Japan hires Ballard amid embrace from DeSantis

From: POLITICO Influence - Tuesday Apr 18,2023 11:00 pm

Apr 18, 2023

Presented by

With help from Megan R. Wilson and Daniel Lippman

JAPAN HIRES FORMER DESANTIS AIDES AHEAD OF POSSIBLE TRIP: The Japanese government has brought on a team of lobbyists from Florida-based Ballard Partners that have close ties to Gov. Ron DeSantis ahead of a potential Tokyo trip by the governor in the coming weeks.

— The firm began working for the Japanese Embassy earlier this month, according to a copy of the contract filed with the Justice Department over the weekend, and will lobby for improved bilateral relations both in Washington and in statehouses like Florida’s, where the firm will help promote stronger economic ties between Tallahassee and Tokyo, partner Justin Sayfie told PI.

— Former DeSantis chief of staff Adrian Lukis and deputy chief of staff Courtney Coppola will work on the account for Ballard in addition to DeSantis’ old head of the state Department of Economic Opportunity Dane Eagle, Brian Ballard, Jose Diaz and Sylvester Lukis.

— The $25,000-per-month contract, which lasts through June, comes as DeSantis inches closer to a White House bid. Japanese media outlets reported earlier this month that DeSantis, who one noted “has limited diplomatic experience,” is planning to lead a Florida business delegation to Japan as soon as this month as part of a swing that would also include Israel and possibly South Korea.

— DeSantis previously expressed interest in strengthening ties with Japan. He welcomed Japanese diplomats to the Sunshine State last year as part of the Southeastern United States–Japan Conference, where he praised the country as a bulwark against China in the region and framed his state as a prime destination for greater economic investment and tourism.

— Tokyo, meanwhile, already has a deep bench of K Street firms on its payroll — the Washington embassy alone retains more than a dozen lobbying shops including Hogan Lovells, Holland & Knight, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, S-3 Group, Daschle Group, Forbes Tate, Ogilvy Group and Tiber Creek Group.

Good afternoon and welcome to PI. What will your final Netflix DVD be? Send K Street tips and movie recs: coprysko@politico.com. And be sure to follow me on Twitter: @caitlinoprysko.

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ANNALS OF FUNDRAISING: George Santos may officially be running for reelection but the embattled congressmember, under fire for fabricating portions of his resume, doesn’t appear likely to get much financial help from his party, if a new fundraising vehicle is any indicator.

— Santos’ seat is one of Democrats’ top targets in next year’s elections, but the freshman lawmaker is a notable omission from Protect the House New York 2024, a joint fundraising committee formed to corral money for vulnerable House Republicans in the state, your host reports.

— The committee includes both House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s campaign committee and his leadership PAC, as well as the NRCC and New York State Republicans’ federal PAC. It will raise money for New York Reps. Mike Lawler, Brandon Williams, Marc Molinaro, Anthony D’Esposito, Andrew Garbarino, Nick LaLota — all of whom are in swing seats — according to organization paperwork filed Monday with the FEC.

— McCarthy’s involvement in the effort means that the lawmakers, whose unexpected strength in last year’s midterms helped propel Republicans to take over the House, will be able to tap into the speaker’s fundraising prowess as they try to defend their majority.

— The fundraising push comes at a time when Santos could clearly use the help: He reported raising just $5,333.26 last quarter, meaning that after handing out more than $8,000 in refunds he is starting a defiant reelection bid in the red.

— But several participants in the joint fundraising committee have called for the resignation of Santos, who faces an ethics investigation, though McCarthy has declined to do the same. McCarthy hasn’t exactly rushed to Santos’ defense as of late. Asked Monday whether he would support Santos’ reelection campaign, the speaker reportedly responded with a laugh and said he would “wait and see” who else jumped in the race.

— Protect the House New York is the latest joint fundraising vehicle for endangered GOP incumbents from the state to leave out scandal-ridden Santos. The NRCC helped launch a joint fundraising committee in February called New York Majority Makers, which includes nearly every Republican representing Long Island except Santos.

INDUSTRY MOBILIZES TO SAVE SOLAR TARIFF PAUSE: More than 400 companies involved in the U.S. solar supply chain are imploring Congress not to scrap the Biden administration’s two-year pause on new tariffs against solar equipment from four Southeast Asian countries.

— The House Energy and Commerce Committee is set to mark up a bipartisan resolution tomorrow that would unwind the moratorium using the Congressional Review Act, which requires a simple majority vote in both chambers of Congress. The long-running trade dispute, which has roiled the solar industry for months, stems from a Biden administration investigation into whether Chinese companies were skirting existing tariffs by routing solar products through Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.

— But a letter to congressional leaders on Monday organized by the industry trade group Solar Energy Industries Association warned that solar companies could be hit with as much as $1 billion in retroactive tariffs if the moratorium was repealed. Those costs would be “severely damaging” to the industry, the letter argues, and imperil advancements made possible by Democrats’ climate and social spending bill.

— “Penalizing companies for following these instructions undermines the stable and predictable business environment needed for our industry to continue to grow,” the companies wrote. SEIA is also circulating a one-sheeter highlighting the group’s contention that repealing the tariff moratorium would put more than 30,000 jobs at risk.

FLYING IN: Fly-in season continues apace this week as more trade groups mark their return to the time-honored tradition after a pandemic-induced pause. The Outdoor Industry Association kicked off a two-day fly-in today, its first since before the pandemic.

— Industry leaders will meet with administration officials and lawmakers including Sens. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Reps. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) and Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) to talk trade issues and push for passage of legislation to boost outdoor recreation.

— NGVAmerica, which represents the natural gas vehicle industry, is also in town for a fly-in today and tomorrow. Members representing companies like UPS, Waste Management, Clean Energy and Shell will lobby for a renewable natural gas tax credit and are set to meet with House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) and Reps. Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.), August Pfluger (R-Texas), Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.), Blake Moore (R-Utah), Garbarino, Molinaro and others.

— Leaders, staff and program participants from Goodwill Industries International will be on the Hill tomorrow to call for reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and urge members to preserve funding for workforce development and job training programs while expanding incentives for charitable giving.

— FMI, The Food Industry Association, meanwhile, is bringing dozens of executives from food retailers, wholesalers, and product supplier companies to cover a range of topics with lawmakers, including the upcoming farm bill, food safety rules, credit card swipe fees and pharmacy benefits manager reforms. Executives are slated to meet with members of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees as well as Senate Finance Committee members, among others.

GOING NATIONAL: Better Solutions for Healthcare, a business coalition that’s so far been focused on individual states, is establishing a national footprint as it urges Congress to take aim at the hospital industry’s role in rising health care costs, Megan reports.

— As part of the launch in Washington, it’s adding high-powered employer and insurer groups, including the American Benefits Council, the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and America’s Health Insurance Plans.

— The coalition will push policymakers to look at increasing consolidation among hospitals, crack down on violators of hospital price transparency rules and enact site-neutral payment and honest billing practices, all of which industry critics say have contributed to rising health care costs — blame hospitals rebuff.

KNOWING SUSIE WILES: Susie Wiles, the longtime Republican strategist and former lobbyist who’s been credited with helping engineer the Florida political careers of both former President Donald Trump and DeSantis, got the New York Times profile treatment, thanks to her public split with DeSantis and her ever expanding role helping Trump try to take him down.

— Wiles previously spent years with Ballard Partners departing the firm around the same time as her feud with DeSantis. Now, she’s “perhaps the most significant voice inside Mr. Trump’s third presidential campaign,” Matt Flegenheimer, Maggie Haberman and Michael Bender write.

— “The attention-shunning Ms. Wiles has worked to send three Republicans to the White House and two to rule Tallahassee over a four-decade career. A key strength, friends say, is negotiating the egos of swaggering Republican men whom she can come to understand almost viscerally. And she and the rampaging former president suddenly have more in common: They both helped make Ron DeSantis. They would both like to unmake him.”

Jobs Report

— Eric Bohl has joined the Bockorny Group as a principal and head of the agriculture practice. He was most recently director of public affairs and advocacy for the Missouri Farm Bureau and is a Jason Smith (R-Mo.) and Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.) alum.

— Jessica Graham is now a senior vice president at Strategic Elements. She previously ran her own public affairs and communications consultancy, JGAdvocacy.

— Brett Scott has joined Dentons Global Advisors as an associate partner on the government relations team. He most recently served as vice president of government affairs at the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association and is a Department of Transportation alum.

— Beau Rothschild is joining Chamber Hill Strategies as a principal. He was most recently with Populus Financial Group and is a House GOP alum.

— Janet Nice has joined Chartwell Strategy Group as director. She was most recently a legislative assistant to Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Ill.) and is a Pat Toomey alum.

— Erin M. Callahan is now chief operating officer for the Diabetes Leadership Council and the Diabetes Patient Advocacy Coalition. She was previously the communications director for both organizations.

— Michelle Lipkowitz has been named managing member of the Washington office of Mintz.

— Juan Pachón is now the vice president of communications for FWD.us. He recently stepped down as the top spokesperson for Senate Foreign Relations Committee Democrats, working for 12-plus years as an aide to Chair Bob Menendez (D-N.J.).

— AKPD Message and Media has relaunched as Thematic Campaigns, adding Whitney Larsen and Tyler Law as partners. Larsen previously was national political director for recruitment at the DCCC; Law previously was an AKPD principal and is a DCCC and Ro Khanna alum.

— Harris Walker is now director of government affairs for North America and Europe, Middle East and Africa at Livent. He most recently was senior adviser for strategic engagement at DOE’s National Nuclear Security Administration.

— Lindsay Ratliff is now vice president of government relations at Rolls-Royce. She previously was legislative director for Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.).

— Adam Segal is joining the State Department’s Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy to lead the development of an international cyber and digital policy strategy. Segal was formerly the Ira A. Lipman Chair in Emerging Technologies and National Security and director of the Digital and Cyberspace Policy Program at the Council on Foreign Relations.

— Omar Samji has joined Weil, Gotshal & Manges as partner in the corporate department, focused on the clean energy sector. He previously was partner and head of the energy innovation team at Shearman & Sterling.

— Cedric Watkins and Will McBride have joined Public Knowledge as government affairs policy advocate and digital content manager, respectively.

— T.C. Williams has joined Textron as executive director of legislative affairs. He was previously a staffer on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

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New Joint Fundraisers

Empire State Victory Fund (Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, New York State Democratic Committee)

Protect the House New York 2024 (Reps. Kevin McCarthy, Mike Lawler, Brandon Williams, Marc Molinaro, Anthony D’Esposito, Andrew Garbarino, Nick LaLota, Nicole Malliotakis, NRCC, NY Republican Federal Campaign Committee, Majority Committee PAC--MC PAC)

Senate OH & MT (Sens. Sherrod Brown, Jon Tester)

New PACs

DMO PAC (Hybrid PAC)
Integrated Sustainability Alliance (Super PAC)

A message from the Association of American Railroads:

New Lobbying REGISTRATIONS

2359 Strategies: The Fibroid Foundation
Actum I, LLC: American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Inc.
Actum I, LLC: Chargebacks911
Actum I, LLC: Child Care For Every Family Network
Actum I, LLC: National Consumer League
Actum I, LLC: National Diaper Bank Network
Actum I, LLC: National Education Association
Actum I, LLC: National Womens Law Center
Actum I, LLC: Network For Public Education Action
Actum I, LLC: Parents Anonymous
Actum I, LLC: Zero To Three
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld: Lg Electronics USa Inc.
Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP: J&F Investimentos Sa
Atlantic Strategies Group: Addman Engineering
Atlantic Strategies Group: Bombardier Aerospace Corporation
Best Best & Krieger LLP: Jurupa Community Services District
Bramer Group LLC: D&D Machinery & Sales Inc.
Capitol City Group, Ltd.: Selo Investments, LLC
Capitol Counsel LLC: Puerto Rico Fiscal Agency And Financial Advisory Authority (Aafaf)
Capitol Counsel LLC: Transunion LLC
Cornerstone Government Affairs, Inc.: Energy Capital Vietnam
Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies: Book Hill Partners LLC On Behalf Of National Structured Settlements Trade Assoc
Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies: Coalition Of Ignition Interlock Manufacturers
Drummond Woodsum Strategic Consulting LLC: Holland & Knight On Behalf Of Astranis
Drummond Woodsum Strategic Consulting LLC: Holland & Knight On Behalf Of Boston Metal
Drummond Woodsum Strategic Consulting LLC: Holland & Knight On Behalf Of U.S. Global Leadership Coalition
Elevate Government Affairs, LLC: Gonzaga University
Federal Health Policy Strategies: Humacyte
Fierce Government Relations: Senate Of Puerto Rico
Grayrobinson Pa: America’s Newspapers
Grayrobinson Pa: Celtic Bank Corporation
Grayrobinson Pa: Consumer First Coalition
Greenberg Traurig, LLP: Guidepoint Systems
Greenberg Traurig, LLP: Neste US, Inc.
Hartwell Capitol Consulting: Jackson County Kansas
Hogan Lovells US LLP: Argentem Creek Partners Lp
Hollier & Associates: Tim James, Inc, Red River Express
King & Spalding LLP: Acadia Healthcare
Langley Consulting, LLC: Agricap Group, LLC
Lavender Consultants: The Livingston Group, LLC On Behalf Of Health Supply US
Liberty Partners Group, LLC: Rc Billing (Americans For Fair Healthcare)
Linda Maynor, Inc.: People Tec
Linda Maynor, Inc.: Torch Technologies, Inc.
Lne Group: Cheshire Medical Center
Lne Group: Nextstep Atlanta
Lot Sixteen LLC: Ambler Metals LLC
Mayer Brown LLP: Fanduel
Mcallister & Quinn, LLC: Lasell University
Mcallister & Quinn, LLC: Lincoln Therapeutics
Mcallister & Quinn, LLC: Recovery Resource Council
Mcguirewoods Consulting (A Subsidiary Of Mcguirewoods LLP): Apex Management Solutions, LLC (On Behalf Of Apex Health, Inc.)
Michael Best Strategies LLC: Biofiltro US, Inc.
New Front Strategies Group, LLC: Aeroclave, LLC
Ocal Lobbying Group: Soho Holding, LLC
Ocal Lobbying Group: Vn Maritime Aydintepe Mah.Sahil
Origin Advocacy LLC: Anheuser-Busch Companies, LLC
Polsinelli Pc: Alliance For Longevity Initiatives
Sc Partners LLC: Electric Hydrogen Co.
Strategic Marketing Innovations: Artesion
Strategic Marketing Innovations: Expansia Group
Strategic Marketing Innovations: Orbital Composites
Strategic Marketing Innovations: Relativity Sapce
The Cjr Group, Inc.: Unison Health
The Doerrer Group LLC: Textron Inc
The Kpm Group Dc LLC: Gensight Biologics S.A.
The Sheridan Group: Luminate
United Strategies & Consulting LLC: Mercy Flights Inc
Upstream USa: Upstream USa
Village Practice Management Holding Company, LLC: Village Practice Management Holding Company, LLC
Waxman Strategies: Health Effects Institute
W&E Networks LLC: Bishop House Publishing, LLC
Woodwell Climate Research Center: Woodwell Climate Research Center

New Lobbying Terminations

Alpine Group Partners, LLC.: Renewable Energy Group, Inc.
American Defense International, Inc.: Agilis Management, Inc.
Barker Leavitt, Pllc (Ska Mr. James C. Barker): Knowmadics, Inc
Bramer Group LLC: Cenikor Foundation
Bramer Group LLC: Westcare Foundation
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP: America’s Newspapers
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP: Apex Clean Energy, Inc.
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP: Avalara
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP: Avis Budget Car Rental, LLC
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP: Self Check Corp.
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP: The Orthoforum
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP: U.S. Chamber Of Commerce
Broydrick & Associates: Kenosha County
Broydrick & Associates: Tessara (Pty) Ltd.
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP: Ultra Defense Corp
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
B+S Strategies: Bnsf Railway Company
Cavarocchi Ruscio Dennis Associates, L.L.C.: Cognitive Care Alliance
Cavarocchi Ruscio Dennis Associates, L.L.C.: Sage Publications, Inc.
Clark Hill, Plc: Association Of Universities For Research In Astronomy, Inc.
Clark Hill, Plc: Board Of Regents Of The University Of Oklahoma
Clark Hill, Plc: City Of Baltimore
Clark Hill, Plc: Earth Networks
Clark Hill, Plc: Kbr, Inc. F/K/A Sgt, Inc.
Clark Hill, Plc: Southeastern Universities Research Association, Inc.
Clark Hill, Plc: Southwest Research Institute
Clark Hill, Plc: Synoptic Data - F/K/A Weatherflow Inc
Clark Hill, Plc: The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory LLC
Clark Hill, Plc: University Of California, San Francisco
Clark Hill, Plc: University Of Connecticut
Clark Hill, Plc: University Of Pennsylvania Perelman School Of Medicine
Clark Hill, Plc: Wayne County, Michigan
Clyburn Consulting, LLC: Biogen
Covington & Burling LLP: Greenwich Biosciences, Inc.
Covington & Burling LLP: Psiquantum
Dentons Global Advisors Government Relations LLC: Climateview Ab
Dinino Associates, LLC: Cornerstone Government Affairs Obo American Pharmaceutical Services, Inc.
Drummond Woodsum Strategic Consulting LLC: K & L Gates, LLP On Behalf Of Ecotech Recycling
Drummond Woodsum Strategic Consulting LLC: K & L Gates, LLP On Behalf Of Trucklabs, Inc.
Drummond Woodsum Strategic Consulting LLC: K & L Gates, LLP On Behalf Of Witricity
Drummond Woodsum Strategic Consulting LLC: Wireless Partners, LLC
Edenred North America Inc.: Edenred North America Inc.
Fgs Global (US) LLC (Fka Fgh Holdings LLC): Land O’Lakes, Inc
Fgs Global (US) LLC (Fka Fgh Holdings LLC): Pearson Education, Inc./ Ncs Pearson Inc.
Focus Dc LLC: Fora On Behalf Of Social Finance, Inc. (Sofi)
Forbes-Tate: Ceo Climate Dialogue
Forbes-Tate: Klarna Inc
Forbes-Tate: Oracle
Fulcrum Public Affairs LLC: In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda
Fulcrum Public Affairs LLC: Solar Mosaic Inc.
Fulcrum Public Affairs LLC: Tesla, Inc.
Galileo Consulting Group, Inc.: Neuros Medical, Inc.
Gm Strategies: National Coordinating Committee For Multiemployer Plans (Nccmp)
Highland Strategies, LLC: Self Check Corp.
Ipolicy Solutions: Sema4 (Formerly Known As Mount Sinai Genomics, Inc. (D/B/A Sema4))
King & Spalding LLP: Association Of Claims Professionals (Formerly Aaicp)
King & Spalding LLP: Ge Healthcare Pharmaceutical Diagnostics
K&L Gates, LLP: Cigar Rights Of America
K&L Gates, LLP: Clark Street Associates On Behalf Of Biomason Inc.
K&L Gates, LLP: Clark Street Associates On Behalf Of Boston Electrometallurgical Corp.
K&L Gates, LLP: Clark Street Associates On Behalf Of Kepler Computing, Inc.
K&L Gates, LLP: Clark Street Associates On Behalf Of Lattice Semiconductor
K&L Gates, LLP: Clark Street Associates On Behalf Of Rambus
K&L Gates, LLP: Clark Street Associates On Behalf Of USa Rare Earth, LLC
K&L Gates, LLP: Clark Street Associates On Behalf Of Witricity
K&L Gates, LLP: Cyanco International
K&L Gates, LLP: Just Greens LLC
K&L Gates, LLP: Pear Therapeutics, Inc.
K&L Gates, LLP: Quantum Industry Coalition
Klink Campaigns, Inc: Pharmaceutical Research And Manufacturers Of America (Phrma)
Klink Campaigns, Inc: We Work For Health
Lewis-Burke Associates, LLC: Bossier Parish Police Jury
Lincoln Park Group L.L.C.: K&L Gates LLP On Behalf Of Cyanco International
Maynor LLC: People-Tec
Maynor LLC: Torch Technologies, Inc.
Mcallister & Quinn, LLC: Association Of Surgical Technologists
Mcdermott+Consulting LLC: Agilon Health
Mcdermott+Consulting LLC: Caravan Health
Mcdermott+Consulting LLC: Outset Medical
Mcdermott+Consulting LLC: Value Based Care Coalition
Mercury Public Affairs, LLC: Hill International
Mercury Public Affairs, LLC: Telam Partners, S.L.P
Mercury Public Affairs, LLC: Yury Makarychev Obo Vadim Ivanov
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP: National Association Of Wholesaler-Distributors
Smith Dawson & Andrews: San Mateo County Sherriff’s Office
Squire Patton Boggs: Cuyahoga County
The Liaison Group, LLC: California Cannabis Industry Association
The Sheridan Group: Aging In Place

A message from the Association of American Railroads:

For decades, America’s freight railroads have gone above and beyond federal safety requirements to ensure we remain the safest way to move goods over land. This includes using advanced technology to inspect and assess our network, helping us ensure our infrastructure and equipment remain sound. Despite these efforts, recent incidents have shown that there is more work to do, and we will take the lessons learned to get safer each day.

Proactive, transparent and collaborative measures with communities and policymakers are key. That’s why we’re installing an additional 1,000 hot bearing detectors, providing even better training and support for first responders, and improving collaboration across rail companies so we can make informed decisions based on shared data. These broad industry-wide steps are only the first of many we’re taking to make the rail network even safer. Read more about our commitment to the communities we serve.