MIAMI MAYOR GETS COZY WITH RIYADH: “As Saudi Arabia sought to rehabilitate its image after decades of bad-for-business headlines about 9/11 hijackers, alleged police torture, public beheadings and the gruesome murder of a Washington Post journalist, the regime turned to an unlikely ally for PR and networking assistance,” the Miami Herald’s Sarah Blaskey, Tess Riski, Joey Flechas and Susan Merriam report: Miami Mayor Francis Suarez.
— At a summit in Miami Beach in March with the head of the Saudi sovereign wealth fund, and “using his public office, including the city seal, Suarez gave the Saudi regime what it wanted: a public relations boost at a time when it was seeking to spread its influence around the globe and brand itself ‘a force for good.’ As a bonus, he was also able to significantly benefit a major client of the international law firm that pays him more than $1 million a year,” Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan. — “Internal communications and planning documents obtained as part of the Miami Herald’s investigation into Miami City Hall show the extent to which Suarez put himself and his public office at the service of the Saudis.” — “He was provided a lengthy roster of tycoons and celebrities that the Saudis wanted invited — ranging from Marc Anthony to Shakira — as well as a list of which sessions the mayor needed to attend, when he should show up and what talking points he should follow. Although it wasn’t obvious from glossy advertisements … the Florida summit was part of Saudi Arabia’s subtle, multifaceted campaign, to use the investment power of its oil-soaked sovereign wealth fund to diversify and grow its economy, buff over the regime’s bloody reputation and recast the nation as a leader in sustainability, innovation and progress.” — “Now, the Miami summit is caught up in an ongoing congressional investigation into how Saudi Arabia has bought its way into popular U.S. institutions and used them to reshape the public narrative in the United States.”
FIRST IN PI: Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), who has been criticized by Democrats for her ties to and help for Wall Street, accepted a $750 donation from an Arizona man months after he pled guilty to a felony charge of stock manipulation, specifically selling unregistered securities, Daniel reports.
— Ira Gaines was sentenced to 60 months probation in June for the crime and paid almost $100,000 in restitution to the victims of the scheme in addition to a $10,000 fine. He donated the $750 on Sept. 15. A spokesperson for Sinema didn't respond to requests for comment or whether she would return the funds. Gaines also didn't respond to a request for comment. WARREN’S LATEST CRYPTO CRUSADE: “Sen. Elizabeth Warren has a new target as she takes on the cryptocurrency industry: Its growing army of former defense, national security and law enforcement officials,” our Zach Warmbrodt reports. — “The Massachusetts Democrat sent letters to Coinbase, the largest U.S. crypto exchange, as well as the Blockchain Association and Coin Center, two leading industry groups, demanding details on their employment of the former officials,” which she described as an “abuse of the revolving door” designed to give the industry “a veneer of legitimacy while fighting tooth and nail to stonewall common sense rules designed to restrict the use of crypto for terror financing — rules that could cut into crypto company profits.” — “Warren cited POLITICO reporting that outlined how the crypto lobby has been flexing its association with the experts as it faces growing scrutiny for the role digital assets play in facilitating financial crime, including funding the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks in Israel.” — “Warren’s letters identified Coinbase’s recruitment of one-time Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Bush counterterrorism adviser Frances Townsend, as well as retired Republican Sen. Pat Toomey and former Democratic Reps. Tim Ryan and Sean Patrick Maloney, who is nominated to serve as the U.S. representative to the OECD.” — “They serve on Coinbase’s Global Advisory Council. She also noted a recent Blockchain Association letter to Capitol Hill signed by 40 former military officials, ex-intelligence officers and national security professionals, who downplayed illicit activity in crypto and argued against policies that would drive digital asset players overseas.” IF YOU MISSED IT MONDAY: “A watchdog group that has already filed several complaints against Gov. Ron DeSantis is now alleging that the Florida Republican and a super PAC aiding his presidential bid violated federal campaign finance laws,” our Gary Fineout reports. — “DeSantis’ reliance on Never Back Down, which was set up with an infusion of more than $80 million transferred from a committee that once was raising money for the governor’s 2022 reelection campaign, has already generated a lot of questions and scrutiny.” — Now, campaign finance watchdog Campaign Legal Center “wants federal election regulators to look at whether Never Back Down, which has been in turmoil lately amid a rash of firings and departures of top staff, including top strategist Jeff Roe, worked hand-in-hand with the DeSantis campaign despite federal laws that prohibit coordination between the two.” — “When a super PAC like Never Back Down illegally coordinates its election spending with a candidate’s campaign, the super PAC effectively becomes an arm of the campaign,” Saurav Ghosh, director of federal campaign finance reform at Campaign Legal Center said in a statement. “That circumvents federal contribution limits and reporting requirements, and gives the super PAC’s special interest backers, including corporations and ultra-wealthy individuals, a concerning level of influence over elected officials and policymaking — undermining voters’ right to a meaningful and equitable role in the democratic process.” — DeSantis spokesperson Andrew Romeo called the complaint “baseless,” while Never Back Down Chair Scott Wagner maintained that the super PAC is fully complying with the law. SPOTTED last night at a holiday party for Democratic fundraising group Electing a Democratic Generation hosted at the offices of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, per a tipster: Rachel Miller of Sen. Mark Kelly’s (D-Ariz.) office, Justin German of Rep. Haley Stevens’ (D-Mich.) office, Matt Lee of Rep. Deborah Ross’ (D-N.C.) office, Jason Ortega of the National Wooden Pallet & Container Association, Katie Phillips of Federal Hall Policy Advisors, Colton Hotary of LG, Dave Korkoian of FedEx, Colin Craib of UBS, Sterling Wiggins of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Mike Giblin of the American Medical Association, David Reid and Zach Marshall of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, Bobby Cunningham of the Vogel Group and Lane Coberly, Paul Nemetz and Channing Lee Foster of Invariant | 
