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Presented by the National Confectioners Association: Delivered daily, Influence gives you a comprehensive rundown and analysis of all lobby hires and news on K Street. | | | | |  | | By Hailey Fuchs and Caitlin Oprysko | | | With Daniel Lippman NEW CRYPTO GROUP, FIRST IN PI: A new 501(c)(4) has launched a nearly six-figure campaign to promote cryptocurrency and urge lawmakers to support pro-crypto policies. — Crypto Action Network , which declined to provide details about its donors, will launch digital ads on a number of websites and apps, primarily those in news, politics and technology. The ads have already begun appearing in D.C., Tennessee, Minnesota, North Carolina, Florida, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. — The group is the latest crypto advocacy organization that has popped up to influence lawmakers in Washington, as Congress scrambles to understand and regulate the emerging fintech industry. The quickly burgeoning field of crypto advocacy in D.C., meanwhile, has provided K Street a boon in new business. — Crypto Action Network has also launched a report card for lawmakers on cryptocurrency policy. Among those who received an “A” grade were Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). Gillibrand and Lummis, who has owned Bitcoin since 2013, announced their bipartisan crypto plan in June. — Two lawmakers received an F score in the Crypto Action Network’s report: Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). Warren has become an outspoken critic of the industry, railing against Russia’s potential to use cryptocurrency to evade sanctions and the environmental impact of Bitcoin mining. The Los Angeles Times called Sherman “Congress’ leading crypto skeptic.” Happy Thursday, and welcome to PI. My name is Hailey Fuchs, and I cover money and influence for Politico. I’ll be filling in for Caitlin today. Follow me on Twitter, and send me your tips at hfuchs@politico.com.
| | A message from the National Confectioners Association: America’s chocolate and candy companies are providing more choice and portion guidance options for consumers seeking to manage their sugar intake – whether that’s buying candy for family celebrations, picking up a treat to share with friends or enjoying a treat on the way out of the store. From beloved classics to new offerings like low/zero sugar and organic, the confectionery industry is meeting consumers where they want to be met. Learn more at AlwaysATreat.com. | | | ANOTHER HOUSE GOP STAFFER HEADS TO K STREET: Joe Brazauskas is heading back to the private sector to join Bracewell ’s lobbying team as a principal after more than a decade on the Hill and at EPA. Brazauskas most recently served as senior counsel for Republicans on the House Oversight Committee, and before that he was assistant EPA administrator for congressional and intergovernmental relations and an associate deputy general counsel. He’s also served in various other roles for the House Science and Oversight committees. — Brazauskas is the latest staffer with ties to House Republicans to leave the Hill, a trend that no doubt points to K Street’s thinking that Republicans are set to retake at least one chamber of Congress in November’s midterms. As PI has chronicled just this week, Kountoupes, Denham, Carr & Reid; Invariant; the Vogel Group; Farragut Partners and OnMessage Public Strategies have all recently added Republican lobbyists. SAVE AMERICA PAC FINDS ITSELF IN HOT WATER: “The Justice Department is eyeing Donald Trump’s Save America PAC, a key fundraising arm for the former president, according to a person familiar with the matter,” my colleague Betsy Woodruff Swan reports . — “A grand jury has issued subpoenas seeking information about the group, that person told POLITICO. The subpoenas were first reported by ABC News.” — “Save America is a leadership PAC that was set up shortly after President Joe Biden defeated Trump in the 2020 election. It has raised tens of millions of dollars, including in the aftermath of Trump’s defeat, during which it asked for money to support efforts to challenge those results.” TRUCK OPERATORS FLY IN: Members of the Truckload Carriers Association, which represents operators of over 220,000 trucks, will head to Washington next week to lobby lawmakers around the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act. The House Transportation Committee earlier this summer approved the bill, which would provide funding for truck parking. — TCA will host its fall business meeting and call on Washington Sept. 12-13. Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-N.J.) will be the event’s featured speaker. AG GROUPS WARN OF RAIL STRIKE: “More than 30 leading agricultural groups on Thursday urged lawmakers to avert a rail strike that would halt the transport of food and potentially cripple the U.S. economy,” The Hill’s Karl Evers-Hillstrom reports. — “Around 115,000 rail workers could strike as soon as Sept. 16 if they cannot reach a contract agreement with railroads. Many workers are eager to walk out after their dissatisfaction with contract recommendations offered by a White House-appointed panel aimed at ending years of contentious negotiations.” — “In a letter to the top lawmakers on transportation committees, agricultural groups warned that farmers rely on freight rail to transport their goods and that any kind of stoppage would likely lead to the loss of food supplies, driving up prices and exacerbating the risk of famine around the globe.”
| | | | A message from the National Confectioners Association:   | | | | | | — Eloise Eagan, Kayla Roberson, and Molly Akers join Elevate Government Affairs. Eagan, who will focus on transportation and energy efficiency issues, was recently an intern at Forbes Tate Partners. Roberson recently worked with the Texas House of Representatives, and Akers recently served as a fellow at Monument Advocacy. — Janelle Jones has joined SEIU as chief economist. She was the Labor Department's chief economist. — Meghan Dorn, previously of Argo AI, joins TechNet as federal policy manager. Emily Hickman, who was an intern for TechNet, will serve as federal policy and government relations staff assistant. — Chip Bartlett has joined the Financial Services Forum as vice president of government affairs. He was previously vice president of congressional affairs at the Consumer Bankers Association and is an Independent Community Bankers of America, French Hill and Treasury alum. — Susan Reilly is now communications director at the Association for Accessible Medicines. She was previously senior manager for communication and media relations at the Consumer Healthcare Products Association and is an AHIP and Edelman alum. — Cheryl Fish-Parcham becomes director of private coverage at Families USA. She previously served as director of access initiatives. — Natalye Paquin has been named chief operating officer of The Rockefeller Foundation. She was previously CEO of Points of Light, and she will succeed Steven VanRoekel. — Avi Sholkoff is joining ROKK Solutions as a senior account executive. Sholkoff was most recently with DCI Group. — Francis Creighton will be the next president and CEO of the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America. He’s currently president and CEO of the Consumer Data Industry Association and was previously chief of staff to Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.).
| | | | SUBSCRIBE TO POWER SWITCH: The energy landscape is profoundly transforming. Power Switch is a daily newsletter that unlocks the most important stories driving the energy sector and the political forces shaping critical decisions about your energy future, from production to storage, distribution to consumption. Don’t miss out on Power Switch, your guide to the politics of energy transformation in America and around the world. SUBSCRIBE TODAY. | | | | | NEW JOINT FUNDRAISERS Mid-Atlantic Victory Fund (Lisa Blunt, Chrissy Houlahan, Bob Hollister)
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Tomorrow's Jobs (Hybrid PAC)
| | | | HAPPENING 9/29 - POLITICO’S AI & TECH SUMMIT : Technology is constantly evolving and so are the politics and policies shaping and regulating it. Join POLITICO for the 2022 AI & Tech summit to get an insider look at the pressing policy and political issues shaping tech, and how Washington interacts with the tech sector. The summit will bring together lawmakers, federal regulators, tech executives, tech policy experts and consumer advocates to dig into the intersection of tech, politics, regulation and innovation, and identify opportunities, risks and challenges ahead. REGISTER FOR THE SUMMIT HERE. | | | | | NEW LOBBYING REGISTRATIONS The KPM Group DC LLC: Fulcrum Therapeutics, Inc.
Origin Materials Operating, Inc.: Origin Materials Operating, Inc.
Van Scoyoc Associates: EJ Water Cooperative, Inc.
Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A.: Newell Brands
Holland & Knight LLP: Inupiat Community Of The Arctic Slope
Lisa Mortier (Fka Mrs. Lisa Waltzman): Elizabeth Potter MD PLLC
Penn Hill Group: Harbor Freight Tools USA, Inc.
Holland & Knight LLP: The Spaceport Company
Robotic Research Opco, LLC: Robotic Research Opco, LLC
Oculus Strategies, LLC: City Of Ada, OK
Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough: The Federation Of Bangladesh Chambers Of Commerce And Industry
T Cap Solutions, LLC: Universal Navigation, Inc. (D/B/A Uniswap Labs)
Grassroot Institute Of Hawaii: Grassroot Institute Of Hawaii
Summit Strategies Government Affairs LLC: Pittsburgh Area Real Estate Redevelopment NEW LOBBYING TERMINATIONS Tiber Creek Group: Univision Communications Inc.
| | A message from the National Confectioners Association: In 2017, America’s leading chocolate and candy companies joined forces in a landmark agreement to help consumers manage their sugar intake. In a commitment to Partnership for a Healthier America, these companies set an ambitious goal to provide more transparency, create more portion guidance options in innovative packaging and educate consumers about how unique products like chocolate and candy can be an occasional treat in a balanced lifestyle. The companies exceeded their commitment, empowering consumers to make informed choices and driving directional alignment within the broader confectionery industry. In fact, 85% of chocolate and candy sold today comes in packaging that contains 200 calories or less per pack – whether that’s individually wrapped products or multipacks that contain smaller packages inside. Learn more at AlwaysATreat.com. | | | | | | | Follow us | | | | |  |
