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Presented by Walmart: Delivered daily, Influence gives you a comprehensive rundown and analysis of all lobby hires and news on K Street. | | | | |  | | By Caitlin Oprysko | Presented by Walmart | NEW YEAR, NEW ME: Several longtime players in the influence community have a new look this year, including Capitol Counsel, which is teaming up with the boutique judiciary and privacy-focused firm Salinas & Scism. Salinas & Scism’s Norberto Salinas and Jason Scism will become partners at Capitol Counsel and co-chair a new judiciary practice — which comes as issues under the judiciary purview, like antitrust, are having a moment in Washington, to say the least. Salinas and Scism will also bring all of their clients to the new firm. — Meanwhile Subject Matter and Kivvit, which merged last year to become Subject Matter+Kivvit, have rebranded as Avōq. The name (pronounced “uh-VOKE”) “speaks to the new company’s position as a national advocacy and communications firm that creatively shapes narratives, manages brand reputation and engages audiences,” the firm said in an announcement. — Nicole Cornish will be Avōq’s chief executive, while Molly Scherrman will serve as COO, Dave Metzger will serve as CFO and Steve Elmendorf, Paul Frick, Jimmy Ryan, Dan Sallick and Eric Sedler will be managing partners. — The new firm is also elevating 14 others to partner: Stacey Alexander, Whit Askew, Joy Burks, Maura Farrell, Cedric Grant, Sarah Hamilton, Kent Holland, Barry LaSala, Sophie McCarthy, Tom Meara, Dianne Mikeska, Kevin Richards, John Siniff and Adam Steinberger. — The Managed Funds Association, which represents the hedge fund and alternative asset management industry, unveiled a new look today that includes shortening its name to just MFA. The trade group also got a new logo and tagline, which MFA President and CEO Bryan Corbett told PI is a reflection of the growth of the alternative asset market and of MFA itself over the past few years, which he said added around three dozen new members in 2023 alone and opened up its first offices overseas. — “We've really changed our advocacy tactics to be much more proactive and forward-leaning,” he said, and “broadened the strategy that we cover as an association. So we just felt like it was time to really refresh our brand.” — The industry has faced more scrutiny as financial regulators have begun to look more closely at nonbank financial players like asset managers, and MFA last year sued a U.S. regulator, the SEC, for the first time in its history. “We're not going and looking for policy battles, but we're certainly engaging where we find them,” said Corbett. Happy Wednesday, and welcome to PI. Send tips: coprysko@politico.com. And be sure to follow me on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter: @caitlinoprysko. ANTI-ABORTION GROUPS BACK CTC BOOST: As tax writers on the Hill scramble to pull together a bipartisan deal to extend business tax breaks and enhance the Child Tax Credit, leaders from more than a dozen anti-abortion advocacy groups are throwing their support behind including a CTC plus-up — which had traditionally been seen as a sweetener to bring Democrats onboard the tax deal — in one of the upcoming spending bills. — “Parents from all walks of life are keenly aware of the financial challenges associated with raising a child,” the groups wrote in a letter today to House Speaker Mike Johnson, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. “Many mothers face significant health and financial challenges throughout pregnancy and into the early years of raising a child. We can, and should, do more as a nation to provide for their needs.” — “We write to reiterate our support for its further expansion and request that Congress prioritize expansion of the CTC in the upcoming funding package,” the signatories, which include leaders from Students for Life Action, the American Principles Project, Faith and Freedom Coalition, Ethics and Public Policy Center, Care Net, Americans United for Life, Democrats for Life, the National Hispanic Pastors Alliance and more, wrote. — The letter notes that there’s been bipartisan support for an enhanced CTC for years. “In our polarized times, few policy priorities both enjoy bipartisan agreement and promise to make a significant difference in the lives of millions of American children and their families,” the groups added.
| | | | POLITICO AT CES® 2024: We are going ALL On at CES 2024 with a special edition of the POLITICO Digital Future Daily newsletter. The CES-focused newsletter will take you inside the most powerful tech event in the world, featuring revolutionary products that cut across verticals, and insights from industry leaders that are shaping the future of innovation. The newsletter runs from Jan. 9-12 and will focus on the public policy-related aspects of the gathering. Sign up today to receive exclusive coverage of the show. | | | | | INVARIANT ADDS A HALEY AIDE: Invariant’s lobbying practice is adding longtime Republican national security and foreign policy strategist and a former top aide to Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley as Haley makes a late surge in polling in key primary states. Morgan Viña, who served as Haley’s chief of staff and senior policy adviser during Haley’s tenure as U.S. ambassador to the U.N., is joining the firm as a principal. — Viña is the southeast regional and Virginia state chair for Haley's Women for Nikki coalition and most recently served as vice president of government affairs at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America. Before that, she did stints at Deloitte, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Pentagon, and with former Senate Foreign Relations Chair Bob Corker and the Heritage Foundation. — In a statement provided by the firm, Haley called Viña an “invaluable” and “beloved” member of her team, praising Viña’s “ability to deliver results.” MICHEL BACK IN COURT: Hip-hop star Pras Michel’s bid for a new trial after being convicted by a federal court jury on campaign finance and foreign agent charges kicked off in earnest in federal court in Washington Wednesday morning, our Josh Gerstein reports. Michel is arguing that he got ineffectual representation from his former legal team, led by a Los Angeles attorney known for representing recording industry figures, David Kenner. — The most attention-grabbing claim in the new trial motion filed in October by the latest attorney for the Fugees’ rapper, Peter Zeidenberg, is that Kenner’s closing argument was composed at least in part by artificial intelligence. However, a lawyer who worked closely with Kenner on the case, Alon Israely, insisted that was an exaggeration. “It was used very little,” Israely said at the hearing, as his former client who awaits sentencing looked on. — Israely said Michel’s lawyers used the program, EyeLevel, to find relevant portions of witness transcripts and experimented by asking it for suggestions for language to summarize a defense argument for particular counts. “It was used primarily as a research and retrieval tool. It’s a force multiplier,” Israely said. — “We did not say, ‘Give us a closing,’” he said, adding that many of the bot’s answers were elementary. “A lot of the responses were kind of law school 101,” such as suggesting the defense mention that Michel is innocent until proven guilty, Israely said. — Israely acknowledged that he approved a press release that said EyeLevel “helped draft” the closing, but he called that language “puffery.” He said Kenner approved a quote calling the tech tool “an absolute game changer” — a puzzling claim given the 10 guilty verdicts the jury returned in the case. — Michel’s new legal team did get some testimony from Israely that acknowledged Kenner wasn’t familiar with the Foreign Agents Registration Act before the case and that many of the defense lawyers working on it were novices, had little expertise on the issues, or both. While Israely is a member of the bar in New York, he said his experience is in managing large volumes of evidence. “I was not second chair,” he said. “I was primarily neck deep in discovery.” — While Michel’s new lawyers have suggested Kenner was confused and out of his depth, Israely portrayed him as the maestro of the defense. “Mr. Kenner acted as a director. He was like Scorsese,” said Israely. Kenner is expected to take the stand Thursday morning at the hearing before U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly. NEW COALITION FOR CARBON DIOXIDE STAKEHOLDERS: Trade groups representing end users of carbon dioxide have teamed up to launch a new coalition highlighting the “necessary and beneficial uses” of the gas across the economy. The CO2 Solutions Coalition will promote the “responsible” use of carbon dioxide and carbon capture and utilization technologies with an eye toward supply chain management. — The coalition is being led by the Compressed Gas Association, and members include the American Beverage Association, International Beverage Dispensing Equipment Association, Gases and Welding Distributors Association, the North American Meat Institute, National Turkey Federation, National Pork Producers Council, Brewers Association and Beer Institute. NO LABELS GETS A SUPER PAC: “A political group intending to support a presidential candidate run by the group No Labels plans to file paperwork with the Federal Election Commission on Wednesday, with a handful of Republican and Democratic strategists as advisers,” The New York Times’ Maggie Haberman reports. — “The group, New Leaders ’24 political action committee, expects a No Labels ticket to materialize this year” and has $2 million in initial pledges, a number they expect could rise to $300 million with a “viable” ticket. — Its advisers will include “Rob Stutzman, a Republican and former deputy chief of staff to Arnold Schwarzenegger during his governorship as well as an adviser for Mitt Romney’s 2008 presidential campaign. Kathleen Shanahan, a Republican and former chief of staff to Jeb Bush during his governorship, will be the chief executive, and Andrew Fishman, whom the group identified as a Democrat and who has a business background, will serve as treasurer, Mr. Stutzman said.” — “A super PAC is necessary, officials say, because No Labels, which doesn’t have to disclose its donors, can’t operate as a campaign committee and is focused only on trying to ensure ballot access in various states.” PRODUCE LAUNCHES AD CAMPAIGN FOR WIC MONEY: The International Fresh Produce Association has launched a six-figure ad buy looking to squeeze lawmakers on fully funding the WIC program as they rush to reach a final spending deal. — The 30-second spot (warning: ear worm alert) will run on digital and connected TV in D.C. throughout the funding fight, and warns that House Republicans’ proposed cuts to the program — which is already facing budget shortfalls — could take away benefits from parents and children in need. The House bill would also trim fruit and vegetable benefits from the WIC program.
| | A message from Walmart: Walmart is committed to helping our associates live better. With benefits like paid parental leave and opportunities to earn a degree for free, every associate can build the career they want. In fact, Walmart has covered tuition for over 126,000 full- and part-time associates so far. Learn why it pays to work at Walmart. | | | | | — The U.S. Travel Association is adding Joshua Friedlander as vice president of research. He was previously senior vice president of research and economics at the Recording Industry Association of America. — The Chertoff Group has named Aaron Roth the head of its federal strategy and security practice and promoted Ben Joelson to principal and head of the security risk and resilience practice. The firm also created a new transportation and innovation practice, which is being led by principal Lee Kair. — Kevin Kuhlman has joined Target as a director of government affairs covering labor, pay and benefits, sustainability and food and beverage issues. He was previously vice president of government relations at the National Federation of Independent Business. — Matthew Dillon is joining the Organic Trade Association as co-CEO. Dillon previously co-founded the Organic Seed Alliance. — Patricia Loria, who serves as vice president of business development at CarbonCapture Inc., joined the governance board of the Carbon Capture Coalition. — Ryan Walker joined the board of the National Energy Resources Organization. He is senior vice president of federal affairs at Shumaker Advisors. — CTIA has promoted Sarah Yi to assistant vice president and executive director, Justin Perkins to director of cybersecurity and policy and Courtney Tolerico to director of regulatory affairs. — Bharat Ramamurti is joining the Economic Security Project as a senior adviser. He previously was deputy director of the National Economic Council and adviser for strategic economic comms. — Lauren Limke is joining Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions as government relations manager. She was previously a legislative assistant at the House Natural Resources Committee. — Roop Bhatti is now a partner at Cassidy Levy Kent. She most recently was counsel to U.S. International Trade Commissioner Jason Kearns. — Evan Viau is joining Cisco as senior manager of government affairs. He most recently was a professional staff member on the House Energy and Commerce communications and technology subcommittee. — Jonathan Fahey has joined Holtzman Vogel Baran Torchinsky & Josefiak as a partner in the D.C. office. He was most recently counsel at Brown Rudnick.
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| | | | A message from Walmart:   | | | | | Americans Against Corruption PAC (Super PAC) Counter Coalition (Hybrid PAC) Juntos (Hybrid PAC) Progressives for Democracy PAC (Super PAC) Secure NYS PAC (Super PAC) Texans for Conservative Leadership (Super PAC)
| | A message from Walmart: At Walmart, living better means investing in every associate. Walmart provides opportunities for associates to grow their careers, so they can continue to build better lives for themselves and their families. Full- and part-time associates have access to comprehensive benefits, including:
● Paid parental leave
● Tuition coverage
● Medical, dental and vision benefits
● Skills-based career advancement
Walmart has covered tuition for over 126,000 full- and part-time associates so far, and our associates are benefiting from these opportunities. Approximately 75% of Walmart management started as hourly, entry-level associates.
Learn why it pays to work at Walmart. | | | | | New Lobbying REGISTRATIONS | | Actum I, LLC: Caredx, Inc. Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP: Hopper Inc Brumidi Group: Climate And Wildfire Institute Cgcn Group, LLC: Fujifilm Holdings America Corporation Cornerstone Government Affairs, Inc.: Wichita Falls Chamber Of Commerce Obo Sheppard Military Affairs Committee Davidoff Hutcher & Citron, LLP: The Brooklyn Hospital Center Ervin Graves Strategy Group, LLC: Tactical Innovations LLC Hooper, Lundy & Bookman, P.C.: Apta Private Practice Husch Blackwell Strategies: Enterprise Holdings, Inc. Dba Enterprise Mobility Ice Miller LLP: Elevated Modular Systems, LLC Johnston Group, LLC: Skyline Health Lne Group: Cleveland Museum Of Natural History Lobbyit.Com: Studypages Lobbyit.Com: Trustpoint One Ml Strategies, LLC: Boston Metal Schoening Strategies: Cafferty Commercial Real Estate Services Sorini, Samet & Associates, LLC: Naftz-National Association Of Foreign-Trade Zones Thrivent Financial For Lutherans: Thrivent Financial For Lutherans Washington Strategic Consulting: Mintz Levin (On Behalf Of Fulgent Genetics, Inc.) Williams And Jensen, Pllc: Liberty University
| | New Lobbying Terminations | | Burt Rosen Strategies: Accuray Covington & Burling LLP: Adamis Pharmaceuticals Corporation Cultural Heritage Partners, LLC: Coalition For American Heritage (Informal Coalition) Cultural Heritage Partners, LLC: Society For Historical Archaeology Dentons US LLP: Holland & Knight (On Behalf Of Cyanco International, LLC) Dentons US LLP: Holland & Knight (On Behalf Of Nel Asa) Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP: Binance Holding Limited Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP: De Beers Group Holland & Knight LLP: Clark Street Associates On Behalf Of Boston Electrometallurgical Corp. Holland & Knight LLP: Clark Street Associates On Behalf Of Nel Asa Lobbyit.Com: Alitheon Lobbyit.Com: Jonathan Rodriguez Cefalu Lobbyit.Com: Michael Ricci Lobbyit.Com: Minerals Metals & Materials Society Lobbyit.Com: National Healthcareer Association Mason Street Consulting, LLC: Mindset On Behalf Of Pipeline Health System Natural Resource Results LLC: Chesapeake Bay Foundation Natural Resource Results LLC: Low Impact Hydropower Institute S-3 Group: Juul Labs Squire Patton Boggs: Astrazeneca Uk Ltd. Squire Patton Boggs: Chase Corporation Squire Patton Boggs: Totalenergies Se (Formerly Known As Total S.A.) The Normandy Group, LLC: Trend Gaming Texas Washington Strategic Consulting: William Paterson University
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