Remembering DC luminary Tom Donohue

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Oct 15, 2024 View in browser   By Caitlin Oprysko With Daniel Lippman IN MEMORIAM: Condolences have poured in over the past day as Washington mourns the death of Tom Donohue, the longtime head of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and influential voice of the business community who died on Monday. He was 86. — “While Tom Donohue will rightly be remembered as larger than life, there’s a quiet part of his legacy that the countless people whose lives he touched will carry with them forever,” Suzanne Clark , Donohue’s successor as the group’s president and CEO, said in a statement, adding that Donohue was countless associates’ “phone a friend” in times of need. “Our lives won’t be the same without him, but they are unquestionably better because of him,” she concluded. — The heads of top trade associations across the city repeatedly hailed Donohue as a “legend” in the advocacy world on top of being a gracious mentor. Donohue “did more than change this world for the better. He showed others how to do the same,” Jay Timmons, the president and CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers, said in a statement. — Timmons recalled how Donohue invited him to lunch when Timmons first began his role and “laid out a game plan” for the trade group, “because he believed that the business community is strongest when we all are at our best.” — Donohue led the Chamber for more than two decades, taking over in 1997 after more than a dozen years leading the American Trucking Associations . A renowned fundraiser, Donohue blanketed the country and transformed the organization into what PhRMA chief Steve Ubl called “one of the world’s premier advocacy organizations.” The Chamber reported revenues of nearly $230 million and lobbying expenditures of almost $82 million during Donohue’s last year as CEO. — “Tom could command the attention of presidents and prime ministers, of CEOs and media moguls. When he spoke, they listened,” as Timmons put it. Business Roundtable CEO Josh Bolten said Donohue “played an instrumental role in many of the country’s most consequential public policy decisions.”   — In more recent years, Donohue’s Chamber often found itself at odds with former President Donald Trump as Trump steered the GOP — previously the business community’s most stalwart ally — toward more corporate-skeptic populism. — In 2019, amid reports of lagging fundraising and the Chamber footing the bill for Donohue’s private jet travel for vacations, Donohue announced a leadership transition, fully handing over the reins to Clark in 2021 — a year earlier than originally planned. Even after his retirement, Donohue remained with the Chamber, serving on its board of directors. — While the Chamber’s relationship with the evolving Republican Party has yet to fully recover, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was among those mourning Donohue’s death this week. — “Job creators and entrepreneurs across America could hope for no greater partner than Tom,” McConnell said in a statement about his friend, “a seasoned navigator of the halls of power and a clearinghouse for professional connections who turned the Chamber into an unmatched champion of American enterprise.” Happy Tuesday and welcome to PI. Send tips: coprysko@politico.com. And be sure to follow me on X: @caitlinoprysko.   REGISTER NOW: WOMEN RULE: RISING LEADERS: A new generation of women leaders is shaping the future. Join POLITICO for exclusive conversations with rising women leaders who will influence agendas in Washington and beyond in 2025. Stay for cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. REGISTER HERE to attend in-person or virtually.     FIRST IN PI — ANT GROUP LOBBYIST JUMPS TO BROWNSTEIN: Brady Howell, an in-house lobbyist for Ant Group , the sister company of Jack Ma’s Alibaba, has left the fintech company to join Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck as a senior policy adviser. Howell spent the last three years as Ant Group’s director of international public policy and government affairs for the Americas. — Before that, he worked in Treasury’s legislative affairs office and was a longtime aide for the House Foreign Affairs Committee — making Howell’s arrival at Brownstein a reunion of sorts with former Treasury colleague Brian McGuire and former Foreign Affairs Chair Ed Royce (R-Calif.). In an interview, Howell said he plans to work with the firm’s international and financial services clients. FIRST IN PI — BARCA’S BARBADOS CONNECTIONS: The former company of Peter Barca, a Democratic congressional candidate who is running as a candidate trying to cut taxes for families in Wisconsin, was registered in the offshore tax haven of Barbados, Daniel reports. — Aurora Associates International , a former development project management firm where Barca worked for 15 years starting in August 2003, is listed in the “Paradise Papers” as having registered in Barbados the month before, according to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists’ Offshore Leaks Database. His name is not listed as an officer of the company among five names in the Paradise Papers, one of them being Robert Walker, who was CEO and board chair at the time. — At Aurora, Barca was first vice president and later bought and became president of the company, which has worked in more than 25 countries. He led the company's projects in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, India and Tajikistan. Aurora worked with the U.S. Agency for International Development for many years and touted its positive performance review from them as a contractor, according to archived versions of its old website. — In 2017, the Paradise Papers revealed how politicians from around the world, multinational companies and wealthy people used small offshore islands to hide their money from higher-tax countries. — Barca, who is only three points behind Rep. Bryan Steil (R-Wis.) in a new DCCC poll, has supported higher taxes multiple times in his political career, including supporting a Wisconsin gas tax hike in 2019 and voting against former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s $504 million tax cut proposal in 2014. — Barca, who served as a congressperson for a term in the 1990s, also voted to approve the 1994 Clinton budget, which the American Conservative Union called the “largest tax increase in U.S. history.” The budget raised taxes by $241 billion although the vast majority of that new money came from people who made more than $100,000 a year. — Tax hikes in the package included raising the portion of Social Security benefits for wealthy beneficiaries that was subject to taxation, removing the ceiling on the Medicare payroll tax and raising income taxes for those in the top income tax bracket. — Asked for comment, a Barca campaign spokesperson said in a statement to PI: “Peter had no knowledge of this and the facts speak for themselves — it occurred before Peter was a part of the company. Peter has spent his life fighting to help working families get ahead by delivering billions in tax relief, creating good-paying jobs, and standing up for workers rights.” — The spokesperson added that Steil “puts corporate interests first at the expense of middle class families here in America, and he’s done that since he moved to China to work for a company that was outsourcing American manufacturing jobs.” LaCIVITAS’ PAYDAY: “The co-manager of Donald Trump’s White House campaign has raked in $22 million and counting from the Republican nominee’s political operation in just two years,” per the Daily Beast’s Michael Isikoff. — “Chris LaCivita , an influential GOP operative, reaped a $19 million financial windfall in 2022 when he served as a ‘strategic consultant’ to two Trump-affiliated super PACs, campaign finance records show.” — “Then, after joining the Trump campaign, he negotiated three contracts that gave his tiny LLC a generous cut of Trump’s TV and digital ads, direct mail and other campaign spending. He also collected retainers that at times amounted to $75,000 a month, according to multiple sources familiar with the campaign’s finances and campaign finance records.” IF YOU MISSED IT OVER THE WEEKEND: The New York Times’ Jonathan Swan, Maggie Haberman and Shane Goldmacher went behind the scenes of a Trump Tower confab last month between the former president and some of his top donors, where over a meal of steak and baked potatoes, Trump “tore through a bitter list of grievances.” — “He made it clear that people, including donors, needed to do more, appreciate him more and help him more. … At one point, Mr. Trump seemed to suggest that these donors had plenty to be grateful to him for. He boasted about how great he had been for their taxes, something that some privately noted wasn’t true for everyone in the room.” Jobs report — Ramon Escobar has joined Actum as a managing director. He previously served as director for Western Hemisphere Strategy at the National Security Council. — Jeff Evans has joined the Institute for Portfolio Alternatives as its head of government and policy. Previously, he was the director of public policy for the American Society of Association Executives. — Andrew Overton is now press secretary at the Export-Import Bank. He previously was a managing director on FGS Global’s energy and sustainability team and is a Democratic National Convention alum. — Rustin Finkler is joining Vision360 Partners as a managing director working on litigation and public policy issues. Finkler was previously director of strategy at Penta Group. — Gerry Williams has been named co-U.S. managing partner at DLA Piper. Williams previously served as partner and vice chair. — Brian Farber, a former DOT spokesperson during the Obama administration, has launched a strategic communications and public affairs firm, Momentum Square Strategies, per Morning Transportation. — Brian Schwartz will be a White House economic policy reporter at the Wall Street Journal. He previously has been a political finance reporter at CNBC. — Michael Lukso is now head of U.S. policy and advocacy at Kraken Digital Asset Exchange. He previously was vice president of government affairs and lead Democratic lobbyist at the American Investment Council and is a longtime Hill alum. — Pearson Croney-Clark is joining the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition Institute as director of external affairs. She previously was public affairs manager at Oatly. — Stephen Bittinger, previously of K&L Gates, has joined Polsinelli ’s health care practice as shareholder. Allessandra Stewart and Melissa Yates, also previously of K&L Gates, have joined as shareholder and senior associate, respectively. — Jenny Fleury has rejoined Hogan Lovells as a partner in the antitrust, competition and economic regulation practice. She previously was deputy chief trial counsel for the FTC’s Bureau of Competition. New Joint Fundraisers Michigan Senate Victory 2024 (Rep. Elissa Slotkin, DSCC) Montana Senate Victory 2024 (Sen. Jon Tester, DSCC) Pennsylvania Senate Victory 2024 (Sen. Bob Casey, DSCC) Southern Calif4nia Victory Fund (Rep. Mike Levin, Derek Tran for Congress, Dave Min for Congress, Will Rollins for Congress) Texas Senate Victory 2024 (Rep. Colin Allred, DSCC) New PACs Accomack Republican Party (PAC) Biafran American Coalition DBA Biafra Political Action Committee (Hybrid PAC) Claiming Our Voices (Super PAC) FBG ENTERPRISES OPCO POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (PAC) IntraArctic Alaska Innovation Constituency (Super PAC) Libertarian Unity (PAC) Save Western Culture (Super PAC) New Lobbying REGISTRATIONS Acg Advocacy: Xperi Inc. A New Policy Inc.: A New Policy Inc. Bgr Government Affairs: Ai Saqr Al Jarih Real Estate Investment Company Cody Holt: Association Of State Dam Safety Officials Continental Strategy, LLC: American Sugar Refineries Crossroads Strategies, LLC: Cohere US, Inc. Crossroads Strategies, LLC: Hone Health Crossroads Strategies, LLC: Marius Pharmaceuticals Dykema Gossett Pllc: Coalition Of Hud Housing Counseling Intermediaries Forbes-Tate: Monumental Sports Haro Solutions LLC: Southwestern Power Group Hogan Lovells US LLP: Palladian Partners, Inc. Holland & Knight LLP: Bluegreen US Water Technologies, Inc. Invariant LLC: Coinflip Mehlman Consulting, Inc.: Biz2Credit, Inc. Mehlman Consulting, Inc.: Oscar Management Corporation Mehlman Consulting, Inc.: The Erisa Industry Committee Mission Strategies LLC (Energy): Arbor Energy And Resources Corporation Mission Strategies LLC (Energy): General Matter Inc Mission Strategies LLC (Energy): Kanin Energy Natural Resource Results LLC: Pheasants Forever Northern Compass Group LLC: Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck LLP Obo State Of Ak Dept Of Law Olsson, Frank, Weeda, Terman & Matz, Pc: Food Fleet, Inc. Quickel Consulting Services, LLC: Hollier & Associates On Behalf Of American Council Of Life Insurers Quickel Consulting Services, LLC: Hollier & Associates On Behalf Of Bloom Energy Quickel Consulting Services, LLC: Hollier & Associates On Behalf Of Boston Scientific Red Flag Consulting USa(Formally Known As International Business-Government Counsellors, Inc): National Coffee Association Resolution Public Affairs, LLC: Mastercard Worldwide Ridge Path Strategies: Washington Tax & Public Policy Group On Behalf Of Leggett & Platt, Inc. Ridge Path Strategies: Washington Tax & Public Policy Group On Behalf Of Lumen Technologies Sbl Strategies, LLC: Firstenergy Services Company Stealth Biotherapeutics Inc.: Stealth Biotherapeutics Inc. The Cormac Group, LLC: American Capitol Group On Behalf Of Healthcare Realty The Harple Group, LLC: Teamsters Local Union 1150 The Russell Group, Inc.: Sindaucar Tiber Creek Group: Thoma Bravo, L.P. Valiant Strategies LLC: R.R.P. Consulting Engineers, L.L.C. Obo City Of Sunland Park New Lobbying Terminations Ambrose Partners: 360 Privacy Capitol Chambers Strategies: 535 Group, LLC On Behalf Of Missouri Association Of Sheltered Workshop Managers Capitol Integration: Shift5 Cassidy & Associates, Inc.: Pepsico Inc. Cassidy & Associates, Inc.: Wilder Systems Inc Chamber Hill Strategies: Prospect Medical Holdings, Inc. Clark Street Associates: Coldquanta, Inc. Dba Infleqtion Clark Street Associates: Rambus Droneup: Droneup Efb Advocacy, LLC: Elevance Health, Inc. G2G Consulting: Jennings Center For Older Adults G2G Consulting: Oligo Nation Gallatin Public Affairs: Willamette Falls Trust Harpley Cs, LLC: Altair Engineering Harpley Cs, LLC: Baker Engineering, LLC Hogan Lovells US LLP: Recover Holdco., Inc. Holland & Knight LLP: Benworth Capital Holland & Knight LLP: Clark Street Associates On Behalf Of Coldquanta, Inc. Dba Infleqtion Holland & Knight LLP: Genesee & Wyoming Inc Holland & Knight LLP: Hexion, Inc. Holland & Knight LLP: Subcom LLC Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP (Formerly Hunton & Williams LLP): Ncta - The Internet & Television Association Invariant LLC: Colton Underwood Legacy Foundation Invariant LLC: Premise Jim Pasco And Associates: Millercoors LLC Keefe Singiser Partners, Fka Keefe Strategies LLC: Community Catalyst Larkin Hoffman: Association Of Minnesota Counties Larkin Hoffman: Association Of Minnesota Counties Larkin Hoffman: National Sports Center Larkin Hoffman: US Solar Mcguirewoods Consulting (A Subsidiary Of Mcguirewoods LLP): Aspen Consulting Service, LLC On Behalf Of Kerecis, Inc. Mcguirewoods Consulting (A Subsidiary Of Mcguirewoods LLP): Digitalcm, LLC Mcguirewoods Consulting (A Subsidiary Of Mcguirewoods LLP): Immersicom Mcguirewoods Consulting (A Subsidiary Of Mcguirewoods LLP): Webmyers Construction Mehlman Consulting, Inc.: The Boeing Company Merevir Consulting: Geotab, Inc. Miller & Chevalier Chartered: Freeport-Mcmoran, Inc. Natural Resource Results LLC: Alameda County Flood Control And Water Conservation District, Zone 7 Natural Resource Results LLC: American Rivers, Inc. Natural Resource Results LLC: Ecosystem Investment Partners Nvg, LLC: Somnology, Inc. Passage Consulting Group LLC: Cobham Satcom Polsinelli Pc: Merchant Mcintyre Associates Obo Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services Prime Policy Group: Dialysis Patient Citizens Prime Policy Group: Insulet Corporation Prime Policy Group: Quva Pharma, Inc. Prime Policy Group: Saverglass Inc. Prime Policy Group: Surescripts Rbw Group, LLC: Catholic Charities Diocese Of Fresno Sovereign Global Solutions, LLC: Aid To The Church In Need International Squire Patton Boggs: Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Squire Patton Boggs: City Of Detroit Strategic Marketing Innovations: Codagenix Tarplin, Downs & Young, LLC: American Academy Of Pediatrics Terrapin Strategy, Inc: Elixir Labs, Inc. The Vogel Group: Jrd Law Pllc (On Behalf Of Happiest Baby, Inc) Thorn Run Partners: Veeco Instruments Inc. Tiber Creek Group: Elevance Health, Inc. (Fka Anthem Inc.) Tusk Strategies, LLC: University Of Illinois Venable LLP: Spina Bifida Association Williams And Jensen, Pllc: Irhythm Technologies Williams And Jensen, Pllc: National Association Of Rehabilitation Providers And Agencies   Follow us

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