Subject: POLITICO Influence: Vitter tests the water — Dems in demand — New look for Sommers' PE group — Spencer Abraham to Blank Rome
From: POLITICO Influence <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 10 May 2016 12:03:02 -0600

By Isaac Arnsdorf | 05/10/2016 02:00 PM EDT

With help from Brianna Gurciullo and Mary Lee

IN THE MARKET: Sen. David Vitter (R-La.), who lost his gubernatorial bid and declined to seek reelection, has had talks about working on K Street, according to a PI tipster. His office didn't immediately comment. Senate ethics rules prohibit negotiating lobbying jobs until one's successor has been elected, Vitter hasn't filed a disclosure with the Secretary of the Senate, but preliminary talks may not rise to the level of negotiations.

- If the Senate flips, another group in high demand could be Democratic national security staffers who recently worked on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the House Foreign Affairs Committee, for those committee's senior members, or in leadership offices. "Here, too, the downtown Democratic foreign policy bench is relatively thin with many staffers having left the legislative branch for the executive branch," one tipsters whispers. "Few relocated to the private sector."

Former Democratic staffers already downtown include Adam Sharon at Prime Strategies, Mariah Sixkiller at Sixkiller Consulting, Mike Sheehy at McBee Strategic, JJ Ong at Chevron, Brett O'Brien with Glover Park Group, Jodi Herman at the National Endowment for Democracy, Andrew Kauders and David Adams with Podesta Group, Jackie Quinones with the ONE Campaign and Shanna Winters at MPAA. In-demand staffers may include Dana Stroul (senior staffer for the Middle East) and Margaret Taylor (chief counsel) at SFRC, Mike Kuiken of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Daniel Silverberg (national security adviser) with Whip Steny Hoyer, Wyndee Parker (national security adviser) with Leader Nancy Pelosi,
 Sen. Ben Cardin alumna Rori Kramer (State Department legislative affairs), HFAC alumnus Robert Marcus (White House legislative affairs), and Sen. Harry Reid alumni Tommy Ross and Marcel Lettre (Defense Department).

CAPITOL CAPITAL: Mike Sommers is already making his mark on K Street. The former chief of staff to Speaker John Boehner now leading the Private Equity Growth Capital Council announced a new name, the American Investment Council, and mission: to "advance access to capital, job creation, retirement security, innovation and economic growth in the United States by promoting responsible long-term investment." This year the organization will host over 30 member events in 2016, and convene eight different committees and working groups. "These changes reflect the broader focus of our member firms post-financial crisis," said Ken Mehlman, the former RNC chairman now at buyout giant KKR and AIC's
 chairman.

HAPPY TUESDAY! Please send tips to [email-masked].

DENTON'S DUNHAM TO H&K: Holland & Knight hired Ben Dunham to its Public Policy & Regulation Practice Group as a senior policy adviser. Most recently with Dentons, Dunham has represented clients on issues related to the environment, chemical safety, climate change, over-the-counter drug safety, transportation and energy. His lobbying clients included the American Chemistry Council, Consumer Specialty Products Association and Privateer Holdings. Previously he was a senior adviser to the late Sen. Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey.

ABRAHAM TO BLANK ROME: Blank Rome hired Spencer Abraham, the former Republican senator from Michigan and energy secretary under President George W. Bush, to bolster the lobbying firm's energy business, Catherine Ho reports for The Washington Post. Abraham founded his own consulting firm and sits on the boards for Occidental Petroleum and NRG Energy. Also joining him at Blank Rome is Joseph McMonigle, a former chief of staff at the DOE.

SINGER SPEAKS: "It's essential that we - individually, collectively, and through our institutions - stand up for what we believe," Republican megadonor Paul Singer reportedly said at a Monday gala for the Manhattan Institute, which he chairs. Those views, he said, are not "embodied in either choice that will apparently be on the ballot this November." A guest who took notes shares the remarks with Maggie Haberman of The New York Times, and a second attendee confirmed them.

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POWER METER: The Checks and Balances Project - an energy watchdog group funded by Mike Danaher of Wilson Sonsini in Palo Alto, Calif., Brad Mattson of Siva Power and philanthropist Lucy Rockefeller Waletzky - complained to the IRS that the National Black Chamber of Commerce is failing to disclose conflicts of interests and is being used by its officers for personal gain. According to the complaint, the organization's tax filings show no salaries for its full-time CEO and EVP, but they might be getting paid as consultants. As a 501c3, the NBCC is allowed limited lobbying, but the Checks and Balance Project cited CEO Harry Alford's numerous media appearances and op-eds on policy debates such
 as Alford's claims that environmental regulations disproportionately harm minority communities.

"Unfortunately, the Checks and Balance Project disagrees with our vocal concerns about how environmental regulatory policy impacts our economy, and instead of constructive dialogue, they have begun a witch hunt against our organization," Alford said in a statement. "These allegations are baseless and are being used as a gimmick to stymie our ability to effectively engage in policy discussions."

NO LABELS: Lobbying on GMOs jumped 31 percent in the first quarter as the Vermont labeling law looms on July 1, Bloomberg BNA reports. Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts' (R-Kan.) bill would block Vermont's law and set up a voluntary standard, but Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) doubted Congress will act before the July deadline. "We had been telling lawmakers that we needed this done by the first of the year, and here we are in May with about 56 days before enactment," said Mike Gruber, senior vice president for federal affairs at the Grocery Manufacturers Association. The Russell Group manages the Coalition for Safe and Affordable Food.

CALIFORNIA DREAMING: Former California Chamber of Commerce vice president of government relations Marc Burgat joined Dentons as a principal in the firm's public policy and regulation practice in Sacramento. Burgat previously was director of governmental affairs for the California Cable & Telecommunications Association and chief legislative representative for the City of Los Angeles under Mayor James Hahn.

DO-OVER: Freedom Partners Action Fund launched an updated version of the attack ads against Russ Feingold that were yanked after his lawyers challenged their accuracy. "The idea he had no knowledge of a major scandal unfolding in his state over the course of two years should be alarming to most voters in Wisconsin," spokesman Bill Riggs said. Feingold's attorneys with Perkins Coie told TV stations the former senator was never told about an over-prescription scandal at a veterans' medical center.

CHEERS: Representatives from the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America, American Beverage Licensees, and The Presidents' Forum of the Distilled Spirits Industry held a panel discussion yesterday hosted by the Congressional Responsible Hospitality Caucus, co-chaired by Reps. Sean Duffy (R-Wis.) and Derek Kilmer (D-Wash.). Panelists included: Pete Madland, Tavern League of Wisconsin; Mike Rowe, Virginia Imports, Ltd.; and Kathie Durbin, Montgomery County Department of Liquor Control.

METRO SECTION: The University of Maryland SAFE Center for Human Trafficking Survivors opened yesterday in College Park, Md. The founder and director is Steptoe & Johnson partner and former Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Susan Esserman, who leads the firm's pro bono program on behalf of trafficking victims and has represented numerous survivors in Prince George's County. Scheduled speakers also included Sen. Ben Cardin, Rep. Chris Van Hollen, Maryland State Treasurer Nancy Kopp, and State's Attorney for Prince George's County Angela Alsobrooks.

NEW PAC REGISTRATIONS:
None

NEW LOBBYING REGISTRATIONS:
None

NEW LOBBYING TERMINATIONS:
O'Brien, Gentry & Scott, LLC: Telecommunication Systems
Phil Bond & Associates: ACA International
Roberti Global (formerly known as Roberti White, LLC): Rafferty Asset Management, LLC
Nelson, Mullins, Riley & Scarborough: Alexium, Inc.
Nelson, Mullins, Riley & Scarborough: The Boston Beer Company

TERMINATIONS - NO ACTIVITY:
The Freimuth Group, LLC: Better World Fund/Energy Future Coalition
Pepco Holdings, Inc.: Pepco Holdings, Inc.

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