| | | | |  | | By Caitlin Oprysko | | Presented by |  | | | With Daniel Lippman, Jasper Goodman HANGING A SHINGLE: Republican lobbyist Brendan Dunn has left Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld after six years to launch his own government affairs shop, Phronesis D.C. The moniker comes from the ancient philosophical principle of the same name that refers to practical wisdom (like sound political judgment) that is chiefly derived from experience. — Tax and financial services issues will be the firm’s bread and butter, said Dunn, who served as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s top tax adviser during the crafting of the 2017 GOP tax bill. But Dunn expects to work on other issues under the purview of the congressional tax-writing committees, such as trade and health care, he said in an interview. — The timing of Dunn’s new venture is particularly fortuitous given next year’s expiration date for key provisions in the generational tax code rewrite he helped pass — an issue that K Street has already been hard at work laying the groundwork for. — That isn’t the reason Dunn decided to strike out on his own, he told PI, attributing the decision and timing to the urge to scratch an entrepreneurial itch — though he conceded that he's well positioned to capitalize on the coming tax frenzy. A number of Dunn’s clients will be following him to the new firm, where he also plans on bringing on another employee in the next few weeks and teaming up with veteran tax consultant Ryan Ellis. — In addition to the looming tax cliff, Dunn told PI he’s preparing for a potential flurry of regulatory activity if the White House or Senate flip in November to roll back a number of President Joe Biden’s financial services policies. RADIATION VICTIMS FLYING IN: Members of communities sickened by radiation exposure will head to the Hill next week to press lawmakers on legislation to extend and expand the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act ahead of its expiration next month. — Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) has been leading the push for his extension bill with Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), which would broaden eligibility for the program to include screenings and compensation for those in Alaska, Kentucky, Missouri and Tennessee for certain conditions related to exposure to radiation from U.S. above-ground nuclear weapons tests, uranium mining and nuclear waste. — The Senate passed that standalone bill in March, and Hawley has since floated the measure to secure Republican support for a bipartisan tax bill and as an amendment to the FAA reauthorization bill. Next week’s fly-in, organized by the Union of Concerned Scientists, will focus on pressuring the House to take up the RECA bill. Happy Monday and welcome to PI. Send lobbying tips: coprysko@politico.com. And be sure to follow me on the platform formerly known as Twitter: @caitlinoprysko.
| | A message from the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l: Raise the pilot retirement age? Raise chaos for air travelers. Congress is considering an arbitrary change to current law that would raise the mandatory retirement age for pilots from 65 to 67 to address a pilot shortage that isn’t real. Doing so will lead to real consequences. In fact, there’s now a surplus of airline pilots. With more and more people flying, now is the wrong time to complicate air travel. Learn more. | | | ANNALS OF DARK MONEY: The New York Times’ David Fahrenthold reports that “the Conservative Partnership Institute, a nonprofit whose funding skyrocketed after it became a nerve center for President Donald J. Trump’s allies in Washington, has paid at least $3.2 million since the start of 2021 to corporations led by its own leaders or their relatives.” — “In its most recent tax filings, the nonprofit’s three highest-paid contractors were all connected to insiders” like CPI President Edward Corrigan and Trumpworld lawyer Cleta Mitchell, which legal experts told the Times “raise[s] concerns about self-dealing” by the tax-exempt group. NEW BUSINESS: Two foreign companies in the spotlight in Washington have added new outside lobbyists. Japan’s Nippon Steel has retained Ballard Partners to lobby on “investments in manufacturing technologies and efficiencies” and “capital investment projects,” according to a newly filed disclosure. — Ballard’s Dan McFaul, Tola Thompson and Hunter Morgen are working on the account as subcontractors to Akin Gump, who Nippon hired at the end of 2023 for help selling its controversial proposed takeover of U.S. Steel. — Brian Darling of Liberty Government Affairs is now working for e-commerce giant Shein as the company has sought to fend off criticism related to its Chinese roots and trade practices amid its exploding popularity. Darling, a former chief of staff to Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), is working on the same set of issues as another pair of Republican lobbying firms — Navigators Global and Missy Edwards Strategies — as a subcontractor to Navigators Global. CRYPTO’S 2024 WAR CHEST: A new report from the progressive financial watchdog group Public Citizen is taking aim at super PACs backed by the crypto industry, our Jasper Goodman reports. The report focuses on a network of three affiliated super PACs — Fairshake, Protect Progress and Defend American Jobs — that are backed by top crypto industry players including Coinbase, Ripple and Andreessen Horowitz. — It finds that the group, which is threatening to spend in a pair of key Senate races in Ohio and Montana that could determine control of the chamber, ranks as one of the top-raising super PACs so far this cycle. — "The cryptocurrency sector is the latest in a long line of corporate interests seeking to distort our democracy by converting their financial power into political power," the report says. The PAC group declined to comment. CALL (OR WRITE) YOUR MOM: If you have yet to ship off a card for Mother’s Day this weekend, the USPS advocacy group Keep US Posted is setting up shop on the Hill tomorrow — the last day for on-time delivery — for members and Hill staff to do so. — It’s the second annual event sponsored by the coalition and Hallmark, the Greeting Card Association and the American Forest and Paper Association (last year’s greeting card workshop resulted in 350 cards being mailed, according to organizers). In addition to your love, the cards will also include a mailer laying out the coalition’s opposition to another hike in postage rates planned for this summer. The coalition will be set up in the Rayburn Foyer from 1 to 3 p.m. PI BOOK CLUB: If you missed it this weekend, POLITICO Magazine has the latest excerpt from Brody and Luke Mullins’ forthcoming tome on the influence industry — “The Wolves of K Street: The Secret History of How Big Money Took Over Big Government” — which is out tomorrow and stands to be required reading for K Street and beyond. — The new sneak peek chronicles the “many reinventions” of Republican operative Jim Courtovich — the most recent coming when the election of Donald Trump in 2016 rocked K Street — as well as his potential links to an alleged embezzlement scandal involving a former client and a look at what Courtovich is up to these days.
| | | | THE GOLD STANDARD OF POLICY REPORTING & INTELLIGENCE: POLITICO has more than 500 journalists delivering unrivaled reporting and illuminating the policy and regulatory landscape for those who need to know what’s next. Throughout the election and the legislative and regulatory pushes that will follow, POLITICO Pro is indispensable to those who need to make informed decisions fast. The Pro platform dives deeper into critical and quickly evolving sectors and industries—finance, defense, technology, healthcare, energy—equipping policymakers and those who shape legislation and regulation with essential news and intelligence from the world’s best politics and policy journalists.
Our newsroom is deeper, more experienced, and better sourced than any other—with teams embedded in the world’s most active legislative and regulatory power centers. From Brussels to Washington, New York to London, Sacramento to Paris, we bring subscribers inside the conversations that determine policy outcomes and the future of industries, providing insight that cannot be found anywhere else. Get the premier news and policy intelligence service, SUBSCRIBE TO POLITICO PRO TODAY. | | | | | | | | | — Curtis Swager is now Twilio’s vice president of global government relations and public policy. He was most recently senior director and head of government affairs for the Americas at Dropbox. — Mike Demkiw has been named the first executive director of the Republican Mayors Association, which also expanded to include several new mayors from California to Florida. Demkiw is a Larry Hogan and Republican Governors Association alum. — The RXN Group has promoted Sam Taussig to managing director and Kristina Howard to executive vice president and head of public affairs. — Stasha Rhodes is now a senior fellow for the Center for American Progress. She currently is the executive director of United for Democracy. — Sarah Freeman-Woolpert will be national field director for Free Press’ journalism and civic media program. She previously was deputy director of strategic advocacy at the Friends Committee on National Legislation. — Leila Fleming is now a legislative assistant for Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-Mich.) She previously was a public policy specialist at Akin Gump. — Lisa Gibbs will be the next CEO and president of the Pulitzer Center. She currently is vice president for philanthropic development at the Associated Press. — Michael Grider is launching his own consultancy based in Tennessee. He was most recently chief of staff for Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.). — Brian Dusek is joining Marathon Strategies as a senior communications associate. He most recently was press secretary for Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska). — Brendan Peter is joining Zscaler as senior director of global public policy and government affairs. He was most recently vice president of global government affairs at SecurityScorecard.
| | Dem Senate Victory 2024 (Sens. Bob Casey, Jon Tester, Tammy Baldwin, Sherrod Brown, Jacky Rosen, Tim Kaine, Reps. Ruben Gallego, Elissa Slotkin) Mackenzie for America (Mackenzie for Congress Committee, Maintaining American Competitiveness PAC, NRCC)
| | | | A message from the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l:   | | | | | Country Community Honor (Super PAC) Everytown-Demand a Seat PAC (Super PAC) Health Equity Now (Super PAC) MomsRising PAC (Hybrid PAC) Political Innovations PAC (PAC) Rapid Recruit PAC (PAC) Texting Solutions PAC (PAC)
| | | | LISTEN TO POLITICO'S ENERGY PODCAST: Check out our daily five-minute brief on the latest energy and environmental politics and policy news. Don't miss out on the must-know stories, candid insights, and analysis from POLITICO's energy team. Listen today. | | | | | | | New Lobbying REGISTRATIONS | | | A10 Associates, LLC: Mgm Transformer Company Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld: Zelis Healthcare Corporation Arch Street: Andro Computational Solutions LLC Ats Communications, Inc.: Castelion Bob Riley & Associates, LLC: Covenant Rescue Group Cannon|Pearce Fka Mr. Matt Pearce: Torch Technologies Capitol Integration: Greensea Iq Dutko Worldwide, LLC: Surface Tech, LLC Mehlman Consulting, Inc.: Elevance Health, Inc. Tch Group, LLC: International African American Museum Van Scoyoc Associates: Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority (Rtaa) Venture Government Strategies, LLC (Fka Hobart Hallaway & Quayle Ventures, LLC): Defend Solar USa Alliance Watershed Results LLC: National Deer Association Watershed Results LLC: Pheasants Forever, Inc.
| | New Lobbying Terminations | | | A10 Associates, LLC: Galactic Litigation Partners, LLC Gulf South Strategies USa, LLC: US Service Animals Lkb Strategies LLC: Sl Strategies, LLC (On Behalf Of Batelle Memorial Institute)
| | A message from the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l: A difference of two years can lead to decades of air travel complications. Arbitrarily extending the mandatory pilot retirement age from 65 to 67 to address a fake pilot shortage will upend union collective bargaining agreements, disrupt airline operations, increase ticket prices, create a cascading and costly training backlog for pilots and put the United States out of compliance with international standards. Learn why raising the pilot retirement age to 67 will wreak long-term havoc on air travel. | | | | | | | Follow us | | | | |
