sugarbeet Growers Association has elected Nate Hultgren as president and Neil Rockstad to be vice president, per Morning Ag. — Brian Wesolowski is now senior public affairs manager at Microsoft, focused on privacy and responsible AI, according to Morning Tech.
| | | | DON'T MISS CONGRESS MINUTES: Need to follow the action on Capitol Hill blow-by-blow? Check out Minutes, POLITICO's new platform that delivers the latest exclusives, twists and much more in real time. Get it on your desktop or download the POLITICO mobile app for iOS or Android. CHECK OUT CONGRESS MINUTES HERE. | | | | | | | | Florida Senate Victory 2022 (DSCC, Rep. Val Demings)
Jeffries Plaskett Victory Fund (Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, Del. Stacy Plaskett)
| | | None.
| | New Lobbying Registrations | | Bloom Strategic Counsel: Doordash
Cohen & Gresser LLP: Alliance For Longevity Initiatives
Invariant LLC: Flexport, Inc.
Invariant LLC: Guardant Health, Inc.
J M Burkman & Associates: Praful Doshi
Mcb Consulting, Inc.: Allegis, Redwood, Maxim Public Affairs, LLC
New Century Government Affairs (F/K/A Terrence C. Wolfe): Baran Strategies O/B/O Paul Mitchell Advanced Education, LLC
Northern Compass Group LLC: Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium Obo Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck
Prism Group: Smart Horizons Career Online High School (D/B/A Smart Horizons Career Online Edu
Strategics Consulting, LLC: Fayetteville Public Works Commission
Strategics Consulting, LLC: Rowan County, Nc
Strategics Consulting, LLC: Triangle J Council Of Governments
W Strategies, LLC: Stoke Therapeutics
| | New Lobbying Terminations | | Cashman Dredging And Marine Contracting Co., LLC: Cashman Dredging And Marine Contracting Co., LLC
Foley Hoag LLP: Binx Health
Foley Hoag LLP: Theravance Biopharma
Masiello, Martucci & Associates Fka Masiello, Martucci, Calabrese & Associates: Buffalo Zoo
Masiello, Martucci & Associates Fka Masiello, Martucci, Calabrese & Associates: Parkview Health Services
Masiello, Martucci & Associates Fka Masiello, Martucci, Calabrese & Associates: Save Ontario Shores, Inc.
Mr. Thad Huguley: Rainforest Alliance
Mr. William Spencer: Textile Rental Services Association (Trsa)
Ohio Farm Bureau Federation: Ohio Farm Bureau Federation
Potomac Strategic Development Company, LLC: Bethany Christian Services
Potomac Strategic Development Company, LLC: Performance Show Horse Association
Todd Strategy Group: Crispr Therapeutics, Inc.
| | | | A message from Save The American Inventor: American companies lead the world in developing standard-essential patents (SEPs) for technologies in standards like 5G. To continue doing so, they need balanced rules that incentivize risky, expensive R&D. Yet again and again, Big Tech and other large companies that want to bolster their bottom lines and don't like paying to use technologies they didn't invent have pushed the U.S. government to weaken SEP rights. We urge policymakers to examine all the facts and reject these efforts. Weakening SEP rights will only cause America to lose its competitive edge and cede the future of key technologies like 5G and artificial intelligence to other countries, to the detriment of U.S. innovators, our economy, and national security. For more, visit Save the Inventor. | | | | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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