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Presented by General Motors: Delivered daily, Influence gives you a comprehensive rundown and analysis of all lobby hires and news on K Street. | | | | | |  | | By Caitlin Oprysko | | | With Daniel Lippman NEW BUSINESS: Microsoft has added another outside lobbying firm to its already expansive roster of more than two dozen, retaining a team from King & Spalding that includes former Rep. Kendrick Meek (D-Fla.). A former Meek staffer, Amirah Salaam, and Allison Kassir will lobby for the tech giant on information technology, innovation, and research funding, according to a disclosure. Meanwhile, Cincinnati-based Fifth Third Bank has hired its first external lobbying firm since 2009, according to lobbying disclosures. North South Government Strategies’ John McMickle, a former counsel on the Senate Judiciary Committee, will lobby on tax issues as well as bank regulation and financial services, according to the disclosure. — The Interstate Natural Gas Association of America, which represents the country’s pipeline industry, has enlisted the help of a former aide to President Joe Biden. The trade group has hired ABI Associates’ Ankit Desai, who worked in Biden’s Senate office, to lobby on natural gas pipeline permitting, safety and security as his administration faces pressure from environmental groups on climate issues and as energy infrastructure has become the target of crippling ransomware attacks. HUAWEI REJIGGERS OUTSIDE LINEUP: As Huawei looks to make inroads with the Biden administration, hiring Tony Podesta while dramatically ramping up its lobbying spending, the blacklisted Chinese telecom company continues to tinker with its roster of outside lobbyists. The company hired five new outside lobbying firms at the beginning of July, according to a newly filed disclosure showing it also retained Imperium Global Advisors’ Brian McLaughlin, a former aide to Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin. But as of last week, disclosures show, it cut loose the firm J.S. Held and Stephen Binhak, both of whom it hired a little over a month ago. Huawei declined to comment on the terminations. — Second-quarter disclosures show that the company sharply increased its spending on lobbying compared with the first three months of this year, from $180,000 to $1.1 million — a figure that doesn’t include spending on outside firms, nor those it disclosed retaining early in July. Good afternoon and welcome to PI. Send lobbying tips: coprysko@politico.com. And be sure to follow me on Twitter: @caitlinoprysko. | | A message from General Motors: Driving the future of America: From designing the revolutionary new Ultium Platform to the first electric vehicles it will power, General Motors is investing billions not just in EVs and AVs, but in American manufacturing itself. | | | BALLARD TEAMS UP WITH SACRAMENTO FIRM: Ballard Partners, the Florida-based firm that made a name as one of the top lobbying shops in D.C. during the Trump administration, is wading into the California market via a strategic partnership announced today with Sacramento-based Resolute Company . Resolute’s nine partners specialize in tech, social media, finance, energy, education, water, health, education and gambling, and will expand Ballard’s reach from its existing offices in Florida, D.C. and Tel Aviv into the largest state in the nation. “Ballard Partners is committed to fully serving our clients’ needs wherever they may arise,” Brian Ballard, the firm’s founder, said in a statement. — The partnership comes as Ballard has quickly added more Democrats and lobbyists with ties to the Biden administration following four strong years because of Ballard’s relationship with former President Donald Trump. The firm also recently named former Florida Democratic Rep. Robert Wexler the managing partner of its D.C. office. SMALL LANDLORDS SLAMMED BY EVICTION BANS: “Washington’s pandemic response is battering the finances of independent landlords, most of whom haven’t received federal rental aid designed to keep them whole during a nearly year-long eviction ban that has forced some property owners to house tenants for free,” POLITICO’s Katy O’Donnell reports. — “The distress is acute for so-called mom-and-pop landlords — those who own fewer than 10 properties, which typically have between one and four units. They supply about half the housing stock in the country, and they’re more likely than corporate property managers to have lower-income tenants who’ve fallen behind on their rent as a result of Covid-19. About 30 percent have household incomes below $90,000 a year.” — “Landlords are unsympathetic figures in the eyes of many struggling tenants, but they’re emerging as a new economic problem for Congress and the White House, after Democrats prioritized renters by pushing for the revival of the eviction ban earlier this month. The Biden administration has yet to find a way to accelerate the release of federal rental aid, meaning property owners will continue to be squeezed until the eviction moratorium expires Oct. 3 or is struck down in court.” HOW ROBINHOOD DODGED A REGULATORY BULLET…FOR NOW: “Robinhood dodged a major blow to its business model following a vote by the House Financial Services Committee that resulted in the quiet shelving of an initial legislative effort to ban a practice known as ‘payment for order flow,’” Fox Business’ Eleanor Terrett and Charles Gasparino report. — Rep. Brad Sherman ’s (D-Calif.) bill approved by the committee before heading out of town for the August recess “fell far short of a ban. It simply directs the Securities and Exchange Commission to ‘study’ and ‘consider’ banning or limiting PFOF.” The bill was softened “after lobbying by Robinhood and other Wall Street firms. They provided committee members with evidence that trading has never been cheaper and more democratized since discount brokers have engaged with third-party brokers to sell their order flow, according to people with knowledge of the matter.” | | | | INTRODUCING OTTAWA PLAYBOOK : Join the growing community of Politicos — from lawmakers and leaders to pollsters, staffers, strategists and lobbyists — working to shape Canada’s future. Every day, our reporting team pulls back the curtain to shed light on what’s really driving the agenda on Parliament Hill, the true players who are shaping politics and policy across Canada, and the impact it all has on the world. Don’t miss out on your daily look inside Canadian politics and power. Subscribe to Ottawa Playbook today. | | | | | INTEL BOSS LOBBYING U.S., EU LEADERS FOR CHIP SUBSIDIES: “Intel Corp.’s chief executive and other board members met with Biden administration officials last month and held a rooftop reception near the White House to push a multibillion-dollar chip-investment plan,” people familiar with the event told The Wall Street Journal’s Asa Fitch and Bob Davis. “The gathering was only one stop for Pat Gelsinger, the Intel boss, in what has become a global tour to get facetime with government leaders — many worried about their countries’ access to chips at an unprecedented time of shortage.” — “Mr. Gelsinger has struck a common note in those meetings, according to people familiar with the talks and documents, namely that Intel has big plans to build more chip factories that also can help fix an overconcentration of chip-making in Asia driven by lucrative incentives there. All it will take to level the playing field is a few billion dollars in subsidies.” BANNON OUT AT CHINESE EXILE’S NONPROFIT: “The mystery surrounding a nonprofit group tied to wealthy Chinese exile Guo Wengui, reportedly the key figure in a network accused of spreading disinformation about Covid vaccines and elections, has grown over the past year,” CNBC’s Brian Schwartz reports. “Steve Bannon , a China hawk who once served as a top advisor to Donald Trump, is no longer on the board of the Rule of Law Society, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit. A separate but related 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the Rule of Law Foundation , has, meanwhile, refused to disclose financial documents it had pledged to make public. Such nonprofits are required by the Internal Revenue Service to make these types of documents public. Both the Rule of Law Society and Rule of Law Foundation promote themselves as organizations that ‘protect individuals speaking out against corruption and illegal activities in China.’” | | | |   | | | | | | — Mike Liptak will join the Internet Association as director of federal government affairs. Liptak most recently served as vice president of government relations for the Travel Technology Association and is a Mitch McConnell alum. — Ashley Gunn is now a public policy manager for legislative affairs at Coinbase. She previously was senior adviser for Rep. French Hill (R-Ark.). — McGuireWoods Consulting has announced a new round of hires in its Texas and Virginia offices: Jessica Woodie, a former RNC creative director, will be vice president for digital; Kate Zaykowski, an alum of the Texas Railroad Commission and Texas Oil & Gas Association, joins as vice president for communications; and Ellie Barmish, who previously led the communications and operations efforts for a local nonprofit in Austin, will be a grassroots and digital specialist. — Brian Doory is joining Scarlet Oak Strategies full-time as a managing director. He most recently was a partner at Compass Advocacy , and is a Democratic campaigns veteran. — Akshai Datta is now director of federal affairs at Astellas Pharma. He was previously the director of federal government affairs at Viatris and is a U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Rep. Ami Bera (D-Calif.) alum. — The Digital Trust & Safety Partnership hired David M. Sullivan as executive director. He was most recently program director at Global Network Initiative. — Jamiah Adams is joining the Climate Reality Project as senior vice president for diversity and justice. Adams previously served as chief of diversity, equity and inclusion for the Tom Steyer PAC and worked with the NAACP, MoveOn.org, NextGen America, the Sierra Club and the Democratic National Committee. | | | | Be a Policy Pro. POLITICO Pro has a free policy resource center filled with our best practices on building relationships with state and federal representatives, demonstrating ROI, and influencing policy through digital storytelling. Read our free guides today . | | | | | | | | None. | | | The Association of Parents Against Pollution (Super PAC)
BLM PAC (PAC)
CRYPTOPAC, Inc. (Super PAC)
Indivisible Climate Solutions (Super PAC) | | New Lobbying Registrations | | Abi Associates: The Interstate Natural Gas Association Of America
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld: Forever Energy, LLC
Albertsons Companies, Inc.: Albertsons Companies, Inc.
Arent Fox LLP: Mars, Incorporated
Ballard Partners: Pensacola State College Foundation, Inc.
Bl Partners Group, LLC: Ctia - The Wireless Association
Crossroads Strategies, LLC: Agworks, LLC
Crossroads Strategies, LLC: Capitol 6 Advisors On Behalf Of Skydweller Aero Inc.
Crossroads Strategies, LLC: Charter Brokerage LLC
Crossroads Strategies, LLC: Provender Partners
Crowell & Moring LLP: National Flood Services
Fulcrum Public Affairs LLC: Csl Behring
Fulcrum Public Affairs LLC: Reef Global Inc.
Hill East Group, LLC: Atlas Crossing LLC O/B/O Global Digital Asset & Cryptocurrency Association
Holland & Knight LLP: Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority
Imperium Global Advisors: Huawei Technologies USa Inc.
King & Spalding LLP: Microsoft Corporation
Lsn Partners, LLC: Agustawestland Philadelphia Corporation
North South Government Strategies F/K/A Jdm Public Strategies, LLC: Fifth Third Bancorp
Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance: Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance
Tai Ginsberg & Associates, LLC: Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney Pc Obo California Intercity Rail Corridors - Circle
The Ferguson Group: California Water Service Company
Tiber Creek Group: Zymergen Inc. | | New Lobbying Terminations | | The University Of Texas At Austin: The University Of Texas At Austin
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