Blunt lands on K Street

From: POLITICO Influence - Thursday Apr 06,2023 12:02 pm

Apr 06, 2023

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With Megan R. Wilson and Daniel Lippman

BLUNT HEADS TO HBS: Former Sen. Roy Blunt has landed on K Street. He’s launching a leadership strategies group at Husch Blackwell Strategies, the firm run by the Missouri Republican’s son Andy Blunt and his former chief of staff Gregg Hartley.

— “I’ve been giving advice for free for a long time. And generally people have been willing to take it and it worked out pretty well,” Blunt, a close ally of Republican congressional leaders including Mitch McConnell, told our Burgess Everett this week. Blunt told Burgess he “wouldn’t anticipate that I would ever register as a lobbyist, but others certainly working with us will.”

— The new practice group, which Blunt will chair, will provide advice on navigating both state and local government and will also include a pair of longtime aides to the senator: Blunt’s former chief of staff Stacy McBride, who joined HBS several weeks ago, and former deputy chief of staff Richard Eddings.

MORAN STRIKES OUT ON HIS OWN: Blunt isn’t the only former lawmaker with a new venture on K Street. Jim Moran, the former Virginia Democrat who served more than two decades in the House, has left Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough to launch his own lobby shop, Moran Global Strategies.

— In an interview earlier this week, Moran said that after nearly 40 years in politics and after working at a pair of “very fine” bigger law and lobbying firms (he was previously at McDermott Will & Emery) he’s eager to usher in and shape a new generation of policy operatives while offering younger staff more opportunities than they might otherwise be afforded at a larger firm, all while spending less on overhead.

— Moran, a senior appropriator who helped launch the centrist, business-aligned New Democrat Coalition in Congress told PI another goal for the new firm will be to “find ways to get beyond the partisanship, and to help get some needed legislation through and to move this country forward.”

— “I worry about the country, frankly, and I'd like to have some relevance in terms of helping it to work better than it currently is,” he said. “I think my generation — the baby boomer generation — has had its time,” Moran argued. “It's time for us to give back rather than just take more,” which also includes elevating younger staffers who Moran said “represent the way that the Congress should be moving — their priorities are a little different than ours, and I'd like to see this firm embrace those priorities for the future.”

— The new firm is launching with several of Moran’s former colleagues on board already, including former chief of staff Austin Durrer and Nadine Slocum, who had worked alongside Moran at Nelson Mullins, in addition to Moran’s son Patrick.

— Moran is bringing a dozen clients with him to the new firm as well, including the Qatari government, General Dynamics, Salesforce, the National Capital Arts programs, the National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees and Innovative Defense Technologies. Moran also represented the government of Bangladesh at Nelson Mullins, and said he will continue to work alongside the firm on that account.

Happy Wednesday and welcome to PI. This newsletter runs on tips, so don’t be stingy: coprysko@politico.com. And be sure to follow me on Twitter: @caitlinoprysko.

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BROIDY DETAILS ILLICIT LOBBYING SCHEME: Former Republican fundraiser Elliott Broidy detailed for the first time on Tuesday the illicit behind-the-scenes scheme to convince the Trump administration to drop an investigation into a Malaysian billionaire, a failed influence effort that landed him in prosecutors’ crosshairs several years ago, per The Washington Post’s Paul Duggan.

— Broidy, a former deputy finance chair for the RNC, pleaded guilty in 2020 to conspiring to violate FARA but was later pardoned by former President Donald Trump. He testified at the foreign lobbying, campaign finance and money laundering trial of former Fugees rapper Pras Michel that he’s continued cooperating with the government in cases against Malaysian businessman Jho Low, a fugitive accused of siphoning billions of dollars from Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund 1MDB and masterminding the illegal lobbying effort.

— “Testifying for the prosecution Tuesday in Michél’s trial, he told the jury about a labyrinthine scheme, hatched in 2017, in which he stood to collect up to $75 million from Low in return for illegally using his influence in the Trump administration to ease Low’s legal woes. Part of the convoluted plan — which Broidy said was brokered by Michél — involved urging officials to return the dissident Chinese national [Guo Wengui] to Beijing. But the efforts came to naught.”

— “Broidy expressed no clear remorse on the witness stand” as he described efforts to use intermediaries to try and convince the Justice Department to extricate itself from the 1MDB probe and his failed attempts to set up a golf outing between Trump and a former Malaysian prime minister later sent to prison for his involvement in the looting.

— He also discussed a meeting in China with Low and a Chinese official, who along with Low asked Broidy to push for Guo’s extradition from New York in exchange for the release of American detainees and a potential cybersecurity accord between the two governments.

— “Broidy said he conveyed this to various officials in Washington, including at the White House, telling then-Chief of Staff Reince Priebus that extraditing Guo would be ‘an incredible step forward’ in U.S.-China relations.”

INSURERS FILL TOP SPOTS: Fresh off a Medicare Advantage payment policy victory, America’s Health Insurance Plans, the insurance industry’s main trade association, is bringing on two executives crucial to ensuring the group continues to score policy wins, Megan reports.

— Sohini Gupta, who comes from air ambulance company Global Medical Response, starts today as its executive vice president of government affairs and innovations, helming AHIP’s advocacy on the state and federal levels.

— The trade group also hired former Meta exec Robert Traynham, who started earlier this week, to lead the association’s messaging and communications work as executive vice president for public affairs and strategic initiatives. The hires replace the positions previously held by Liz Goodman and David Merritt, respectively.

— AHIP CEO Matt Eyles told Megan he looks forward to capitalizing on the group’s lobbying victories and where it’s taking its advocacy with the new additions. The trade group has been beefing up its policy and advocacy teams over the last several months, including hiring Sean Dickson to handle its pharmaceutical policy and strategy in March.

— Insurers are juggling proposals to change prior authorization processes, prioritizing behavioral health policies and provider shortages alongside a push from policymakers on mental health parity, all while working to ease the negative impacts on coverage that Medicaid redetermination could have on insurance coverage in the states, and pushing lawmakers to expand site-neutral payment policies that may lower costs for patients.

— Traynham’s resume includes communications work at Meta, the Bipartisan Policy Center, Comcast and Walmart, in addition to providing on-camera political analysis for major news organizations — something Eyles says gives AHIP the opportunity to broadcast its message to a wider audience.

— In addition to understanding the political landscape, Eyles said, Traynham is able to see “where the world is headed in terms of how we need to think about communicating with all different audiences.”

IF YOU MISSED IT TUESDAY: “Last summer, a letter from civil rights groups urged then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to bring a bill on online privacy to a vote. It was easy to miss: Dozens of missives like it whip around Capitol Hill every day and Pelosi never did as the advocates hoped,” Ben Brody writes for the Daily Dot.

— “But the note was one of the first signals that a powerful and venerable constituency for lawmakers—especially Democrats—would throw its weight behind the push to remake the digital privacy landscape. It was also an unmistakable notice to less-than-committed allies of the bill—who were grumbling about its compromises—that the civil rights community intended to keep its focus on reining in technology companies.”

— “In the new Congress, civil rights groups like the Leadership Conference want to use a heavyweight coalition—which includes the NAACP and the National Organization for Women—to ensure Congress takes on Big Tech. The push could prove potent, spurring both Republicans and Democrats to pass a rare law they can agree on.”

Jobs Report

SPOTTED at an Asian American Pacific Islander Lobbyists Association professional development event held on the rooftop at Nelson Mullins, per a tipster: Grace Koh of Nokia, Saif Inam of Capital One, Zach Sentementes of PhRMA, Catalina Tam of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s office, Lauri Ng and Veer Shah of Mindset Advocacy, Neal Patel and Deborah Rowe of Alpine Group, Linda Pham of Expedia Group, Doug Calidas of the Complete Agency and Craig Metz, Connie Myers and Alexandria Tracy of Nelson Mullins.

— Charles Ricciardelli has been named a partner in Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom’s political law group. He was previously counsel in the group.

— Donald Walker is joining the Raben Group as COO. He previously was COO for DC Green Bank.

— Rich Buckley is now a managing director at Rational 360. He previously was chief corporate affairs officer at EQRx.

— Mercury Public Affairs has promoted Ashley Bauman to managing director and Scott Pollenz and Michael Womack to vice presidents. Bauman was previously a senior vice president and Pollenz was previously senior director.

— Gregory Willis has joined Phoenix Strategies as senior director and counsel. He’s the founder of Bridgestage Capital and is a Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.) and USTelecom alum.

— Kevin Curley has joined Boundary Stone Partners as a senior adviser for energy and climate finance. He was most recently a director in the Office of Structured Finance at the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation.

— Lynn Davidson is joining APCO Worldwide as senior director. Davidson was most recently spokesperson for COP26 President Alok Sharma.

— Strategic Marketing Innovations has promoted Samm Gillard to vice president and Aarzu Maknojia to director. Gillard was previously a director at the firm and Maknojia was previously an associate.

— Holland & Knight has added Daniel Ritter and Paul Stimers as partners and Dennis Potter as a senior policy adviser to its public policy and regulation group. Ritter and Stimers were most recently partners at K&L Gates and Potter was most recently a government affairs counselor at K&L Gates.

— Chris Hayes is now the head of U.S. government relations at Sorare, a Web3 sports entertainment company. He was previously the head of government relations at Celo Foundation and senior policy counsel at the Institutional Limited Partners Association.

— Bishop Garrison has joined the Intelligence and National Security Alliance as vice president for policy. He previously served as vice president for government affairs and public policy at Paravision and is a Pentagon alum.

— Michelle Lane is now staff director for the House Natural Resources Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee GOP. She previously was vice president of government relations at the National Park Foundation.

— Bryan Shuy is now senior vice president at the Conafay Group. He previously was chief of staff for Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.), and is a Trump HHS and Nancy Jacobs alum.

— Rachel Portman is now a policy adviser at DLA Piper. She previously was deputy health policy director for the Senate HELP Committee for former Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.).

— Jon Decker is now president of Viante and will be overseeing its transition from a state think tank to a national policy organization. He previously was executive director at the Committee to Unleash Prosperity.

— Cesar Toledo will be deputy director of Democrats for Education Reform D.C. He previously was political director for the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund.

New Joint Fundraisers

All in CT (Rep. Jim Himes, Jobs and Innovation Matter PAC (JIM PAC), Connecticut Democratic State Central Committee)
NM Leadership 2024 (PAC A PUNCH, AHORA PAC, GRIT & HEART PAC)
Senate PA & NV (Sens. Jacky Rosen, Bob Casey)

New PACs

A More JUst America Super PAC (Super PAC)
LMI Consulting Political Action Committee (PAC)
MAGA to the MOON Super PAC (Super PAC)
Path To Freedom PAC (Super PAC)
Real Leadership for Colorado (Super PAC)
STANDARDBREAD BREEDERS ASSOCIATION OF PA (PAC)
StopGavinNewsom.com (Super PAC)
WIN PA (Super PAC)

New Lobbying REGISTRATIONS

Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP: Community Service Society Of New York
Ballard Partners: Mcdermott+ Consulting (On Behalf Of The American Academy Of Ophthalmology)
Ballard Partners: Savantage Solutions, Inc.
Ballard Partners: Superior Optical Labs, Inc.
Cornerstone Government Affairs, Inc.: Palantir
Kiana Moore: American Statistical Association
Mercury Public Affairs, LLC: Municipal Housing Authority For The City Yonkers
National Automatic Merchandising Association: Elite Catering And Event Professionals
Perry, White, Ross & Jacobson, LLC: Wrap
Perry, White, Ross & Jacobson, LLC: York Building Products
Rio Tinto Services, Inc.: Rio Tinto Services, Inc.
Stanton Park Group: Angels For Change
Strategies 360: Kona Community Health
The Campbell Consulting Group: Afl Telecommunications LLC
The Russell Group, Inc.: National Thoroughbred Racing Association

New Lobbying Terminations

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld: Terrascale
Capitol Core Group, Inc.: City Of Perris, California
Fennemore Craig: California And Nevada Credit Union Leagues
Jeff Miller Group: Mcdermott+ Consulting LLC On Behalf Of Abbott Diabetes Care
Lucy Calautti: Children'S Hospital Association
National Park Foundation: National Park Foundation
O'Brien, Gentry & Scott, LLC: International Test Pilots School (Itps)
Red Maple Consulting, LLC: Solara Holdings
Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, Inc.: Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, Inc.
Society For Corporate Governance: Society For Corporate Governance
Tg&C Group: E Receivables

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