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Presented by Save Our Standards: Delivered daily, Influence gives you a comprehensive rundown and analysis of all lobby hires and news on K Street. | | | | | |  | | By Caitlin Oprysko | Presented by Save Our Standards | PROGRAMMING NOTE: Influence won’t publish from Friday, Dec. 24-Friday, Dec. 31. We’ll be back on our normal schedule on Monday, Jan. 3. With Daniel Lippman VERIZON ADDS ANOTHER: Verizon retained its 26th outside lobbying firm this month, hiring former New York Sen. Alfonse D’Amato and his son Chris of Park Strategies, according to a newly filed disclosure. The D’Amatos will lobby for the cable and telecom giant on the “deployment of wireless communications equipment and activation of C-Band spectrum for use in 5G mobile wireless communications.” — Verizon and fellow wireless giant AT&T are at the center of a spat between the FCC and FAA over the rollout of 5G technology in the C-band, or 3.7 to 3.98 GHz range. That is in close proximity to the range in which aircraft avionics and other equipment operate, per POLITICO’s Oriana Pawlyk and John Hendel, eliciting protests from the aviation industry and prompting Verizon and AT&T to voluntarily pause the rollout. — Verizon has already dropped $8.6 million on lobbying this year. Its more than two dozen firms on retainer include Subject Matter, Mercury Public Affairs, Fierce Government Relations, BGR, Ogilvy Government Relations and Finsbury Glover Hering. IAB NABS FORMER HARRIS AIDE FROM AMAZON: Lartease Tiffith, a former senior counsel in now-Vice President Kamala Harris’ Senate office, has left Amazon to lead the Interactive Advertising Bureau’s policy shop. — The trade association represents nearly 700 companies on all sides of the digital ads ecosystem including behemoths like Google, Meta and Amazon that have come under scrutiny by antitrust regulators, but also smaller publishers and brands who have raised complaints about the grip bigger companies have on the digital ads ecosystem. The trade group also hired Brendan Thomas, a former vice president of communications for the Plastics Industry Association, as vice president of public policy communications. — Tiffith told Morning Tech in an interview this week he “believes it will be his job to find consensus among IAB’s diverse membership,” and that his priorities will include lobbying for federal privacy legislation that preempts state laws and against digital services taxes. — IAB, which also retains Venable, spends relatively little on federal lobbying at the moment compared with its members, disclosures show, with expenditures remaining stable at $180,000 annually for the past eight years, with a slight uptick last year and the potential to exceed that number in 2021. — Tiffith, who is one of just a small handful of Harris alums now on K Street, told MT he is “absolutely” in touch with the veep and her aides, “and said he intends to advocate particularly on behalf of the small- and medium-sized businesses that benefit from digital ads. ‘I do think there will be some opportunities to be more vocal about what we do and don’t do,’ Tiffith said. ‘We want to make sure people know where IAB stands.’” — The trade group has so far stayed out of the congressional antitrust battles its tech giants are facing — an issue that contributed to the collapse last week of the Internet Association — but David Cohen, IAB’s chief executive, said the organization “reserves the right to change our perspective” on that. Good afternoon and welcome to PI. In honor of PI’s last edition of the year on Thursday, go ahead and get out that last K Street gossip: coprysko@politico.com. And be sure to follow me on Twitter: @caitlinoprysko. | | A message from Save Our Standards: Technical standards like 5G and Wi-Fi have the power to transform industries, fuel the economy, and create high-quality jobs. But that only happens if owners of patents essential to standards honor their commitments to license all innovators to use those patents on fair and reasonable terms. A new draft Administration statement restores the balance vital to standards adoption and job creation. Support the Administration to promote American manufacturing and limit product bans on standard-essential patents. | | | AMAZON COZIES UP TO FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT: “Amazon has found a powerful ally to help it protect its sprawling operations from fraud and abuse,” POLITICO’s Emily Birnbaum and Daniel report: the U.S. government. “The company has increasingly tipped off the Justice Department and FBI to investigate Amazon’s own employees and the sellers using its platform, according to a POLITICO analysis and a dozen interviews with Amazon employees, former federal prosecutors and financial crime experts. — “In addition, it has hired dozens of former DOJ and FBI employees, some of whom are filling out its internal teams aimed at policing its platform. In the process, Amazon has built a closer relationship than many large companies have with federal law enforcement, a deep cooperation with one branch of the federal government that could help the company’s reputation in Washington as Amazon faces intensifying scrutiny from Congress and federal agencies over its market dominance and fraud on its platform.” — “ J. Kelly Strader, an author and academic focused on how companies deal with the government when they handle white-collar crime, said Amazon’s approach suggests a strategy that goes beyond simply reining in criminal activity. ‘This looks like a huge and powerful company attempting to generate goodwill and appear to be cooperative with the government,’ Strader said. Ankush Khardori , a former federal prosecutor who specialized in financial fraud and white-collar crime, called Amazon’s tighter relationship a ‘smart thing for a company like Amazon to do in the current political climate.’” — “For its part, Amazon argues that its referrals to law enforcement show that it is taking forceful action against criminal activity,” and has “established an internal unit filled with former federal prosecutors and investigators to root out counterfeits on Amazon’s platform. That unit, which Amazon created amid legislative threats from lawmakers, has been busily handing off leads to the government.” | | | | 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. | | | | | COAL MINERS UNION PRESSES MANCHIN TO REVERSE BBB REVERSAL: “The United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), which represents West Virginia coal miners, urged Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) on Monday to revisit his opposition to President Biden's Build Back Better plan,” The Hill’s Karl Evers-Hillstrom reports. — “The labor union noted that the bill includes an extension of a fund that provides benefits to coal miners suffering from black lung disease, which expires at the end of the year. The UMWA also touted tax incentives that encourage manufacturers to build facilities in coalfields that would employ thousands of miners who lost their jobs.” — “‘For those and other reasons, we are disappointed that the bill will not pass,’ Cecil Roberts , the union’s president, said in a statement. ‘We urge Senator Manchin to revisit his opposition to this legislation and work with his colleagues to pass something that will help keep coal miners working, and have a meaningful impact on our members, their families, and their communities.’” — “As countless interest groups call on Manchin to reverse course, the statement from the mine workers’ union might be the most impactful. Manchin was born into a coal mining family and for decades has worked closely with the UMWA, which named Manchin an honorary member last year,” prompting Manchin to call working with the union “one of the greatest honors of my life.” RATIONAL 360 LAUNCHES GRASSTOPS PRACTICE: Rational 360, the strategic communications firm led by former Bill Clinton aide Patrick Dorton, is launching a new indirect lobbying offering dubbed 360 Grasstops. The new operation will be helmed by Sam Myers Jr., an alum of the Clinton and Obama administrations who joined Rational 360 in August from BCW . The practice will work to identify and activate “advocates with significant influence on U.S. policymakers, the communities that they serve and their inner circles,” a tool Dorton said in a statement “has already benefited our clients across dozens of Congressional districts,” when the firm has deployed it over the past few months. — “2022 is an election year. All 435 House Members, a third of the Senate, and 36 Governors will be navigating that in tandem with an already deafening electorate,” Myers said in a statement. “Brands and companies targeting any policymaker will need every advocacy tool available. 360 Grasstops can serve as a force amplifier, directly validating for policymakers that the change throngs of their constituents seek is real and very likely inevitable.” ‘TIS THE SEASON: Nearly 20 trade associations across a number of industries participated in the first annual Association Book Drive Challenge, which saw more than 6,300 books donated to Everybody Wins D.C. and their Read in Color initiative aimed at increasing access to books centered on diverse characters, voices and experiences. The American International Automobile Dealers Association had the most donations per employee, with an average donation of 42 books per employee, while the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers donated the most books overall — 1,788. | | | | A message from Save Our Standards:   | | | | | | — Clayton, Dubilier & Rice named Jon Selib as managing director and global external affairs leader. He was most recently senior vice president of global policy and public affairs at Pfizer. — Kelly Memphis has joined the Healthcare Distribution Alliance as director of state government affairs. She was most recently senior manager of government relations at the Public Affairs Council. HDA has also promoted Matt DiLoreto from vice president of state government affairs to senior vice president of state government affairs and alliance development, and Farah Simonett from senior director of communications to vice president of editorial and internal communications. — Mars, Inc. has promoted Peter Rowan to vice president of U.S. public affairs, replacing Brad Figel who is transitioning to senior counsel of public affairs. Rowan has been with Mars since 2015, most recently serving as senior federal director of U.S. public affairs. — Anna Pacilio is joining Sunshine Sachs as an account director supporting issue advocacy and social good. She was most recently national press secretary for EMILY’s List. — Michael Chirico is now chief of strategic advocacy and external relations for the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine and Marshall Health. He most recently was government liaison and policy adviser at the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission, and is a Rep. Carol Miller (R-W.Va.) and Evan Jenkins alum. | | | | BECOME A GLOBAL INSIDER: The world is more connected than ever. It has never been more essential to identify, unpack and analyze important news, trends and decisions shaping our future — and we’ve got you covered! Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Global Insider author Ryan Heath navigates the global news maze and connects you to power players and events changing our world. Don’t miss out on this influential global community. Subscribe now. | | | | | | | | None. | | | Americans for Action (Super PAC) | | New Lobbying Registrations | | Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld: Brian Debusk
Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld: Coalition Of Semiconductor Equipment Manufacturers
Barnes & Thornburg, LLP: Bissell Homecare, Inc.
Becker & Poliakoff, P.A.: Edward Waters University
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP: Pfh S.P.A.
Epplin Strategic Planning: Kreindler & Kreindler (For Certain Plaintiffs In "9/11" Litigation)
Mehlman Castagnetti Rosen & Thomas, Inc.: Onfido, Inc.
National Neighborworks Association: National Neighborworks Association
Park Strategies, LLC: Verizon Communications
Stallmer Consulting LLC: Envision Strategy, LLC On Behalf Of Afff Litigation Corporation
Stallmer Consulting LLC: Envision Strategy, LLC On Behalf Of Fort Ticonderoga Association
Stallmer Consulting LLC: Envision Strategy, LLC On Behalf Of Healthcare Association Of Nys, Inc.
Stallmer Consulting LLC: Envision Strategy, LLC On Behalf Of New York Roadway Infrastructure Coalition
Thorsen French Advocacy LLC: New Venture Fund
Todd Strategy, LLC Dba Todd Strategy Group: Vifor Pharma, Inc. | | New Lobbying Terminations | | None. | | A message from Save Our Standards: Support US Jobs. Stop SEP Abuse.
A new draft policy statement on standard-essential patents (SEPs) committed for licensing on fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory terms was released jointly by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the Department of Justice. The draft statement provides guidance on appropriate remedies in cases involving the use of these patents, and presents an approach to SEPs that strives to balance the interests of patent holders with the broad range of U.S. industries that use standards to protect the future of innovation.
Save Our Standards is a broad-based coalition working to end abusive practices in SEP licensing. We welcome the draft statement and support the Biden Administration for their leadership protecting U.S. competitiveness in charting out this balanced approach. Comments are being accepted through February 4. Support the Biden Administration to stop SEP abuse. | | | | | | | Follow us | | | | |  |
