NOTES FROM THE FILING DEADLINE: Here are a couple of odds and ends that jumped out as PI was trawling last quarter's lobbying disclosures: Crypto exchange Coinbase has hit $1 million in quarterly lobbying expenditures for the first time, an indication that even as crypto markets plummeted in recent months the industry is continuing to ramp up its presence in D.C. — The $1 million that Coinbase reported spending last quarter is up from the $760,000 it spent during the first three months of this year, even as it reported paying just $10,000 more to its outside lobbying firms. — And as lawmakers worked to find a compromise on China competitiveness bills that would provide $52 billion in subsidies for the semiconductor industry, several chipmakers reported their highest ever lobbying expenditures or else brought on federal lobbyists for the first time last quarter. — Intel dropped nearly $1.8 million on lobbying in Q2, blowing past its previous record high from 2013 as well as its first-quarter spending of $1.4 million. Micron Technology also broke its spending record, topping off at just over $1 million last quarter, up from $870,000 at the beginning of the year. The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. reported its highest quarterly spend as well, and Samsung's semiconductor arm retained three outside lobbying firms — its first since 2004. — There was also an interesting pair of registrations buried amid the flurry of filings this week: The Washington Commanders football team brought on Cypress Advocacy and Harbinger Strategies to help the franchise navigate an investigation by the House Oversight Committee into its workplace culture . The team paid Cypress Advocacy $40,000 for the work, disclosures show. ADVOCACY GROUPS ASK SCHUMER TO RECUSE FROM ANTITRUST BILLS: More than a dozen advocacy groups pushing for the Senate to hold a vote on bills to rein in the tech industry escalated their pressure campaign on Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer , calling on Schumer "to recuse himself from legislation intended to crack down on technology giants, saying he has a conflict of interest because his daughters work at Amazon.com Inc. and Meta Platforms Inc.," Bloomberg's Emily Birnbaum reports. — "Sixteen groups, which have been advocating for the antitrust bills, wrote in a letter to Schumer Friday that he shouldn't oversee the floor vote on the measures because of his daughters' ties to the companies." — "'While you have claimed to support antitrust legislation seeking to rein in Big Tech companies, your continued failure to put the bills to a full Senate vote raises the question of whether you are covertly seeking to run out the clock before the legislation can pass,' the groups wrote in the letter, which was seen by Bloomberg News." — "The letter is just one example of how activists are stepping up their pressure campaign against Schumer, who hasn't scheduled the legislation for a floor vote despite a pledge that the bills would get one by early summer. Protesters have also placed billboards outside his homes in Washington and New York. Jessica Schumer is a registered lobbyist for Amazon, while Alison Schumer works for Meta." — The groups noted that there is precedent for the senator to recuse himself, pointing out that "he did so during congressional deliberations around Comcast Corp.'s attempted purchase of Time Warner Cable in 2014 because his brother Robert Schumer was a lawyer involved in the deal." ANNALS OF FUNDRAISING: OpenSecrets' Taylor Giorno and Jorja Siemons have a fun look at how much money is being raised by some of the first Gen Z candidates running for federal office in this year's midterms. — "OpenSecrets identified at least four current Gen Z candidates – two Democrats and two Republicans – vying for congressional seats in the 2022 election cycle: Maxwell Alejandro Frost in the Democratic primary for Florida's 10th Congressional District, Karoline Leavitt and state Rep. Tim Baxter (R) in the Republican primary for New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District and Raymond Reed in the Democratic primary for Missouri's 2nd Congressional District." — "Another Republican Gen Z candidate, Matt Foldi, ran in Maryland's July 19 primary for the state's 6th Congressional District but lost to state delegate Neil Parrott after only raising around $222,600. Reuven Hendler , a Democratic Gen Z candidate who ran on a 'Medicare for All' platform in New Jersey's 3rd Congressional District, also lost his primary to incumbent Rep. Andy Kim (D–N.J.) by 86%. Hendler did not report raising any money. Skylar Williams, another Gen Z candidate, also lost his Democratic primary bid in Montana's 2nd Congressional District. Williams raised $4,661 but managed to win over 18% of the vote in that district." — So far Frost, a former organizer for March for Our Lives, is leading the cash dash among fellow Gen Z-ers, and he's also outraised "a crowded field of Democratic challengers in his bid to represent inland central Florida, including Orange County and parts of Orlando, in Congress. The current incumbent, Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.), is vying for a Senate seat. Cook Political Report rates the district as solidly Democratic." Frost has raised nearly $1.3 million as of the end of June. — Leavitt, a former Trump White House aide and communications director for Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), has raised slightly less than Frost, but still more than her competitors in the GOP primary — which includes another Gen Z candidate — to take on Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) in November.
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