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Presented by Freight Rail Works: Delivered daily, Influence gives you a comprehensive rundown and analysis of all lobby hires and news on K Street. | | | | |  | | By Caitlin Oprysko | Presented by Freight Rail Works | With Daniel Lippman BLUE STAR REGISTERS RETROACTIVELY FOR BURISMA WORK: Democratic lobbying firm Blue Star Strategies has registered retroactively as a foreign agent for work it did in 2016 on behalf of Nikolai Zlochevsky (also known as Mykola), an executive at Ukrainian energy company Burisma Holdings, according to documents with the Justice Department filed late last week. — The registration, roughly six years after the work was performed, came as the lobbying firm was under investigation by the Justice Department for potential illegal foreign lobbying, as POLITICO reported last summer. Blue Star noted in its filings that the firm was reporting its work for Zlochevsky “pursuant to guidance from DOJ personnel.” — Karen Tramontano, a former deputy chief of staff to President Bill Clinton, and Sally Painter , another Clinton White House alum, began working for Burisma “to further its commercial interests” in November 2015, according to documents filed with DOJ. But the firm concedes that meetings with State Department officials it helped set up and attended were “indirectly in the interest of Burisma, but … primarily in the interest of Mr. Zlochevsky.” At the time, Zlochevsky had faced accusations in Ukraine and the U.K. for misappropriating government funds and money laundering, respectively, and of general corruption by the then-U.S. ambassador to the country. — Hunter Biden, the son of the then-vice president, sat on Burisma’s board at the time and helped broker the energy company’s arrangement with Blue Star, The New York Times reported — a tie that ultimately triggered the series of events leading to President Donald Trump’s first impeachment. — The filings appear to affirm testimony provided to congressional investigators by Tramontano and Painter, disclosing that Blue Star was asked in 2016 to broker meetings between U.S. government officials and Zlochevsky’s attorneys to “present an explanation of certain adverse proceedings in the U.K. and Ukraine.” The firm disclosed meetings in February and March of 2016 with Amos Hochstein ( more on him in last week’s West Wing Playbook) and Cathy Novelli, officials at the State Department who handled energy matters. — A copy of Blue Star’s agreement with Burisma provided to DOJ shows the firm received a $30,000 monthly retainer for “the scope of work provided,” though the filings emphasize that “the assistance provided to set up the two meetings, relative to the scope of work performed for Burisma, represent[s] a very small portion of registrant's receipts and disbursements.” Good afternoon and welcome to PI. What’s going on out there? Send K Street tips, gossip and musings: coprysko@politico.com. And be sure to follow me on Twitter: @caitlinoprysko.
| | A message from Freight Rail Works: America could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 17 million tons a year if we shipped more freight by rail — and that’s only the beginning. We’re collaborating with experts, research universities and government agencies to develop more environmentally friendly ways to power locomotives. Learn what we’re doing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as we enter a more sustainable era of freight rail. | | | GOP DARK MONEY GROUP TARGETS FERC: A conservative dark money group is unleashing its next wave of attacks on Democrats by invoking an obscure government agency many swing voters may have never heard of. The Common Sense Leadership Fund, a 501(c)4 group led by a former executive director of the NRSC , announced a six-figure ad buy today targeting Sens. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) and Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-Nev.) over rising energy prices. — In a statement, Kevin McLaughlin , who ran Senate Republicans' campaign arm last cycle, claimed the lawmakers have “stood idly by” while regulators at FERC, whom the group derides as “unelected bureaucrats,” implement a “radical environmental agenda” that has driven up the price Americans pay at the pump, while some parts of the country face rolling blackouts. — Though FERC does not regulate the price of gasoline, it does make decisions pertaining to energy infrastructure. As President Joe Biden ’s climate agenda has gotten bogged down in Congress, FERC’s chair has embarked on what former agency staffers told POLITICO in March is an abnormally extensive climate agenda, sparking blowback from Republicansand Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.). — CSLF, which is not required to disclose its donors, formed last summer and since then has spent more than $10 million opposing the Democratic social and climate spending bill that has been on ice for months now, targeting retirement provisions that would have helped offset the package’s cost. — The latest ad buy, which will run on Google, Facebook and YouTube in New Hampshire, Nevada and D.C., are the first phase of a six-month blitz that will blame Democratic policies for rising energy prices, according to the group. The White House has sought to push back on such accusations by pointing to the war in Ukraine. — In an interview last year, McLaughlin told PI the group was funded by “an anonymous concerned citizen,” though he later would not say whether the group had just one or multiple benefactors. In addition to its ad buys, CSLF in March pumped half a million dollars into an affiliated super PAC, the Eighteen Fifty-Four Fund, according to campaign finance reports. CRYPTO STARTS SEEING RETURN ON INVESTMENTS: “U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., called on New Yorkers to support the cryptocurrency market in a March op-ed in the New York Daily News titled, ‘A liberal case for cryptocurrency.’ … Torres failed to mention two upcoming fundraisers industry backers were throwing for him in April,” CNBC’s Brian Schwartz reports in a look at how cryptocurrency interests are wielding their ramped-up influence in Washington. — “Crypto investors Ben Horowitz, Anthony Albanese and Chris Dixon — leaders at venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz — hosted the ‘Ritchie Torres Ethereum Fundraiser’ at the swanky private nightclub Zero Bond in New York City on April 13, according to invitations viewed by CNBC. One of the invites promised ‘cocktails and conversation’ with Torres, asking donors to contribute between $500 and $5,800 to attend the event. Another invite suggested donors contribute in ether, a type of cryptocurrency that’s trading at around $2,000.” — “Not only has the industry hired more than 200 officials and staff from the White House, Congress, Federal Reserve and political campaigns, according to the Tech Transparency Project, crypto executives have contributed more than $30 million toward federal candidates and campaigns since the start of the 2020 election cycle, according to Federal Election Commission records.” — “Those investments have begun paying dividends as crypto executives landed hearings on Capitol Hill and helped to secure backing for amendments to President Joe Biden’s $1 trillion infrastructure bill, congressional aides say.”
| | | | INTRODUCING DIGITAL FUTURE DAILY - OUR TECHNOLOGY NEWSLETTER, RE-IMAGINED: Technology is always evolving, and our new tech-obsessed newsletter is too! Digital Future Daily unlocks the most important stories determining the future of technology, from Washington to Silicon Valley and innovation power centers around the world. Readers get an in-depth look at how the next wave of tech will reshape civic and political life, including activism, fundraising, lobbying and legislating. Go inside the minds of the biggest tech players, policymakers and regulators to learn how their decisions affect our lives. Don't miss out, subscribe today. | | | | | FACEBOOK’S ASTROTURF HIJINKS CONTINUE: “In early March, weeks after senators advanced a sweeping bill to expand competition in the tech industry, a regional newspaper more than 2,000 miles from Silicon Valley ran a defensive op-ed. ‘Instead of attacking these digital platforms, we need to work with these companies toward innovation and access for our businesses to survive,’ Clayton Stanley, the president and CEO of The Alliance, an economic development organization in northeastern Mississippi, wrote in the Mississippi Business Journal.” — “The ads, however, were funded not by local businesses, but by American Edge, a political advocacy group founded by a single corporation: Facebook,” according to The Washington Post’s Cat Zakrzewski and Elizabeth Dwoskin. — “Backed by millions from Facebook-parent company Meta , American Edge has launched a full-throated campaign to combat antitrust legislation in Washington, placing op-eds in regional papers throughout the country, commissioning studies, and collaborating with a surprising array of partners, including minority business associations, conservative think tanks, and former national security officials.” — “It’s a political playbook more common to other industries, including pharmaceuticals, tobacco and telecommunications. But tech companies, under heightened scrutiny from federal regulators, are seizing on these methods. (Meta also paid a GOP consulting firm to malign TikTok, The Post reported in March.)” COMPANIES LAUNCH FARM BILL LOBBYING COALITION: “A newly formed coalition is pushing to ensure that the 2023 farm bill focuses on regenerative agriculture, a practice that advocates say improves soil health, reduces harmful emissions and transforms small farms into profitable businesses,” The Hill’s Karl Evers-Hillstrom reports. — “Regenerate America, a collection of farmers, environmental groups and companies including Ben & Jerry’s, Vans and Applegate Farms , launched a campaign Tuesday urging Congress to help farmers transition to practices that restore the nation’s rapidly eroding soil. Regenerative agriculture involves a variety of tactics, including livestock integration, composting, crop rotation, cover cropping and avoiding or limiting the use of tilling and pesticides.” — “The coalition warns that U.S. farmland is losing 5.6 tons of topsoil per acre each year, degradation that it says makes for smaller and less nutritious yields and will eventually pose a threat to the nation’s food security.” — “Advocates are stressing that regenerative agriculture improves yields and reduces farmers’ input costs, which have risen dramatically over the last year. The practice limits the use of industrial fertilizer, which has seen its price spike after Russia, the world’s top fertilizer exporter, invaded Ukraine.”
| | | | A message from Freight Rail Works:   | | | | | | — Paul Redifer is now head of U.S. government relations at Zoom. He previously spent nearly two decades at Cisco, most recently as senior director of government affairs. — Nokia has promoted Grace Koh to vice president of government affairs for North America, making her head of the Washington office. Nokia also promoted Jeffrey Marks to lead the global policy team. He was previously vice president of regulatory affairs for North America. — Leslie Sowers has joined Husch Blackwell Strategies’ D.C. office as a partner in its financial services and capital markets industry group. She was most recently a partner at Weiner Brodsky Kider PC. — Urban Legend has added Bob Brennan and Andrew Behringer as managing directors and Sophia Schreiber and Imani Goodridge as creator success leads for the public affairs influencer managing firm. Behringer was most recently vice president for client solutions at GovPredict, Brennan previously managed partnerships for NPR affiliates and podcast networks, and both previously worked at Atlantic Media. Schreiber was most recently an associate at the Pew Charitable Trusts. — Lauren Kidwell will be chief impact and operating officer at CivicNation, and Kalisha Dessources Figures will be a senior fellow. Kidwell co-founded and served as managing partner at 270 Strategies and is an Obama campaign and administration alum. — Joe Marinelli has joined FTI Consulting as a director on the government affairs side. He previously served as a senior legislative aide to Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), handling budget and appropriations issues. — Ryan Fanning has been promoted to be chief of staff at DSPolitical. He most recently was senior vice president for media planning and programmatic trading at the firm. — Aída Chávez will be a political reporter at the advocacy journalism organization More Perfect Union. She currently is the Washington, D.C., reporter for The Nation, and is an Intercept alum. — Blake Goodman is now national press secretary for Building Back Together. He previously was legislative and communications director for Michigan state Rep. Mari Manoogian. — Allie Friedman is director for cyber risk and analysis at Capital One. She previously was deputy director of Treasury’s office of cybersecurity and critical infrastructure protection.
| | | | 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. | | | | | | | | Maintaining Our Majority Victory Fund (Reps. Jared Golden, Cindy Axne, Elissa Slotkin, Dan Kildee, Matt Cartwright, Tom Malinowski)
| | | James Light (Super PAC)
Michigan Action USA (Super PAC)
Missouri Stands United (Super PAC)
Ocean State Forward (Super PAC)
| | New Lobbying Registrations | | American Strategic Partners: Termiteliminator
Capital Park Partners LLC: Meld Manufacturing
Covington & Burling LLP: Ajl Advisory LLC
Ct Group Fka Ctf Global LLC: University Of Pittsburg
Gordon H. Smith: National Association Of Broadcasters
Lincoln Policy Group: Illinois Corn Growers Association
Ml Strategies, LLC: Frontrunner Healthcare
Rebellion Defense: Rebellion Defense
Urenco USa Inc.: Urenco USa Inc.
Woolpert, Inc.: Woolpert, Inc.
| | New Lobbying Terminations | | Cassidy & Associates, Inc.: Icon Recovery LLC
Cornerstone Government Affairs, Inc.: Pison Technology, Inc.
Mcdermott Will & Emery LLP: Hifu Prostate Services, LLC
| | A message from Freight Rail Works: Even as America’s freight railroads work 24/7 to keep our supply chains moving, the industry continues to take the lead on sustainability and emissions reduction. Rail moves more freight than any other method of transportation, yet only accounts for 1.9% of related greenhouse gas emissions — and our industry is working hard to get that number even lower. Every year, we continue to invest our own capital into making our equipment and infrastructure more sustainable, while teaming up with governments, universities and other experts to develop innovative ways to further reduce environmental impact. Learn how freight rail is helping the U.S. move toward a low-emission future. | | | | | | | Follow us | | | | |  |
