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Presented by the American Property Owners Alliance: Delivered daily, Influence gives you a comprehensive rundown and analysis of all lobby hires and news on K Street. | | | | | |  | | By Caitlin Oprysko | Presented by |  | | | With Daniel Lippman NEW COALITION WANTS INFRASTRUCTURE DEAL TO PHASE OUT PEN AND PAPER FOR PROJECTS: A new coalition of companies spanning the spectrum of the construction process is pushing lawmakers to incentivize a more modernized construction process for public projects. The group, called the Coalition for Smarter Infrastructure Investments, says that nearly seven in 10 construction firms contracted to carry out projects for state and local departments of transportation still rely exclusively or primarily on pen-and-paper systems throughout their projects. — That opens up room for calculation errors and causes delays and cost overruns, lacks transparency, and can prevent the type of analysis that would allow equity or environmental justice considerations, which President Joe Biden has emphasized in his infrastructure plan, the group argues. — The coalition includes half a dozen digital infrastructure companies: Bentley Systems, Greenroads International, HaulHub Technologies, HeadLight and Mott MacDonald , which want lawmakers to encourage the use of “proven” technologies like implementing systems to automate workflows or produce 5D modeling or otherwise ensure that resources are used more efficiently. — “Their point is that Congress needs to either incentivize, or mandate ... the use of this technology when we're pumping out hundreds of billions of dollars, because it's going to be a once-in-a-generation opportunity,” said Stratton Kirton , a spokesperson for the coalition. “We're very unlikely to do this again, at least for a few decades.” — The group has enlisted Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld’s Arshi Siddiqui, a former aide to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , to lead its lobbying efforts on the Hill, where she has had “very productive” conversations with “incredibly receptive” members about their priorities, Kirton said. The challenge, he said, is that “there are a lot of asks” on top of little agreement about what shape an eventual package will take. But he noted that the group’s goals are applicable not just to building roads and bridges but also to an expansion of broadband or investments in water infrastructure. — The coalition will also make the argument that implementing “smarter” processes also helps from a competitiveness standpoint, Kirton said. He noted that Bentley Systems, which develops engineering software, “always” sees its Chinese clients quickly adopt new technologies aimed at stretching infrastructure dollars further. | | | | A message from the American Property Owners Alliance: The American Property Owners Alliance is a nonpartisan organization that protects the dream of property ownership. Backed by 10 million advocates, we are committed to expanding, amending, and introducing federal policy that protects property owners and their interests. June is National Homeownership Month, and we’re celebrating the value of home all month long. Learn more about our commitment to protecting the interests of a diverse group of property owners and expanding opportunities for future homeowners. | | | Good afternoon and welcome to PI. Send tips: coprysko@politico.com. And be sure to follow me on Twitter: @caitlinoprysko. DOJ INVESTIGATING BLUE STAR FOR POTENTIAL ILLEGAL BURISMA LOBBYING: “The Justice Department is investigating the work of a consulting firm linked to the president’s son for potential illegal lobbying, four people familiar with the probe” told POLITICO’s Betsy Woodruff Swan and Daniel Lippman. — Betsy and Daniel report that “there has been grand jury activity in connection to the probe” of Blue Star Strategies, a lobbying shop founded by two veterans of the Clinton administration, and who “took on as a client the Ukrainian energy company Burisma while Hunter Biden served on its board. Republican operatives’ efforts to investigate Burisma and the alleged corruption that surrounded the firm were at the heart of the first Trump impeachment.” — One focus of investigators is whether Blue Star failed to comply with FARA disclosure requirements. Blue Star is one of dozens of entities that received subpoenas from Republican lawmakers probing Hunter Biden’s relationship with Burisma, an investigation pilloried as a partisan effort to run interference for then-President Donald Trump. BIDEN OFFERS A MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE CONCESSION: “President Biden signaled at a private meeting on Wednesday that he would be open to significant revisions on the size of his infrastructure package and how it would be paid for in order win Republican backing, outlining a plan for about $1 trillion in new spending financed through tax changes that do not appear to raise the top corporate rate,” The Washington Post’s Seung Min Kim and Tony Romm report. — In his White House meeting “with the GOP’s top negotiator, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Biden raised the possibility he could take the proposed increase off the table in an attempt to broker a compromise.” Instead, Biden “emphasized a different part of his proposal, which would amount to a new, minimum corporate tax of 15 percent. This change would seek to take aim at dozens of profitable U.S. corporations that pay little to nothing to the federal government annually.” FIRST IN PI — FIREHOUSE ADDS 4: Public relations firm Firehouse Strategies has added four new team members this week. Katey McCutcheon, who previously spent four years in the office of Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and was most recently with Sunshine Sachs, joined as a vice president; Jim Mantyh, Allen Millsap and Liam Chan Hodges have all joined as associates. MEANWHILE, IN FLORIDA: “Shortly before jumping into the race for Florida governor this week, Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried amended two separate financial disclosure forms, including one showing previously unreported earnings” from her lobbying work of $351,480, POLITICO’s Gary Fineout reports. — “In both instances, Fried reported earning substantially more money from her lobbying business than she initially disclosed — money that in part came from work she did on behalf of a Gainesville-based nursery that was eventually acquired by a medical marijuana company.” Her campaign “said the changes made on May 28 were intended to correct a series of mistakes, including only reporting half a year’s worth of salary as well as errors made on the correct amount that needed to be listed.” | | | | SUBSCRIBE TO "THE RECAST" TODAY: Power is shifting in Washington and in communities across the country. More people are demanding a seat at the table, insisting that politics is personal and not all policy is equitable. The Recast is a twice-weekly newsletter that explores the changing power dynamics in Washington and breaks down how race and identity are recasting politics and policy in America. Get fresh insights, scoops and dispatches on this crucial intersection from across the country and hear critical new voices that challenge business as usual. Don't miss out, SUBSCRIBE . Thank you to our sponsor, Intel. | | | | | HOLLAND & KNIGHT SNAGS 2 FROM K&L GATES: Nick Leibham, who’s helped lead K&L Gates’ emerging technology and innovation law practice group for more than a dozen years, is joining Holland & Knight as a partner in the public policy and regulation practice group. Kathleen Nicholas is also moving over from K&L Gates, where she was a government affairs analyst, to join Holland & Knight as a senior public affairs adviser. Both will register to lobby. FBI INVESTIGATING ALLEGED DeJOY STRAW DONOR SCHEME: “The FBI is investigating Postmaster General Louis DeJoy in connection with campaign fundraising activity involving his former business,” the Post’s Matt Zapotosky and Jacob Bogage write. “FBI agents in recent weeks interviewed current and former employees of DeJoy and the business, asking questions about political contributions and company activities, these people said. Prosecutors also issued a subpoena to DeJoy himself for information, one of the people said.” — News of the investigation follows a September report from the paper detailing allegations from employees at DeJoy’s former company, New Breed Logistics, who “alleged they were pressured by DeJoy or his aides to attend political fundraisers or make contributions to Republican candidates, and then were paid back through bonuses,” which the employees claim fueled his rise as a GOP fundraiser. A spokesperson for DeJoy said he’d “never knowingly violated” campaign finance laws. | | | |   | | | | | | — Sean Rushton is joining autonomous trucking platform Locomation to lead corporate communications. He was most recently communications director at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. — Seven Letter has hired Google, Facebook, Twitter and Senate alum Nu Wexler as partner, Annalyse Keller and Jessa Scott-Johnson as senior directors and Regina Anderson and Valentina Mendez as content specialists. — Maeve Healy is now chief of staff for Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.). She most recently was political affairs manager at Finseca and had earlier served as Meng’s political director. — Bobby Thomson has been promoted to senior vice president and global head of government engagement at Visa. He’s been head of U.S. government relations since 2013. — Kate Silina has joined Visa as North America communications director and public affairs lead. She previously led the West Coast Crisis Communications practice at Sunshine Sachs and is an Obama administration alum. — Genta Arnold and Chris Greiner are joining the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors as directors of corporate relations. Arnold previously served as a manager of corporate relations at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Greiner previously served as director of member engagement and a senior adviser at the Chamber. — NCTA – The Internet & Television Association has added Timothy Graham, Alexander Minard and Kelsey Odom to its government relations team as vice president of external affairs, vice president and state legislative counsel and vice president of federal government relations respectively. — Tim Lynch is Verizon Media’s new director of U.S. federal affairs. He was previously with the Raben Group and is a House alum. — Zachary Radford is joining the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association as assistant vice president of congressional affairs. He was previously a transportation policy staffer for two U.S. senators and is an ex-WMATA official. — Stephen Parker will be vice president of public affairs at gener8tor. He previously spent eight years at the National Governors Association. — Alyssa Brown joined the Progressive Policy Institute as a copy editor. She was previously the opinion editor and a page designer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. | | | | SUBSCRIBE TO WEST WING PLAYBOOK: Add West Wing Playbook to keep up with the power players, latest policy developments and intriguing whispers percolating inside the West Wing and across the highest levels of the Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today. | | | | | | | | None. | | | None. | | New Lobbying Registrations | | Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld: American Bus Association, Inc.
Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld: Minor League Baseball Relief, Inc
Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld: Stopit Solutions
Alignment Government Strategies: Appleton International Airport
Axiom Space, Inc.: Axiom Space, Inc.
Ballard Partners: Thompson Hine LLP (On Behalf Of Csg Partners, LLC)
Dorsey & Whitney LLP: Utah Coalition Of Direct Selling Companies
Invariant LLC: Washington Gas
Jacobson, Magnuson, Anderson & Halloran P.C.: Miami Nation Enterprises
Mccarthy Advanced Consulting LLC: Natural Products Association
Mccarthy Advanced Consulting LLC: Pbf Holding Company LLC
Mcguirewoods Consulting (A Subsidiary Of Mcguirewoods LLP): Concordance Healthcare Solutions
Michael Best Strategies LLC: National Atlantic Rail Alliance
Michael Torrey Associates, LLC: American Feed Industry Association (Afia)
Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough: Canadian National Railway
Nexxus Consulting, LLC: Mountain Capital Partners, LLC
Potomac Strategic Development Company, LLC: Asm
Potomac Strategic Development Company, LLC: Florida Primary Care Association
S-3 Group: Anomaly Six
S-3 Group: Kayrros, Inc.
Squire Patton Boggs: Live Nation Entertainment, Inc.
Steptoe & Johnson LLP: American Financial Exchange
Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP Dba Taft Advisors LLC Fka (Taft, Stettinius & Hollister, LLP): The City Of Kokomo And The Graves Trust
The Edw Group: Proseal, LLC
The Ferguson Group, LLC: Solano Irrigation District | | | | A message from the American Property Owners Alliance: Property ownership is essential for strengthening communities. At 10 million advocates strong, the American Property Owners Alliance is committed to expanding federal policies that support homeownership. We are a nonpartisan ally who provides the information you need to make informed policy decisions that protect current owners and remove barriers to homeownership.
During National Homeownership Month in June, we are empowering current and aspiring homeowners to advocate for policies that address the unique challenges faced by homeowners. Learn more about our efforts to protect the dream of property ownership. | | | | | New Lobbying Terminations | | The Parr Policy Group, LLC: Effective Advocates LLC On Behalf Of The Gc3 Sustainable Chemistry Alliance
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