Managed Funds Association adds Senate Finance aide — Mayors to boost public-private partnerships as infrastructure pay-for — Manafort banker who sought Cabinet post convicted

From: POLITICO Influence - Wednesday Jul 14,2021 09:21 pm

Jul 14, 2021

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With Daniel Lippman

MFA ADDS SENATE FINANCE AIDE: The hedge fund industry’s top lobbying group, the Managed Funds Association, has hired Jennifer Deci as a vice president of U.S. government affairs as the group ramps up outreach to change the public perception of hedge funds amid a rash of negative headlines for the industry and increasing scrutiny in Washington. Deci was most recently senior counsel to Senate Finance Committee ranking member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and before that served under Crapo and Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) on the Senate Banking Committee. Deci will register to lobby, and said in a statement to PI that she’s looking forward to being a part of a “bold, new vision for the organization” under new chief executive Bryan Corbett, while “advocating for policies that balance fairness, transparency, and efficiency in U.S. financial markets.”

— Hedge funds made headlines earlier this year for their role in the GameStop retail trading frenzy and the collapse of Archegos Capital Management, and have drawn more scrutiny in a newly Democratic Washington. MFA last month launched a multimillion dollar effort aimed at boosting the industry’s reputation by touting its benefits for regular Americans, a push the trade group said was in the works long before Democrats hauled hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin to the Hill earlier this year. In April, the group added Democratic help to its lobbying team, hiring the DCCC’s Ryan Hedgepeth.

MAYORS TO PUSH PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS: A pair of bipartisan former mayors is launching an initiative to build support for using public-private partnerships as a means of paying for the trillions of dollars in infrastructure funding being debated in Washington. Former Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett and Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter are spearheading the project, dubbed Let’s Build Infrastructure, which launches in D.C. next week with an initial six-figure ad buy.

— So-called P3s, in which private financing helps cover the costs of a government infrastructure project, are mentioned as a pay-for in the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure framework that lawmakers are now working to flesh out, but some Republicans have expressed skepticism that the plan could ultimately be fully funded, a key concern for many of them. The mayors’ coalition will support lawmakers who back public-private partnerships as a revenue mechanism.

— “There are billions of dollars sitting on the sidelines right now, dollars that help offset the price tag of the infrastructure package,” Nutter said in a statement, noting that the idea has bipartisan support and has been deployed across the country. Cornett, in a statement, said that public-private partnerships have been successfully utilized in both Oklahoma City and Philadelphia “to make a positive difference in the lives of our residents and grow our cities into world class metro areas.”

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MANAFORT BANKER WHO SOUGHT CABINET POST CONVICTED OF BRIBERY: The Chicago banker “who arranged $16 million in loans for former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort was found guilty Tuesday on charges of seeking to trade the loans for positions on the Trump campaign and in the Trump administration,” POLITICO’s Josh Gerstein reports. “A jury returned guilty verdicts on two felony counts against former Federal Savings Bank CEO Stephen Calk after a three-week trial in federal court in New York, the U.S. Attorney’s Office there said in a statement.”

— “Prosecutors alleged that Calk pushed to approve the loans to Manafort while seeking a post on the Trump campaign’s Economic Advisory Board and sought a series of Cabinet posts and other jobs after Trump’s win in November 2016, all while continuing to urge more lending to the lobbyist and high-flying political consultant whose career imploded soon after Trump took office.”

— “Calk proposed himself as Treasury secretary, Commerce secretary and Defense secretary, and for a long list of ambassadorships, before focusing on secretary of the Army. He was interviewed by a Trump transition ‘tiger team’ at Trump Tower but never landed an administration job.”

THAT DIDN’T LAST LONG: “The lobbying firm representing Myanmar’s ruling junta has ended its controversial defense of the Feb. 1 military coup after failing to secure approval from US and Canadian authorities,” Foreign Lobby Reports’ Julian Pequet reports. The firm, Canada-based Dickens & Madson, inked a $2 million contract with Myanmar Defense Minister Mya Tun Oo for public relations help and to “assist in explaining the real situation” regarding the military takeover.

— “According to the agreement, the firm’s founder, former Israeli intelligence official Ari Ben-Menashe, was expected to lobby Congress and the Joe Biden administration as well as the governments of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Israel and Russia in addition to the United Nations, the African Union and other international organizations and NGOs.” But Ben-Manashe ran into a major roadblock in his efforts to represent the junta, and the contract was terminated June 30, according to a filing with the Justice Department.

— “In a phone interview on Tuesday, Ben-Menashe said a key issue was getting approval from US and Canadian authorities to get paid. Both countries have sanctioned Burmese officials, including Mya Tun Oo, for their alleged role in deposing government leader Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint . ‘I have no problem with the Burmese,’ Ben-Menashe said. ‘But the fact is we can’t get paid because of the sanctions, that’s one problem. We’re not a non-profit, and just to fly there costs money.’ Ben-Menashe added that he planned to restart his work for Myanmar if the US and Canadian governments have a change of heart.” An attorney for Ben-Menashe told the outlet “it was pretty clear” from conversations with officials that the sanctions waiver would not be granted, and added that the registration in March sparked a DOJ inquiry into the contract’s terms of service.

COVID CANCELLATIONS CONTINUE: Pro-Israel lobbying beheamoth AIPAC will not hold its yearly conference in Washington next year due to lingering fears over the coronavirus pandemic — a sign that even as much of the country continues to open up with the introduction of Covid-19 vaccines, the virus’ uncertainty is still weighing on parts of K Street.

— “The group, which announced the move to its members late Monday afternoon, generally has to plan the conference a year in advance in order to secure contracts with hotels and venues for the event,” Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports. “Given continued COVID-related issues — highlighted by reimposed restrictions in Israel and the emergence of the Delta variant — it would be both ‘impossible’ and ‘irresponsible’ to plan in-person events for next spring, when the conference typically takes place,” a source told the outlet.

— “Though Capitol Hill has begun to reopen to the public, some restrictions on visitors remain in place and it’s unclear when they will be lifted, making uncertain the policy conference’s ability to hold its keystone lobbying day at the conclusion of the conference, the source told JI. AIPAC held a virtual national council meeting in March 2021, which included 500 virtual congressional meetings with 900 AIPAC activists. The organization will have a similar event again this fall, and will continue other virtual lobbying efforts during the coming year, the source said. The source added that, while AIPAC and its members want to resume in-person lobbying events, AIPAC has found during the pandemic that ‘when people can lobby in the comfort of their homes, it results in even wider engagement.’”

ANOTHER RECUSAL ASK FOR KHAN: “Facebook on Wednesday filed a motion seeking FTC Chair Lina Khan's recusal from any decisions regarding how the agency should proceed in its antitrust case against the company,” POLITICO’s Emily Birnbaum writes. The motion joins a similar ask made last month by Amazon based on her record of public criticisms of the company.

— “Facebook is arguing that Khan has already ‘decided the material facts relevant to Facebook’s liability in the Commission’s pending antitrust lawsuit,’ pointing to her previous work with the anti-monopoly think tank Open Markets Institute, her academic work about Facebook and her deep involvement with the House Judiciary Committee's investigation into Facebook, Amazon, Google and Apple.” Her recusal from the Facebook antitrust case before the commission now could result in deadlocked votes.

Jobs Report

— Tim Gehring has joined Bridge Public Affairs as a vice president. He most recently served as a senior congressional affairs adviser in the State Department's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons.

— Sasha Moss is now a public policy manager at Coinbase. She previously was a senior director at InSight Public Affairs.

— Luci Meade is now an advocacy officer at The Freedom Initiative , an NGO that works to free political prisoners in the Middle East. She most recently was a senior program associate for the civil society program at InterAction.

— Joanna Belanger is now senior vice president at New Blue Interactive. She previously was political director at Giffords.

— Dayne Cutrell is now a shareholder and director of federal affairs in the government and regulatory affairs practice at Maynard Cooper and Gale. He previously was chief of staff to Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.).

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New Joint Fundraisers

None.

New PACs

None.

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New Lobbying Registrations

A2 Strategies, LLC: Phibro Animal Health Corporation
Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld: Sap America, Inc.
Albertine Enterprises, Inc.: Biocorrx
Allegiance Strategies, LLC: Alliance San Diego
Alston & Bird LLP: Highland Dairy & Farm
Avenue Solutions: Pacific Biosciences Of California, Inc
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP: Dell Technologies, Inc.
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP: Docusign
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP: Double Diamond Consolidated Seller LLC
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP: Hca-Healthone LLC Dba Rose Medical Center
Capitol Counsel, LLC: Energy Exploration Technologies (Energyx)
Capitol Counsel, LLC: Society Of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography
Capitol Integration: Mattermost
Capitol Tax Partners, LLP: Breakthrough Energy Action
Clark Hill, Plc: W.W. Grainger, Inc.
Government Counsel, LLC: Delta Dental Of California
Hobart Hallaway & Quayle Ventures, LLC: Morrissey Strategic Partners, LLC Obo Hallmark Cards, Inc.
Hollis Public Affairs: Ywca Of Brooklyn
Husch Blackwell Strategies: National Milk Producers Federation
Liberty Partners Group, LLC: The Fibroid Coalition
Mr. Rex Sherry: Clark Street Associates On Behalf Of Fungible Inc.
Mr. Rex Sherry: Clark Street Associates On Behalf Of Trucklabs
Mr. Rex Sherry: Clark Street On Behalf Of Arris Composites
Ms. Susan Edgerton: Dav
Natural Resource Results LLC: The Foundation For Pennsylvania Watersheds
Oscar Policy Group, LLC: Agri-Mark, Inc
Oscar Policy Group, LLC: Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Inc.
Owen Evans Ingols: Orsted North America, Inc.
Signal Group Consulting, LLC: Battery Council International
Signal Group Consulting, LLC: Bluevine Inc.
Signal Group Consulting, LLC: Enersys Delaware, Inc.
Signal Group Consulting, LLC: Swinerton Builders
Strategic Marketing Innovations: Global Secure Shipping
Tauzin Consultants, LLC: Lifevac LLC
The O Team LLC: Nissen Consulting Group On Behalf Of The Lundquist Institute
The Raben Group: Plastic Pollution Coalition, A Fiscally Sponsored Project Of Earth Island Instit
Tiahrt Enterprises, LLC: Flint Hills Resources
Tonio Burgos & Associates, Inc.: Ponce Bank
Troutman Pepper Strategies (Fka Troutman Sanders Public Affairs Group, LLC): Strategic Health Information Exchange Collaborative (Shiec)
Vicki Hicks: Bird Shippers Of America
Williams And Jensen, Pllc: Discovery Communications, LLC

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New Lobbying Terminations

535 Group, LLC: Fti Consulting, Inc. On Behalf Of City Of Carlsbad, New Mexico
535 Group, LLC: Fti Consulting, Inc. On Behalf Of Eddy County, New Mexico
535 Group, LLC: Fti Consulting, Inc. On Behalf Of Fti Consulting (Government Affairs), LLC
Fairvote: Fairvote
John W. Conrad Iii Dba John W. Conrad Iii And Company: Exogene Bio LLC
Mason Street Consulting, LLC: Lifelink Of Georgia
Mayer Brown LLP: Customs Advisory Services, Inc.
Pirro Group, LLC: New York-Presbyterian Hospital
Schagrin Associates: U.S. Wine Trade Alliance
Sonosky, Chambers, Sachse, Endreson & Perry, LLP: California Indian Manpower Consortium (477 Work Group)
Sonosky, Chambers, Sachse, Endreson & Perry, LLP: Muscogee Creek Nation
The Dlm Group: B & B Medical Services, Inc.
The Dlm Group: Carlton Rochell Asian Art
The Dlm Group: Mission Technologies Inc
The Dlm Group: Normandy Group Inc On Behalf Of Pulse Technologies
The Dlm Group: The Normandy Group, LLC For Center For Disease Detection
The O Team LLC: Center For Discovery
The O Team LLC: Rural Media Group, Inc.