Internal auditors form a PAC amid coming scrutiny on ESG, privacy issues

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Nov 03, 2022 View in browser   By Caitlin Oprysko With Daniel Lippman INTERNAL AUDITORS FORM A PAC: Internal auditors' representatives in Washington are launching a political action committee in hopes of expanding the influence of the industry — some of whose products are poised to be at the center of contentious policy battles in Congress beginning next year. — The Institute of Internal Auditors' new PAC won't have any impact on Tuesday's elections. But the trade group is hoping for more of a say in what goes on in the capital — and to avoid getting caught in the crossfire on a range of hot button issues that, ultimately, will come down to internal auditors to implement — from corporate governance to cybersecurity, data privacy, climate disclosures and ESG and fraud. — "Internal auditors play a critical role in providing objective assurance over a whole host of controls within an organization, a corporation, governments," Mat Young, the association's vice president of global advocacy, policy and government affairs, said in an interview. "They also offer strategic advice and advisory services that relate to not just finances — not just sort of the traditional tax and budgeting matters — but internal auditors have a critical role in things like cybersecurity and data privacy management." — Increasingly, Young added, "corporations and governments are being asked to disclose their climate and sustainability related impacts. And so internal audit has a key role there." That issue has sparked considerable blowback among Republicans who are drawing up plans to hammer so-called "woke" capitalism should they regain control of Congress. — IIA's PAC is one tool the group is hoping to use to "enhance our presence and our influence" in Washington, Young told PI. "And we fully expect that there will be a major debate next year on cyber and data privacy and ESG and corporate governance. … So we're excited to be giving our members a greater voice in decisionmaking." — Initially, the trade group will work to educate lawmakers and staffers about what internal auditors do, particularly as it pertains to compiling corporate disclosures. "We're not wading into the debate about whether or not it should be mandated by the U.S. government," said Young. "But we are interested in making sure that as policies develop, that they're done correctly, that internal audit is adding value and enhancing the quality of climate disclosures." Good afternoon and welcome to PI . Five days til Election Day. Breathe in through the nose, out through the mouth. Then send K Street gossip: coprysko@politico.com . And be sure to follow me on Twitter: @caitlinoprysko .   NEW AND IMPROVED POLITICO APP: Stay up to speed with the newly updated POLITICO mobile app, featuring timely political news, insights and analysis from the best journalists in the business. With a fresh look and improved features, the sleek and navigable design offers a convenient way to access POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Don't miss out on the app you can rely on for the news you need, reimagined. Already a POLITICO app user? Upgrade today! DOWNLOAD FOR iOS  – DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID .     NEWS CORP ADDS SENATE GOP AIDE: "Media giant News Corp. has hired a new lobbyist to aid its ongoing fight against the country's largest technology companies," Bloomberg's Emily Birnbaum reports. — "Rachel Bissex, a former senior aide on the Senate Judiciary Committee, has garnered a reputation for opposing Alphabet Inc.'s Google, Meta Platforms Inc., Amazon.com Inc. and Apple Inc. on Capitol Hill. She's now News Corp.'s vice president of federal government affairs, the company said on Wednesday night." — "Bissex previously worked for Senator Lindsey Graham , a South Carolina Republican, and Colorado Republican Representative Ken Buck — two of the Republican party's most fervent critics of the big tech companies." — "The move comes as News Corp. and a handful of smaller tech companies gear up for a potential Republican takeover of the House or Senate. News Corp. and Fox Corp., which are both owned by media mogul Rupert Murdoch , have stepped up their lobbying push to regulate the tech giants. They've targeted Republicans with the message that the companies have accumulated too much power and control over the digital ecosystem." — "The Bissex hire is part of a broader shakeup of News Corp.'s lobbying operation after longtime global head of government affairs, Toni Bush, retired earlier this year. Bush was replaced by her colleague Todd Thorpe, who now heads the office." FIRST IN PI — HENSARLING, ATKINS JOIN AFP ADVISORY COUNCIL: Koch-backed political group Americans for Prosperity has tapped several big name conservatives to form a new grassroots advisory council looking to take advantage of changing political winds in Washington come the start of the next Congress. — Initial members of the council will include former Rep. Jeb Hensarling, former SEC Commissioner Paul Atkins, political commentators Guy Benson and Erick Erickson, former Florida House Speaker Jose Oliva and Yancey Bros. Chair Jim Stephenson, who will help the group advance its grassroots influence — just as Republicans are set to sweep into power in Congress again atop a wave of various economic concerns that AFP sees as an opportunity for growth. MCCARTHY FLOATS A SHAKEUP AT THE CHAMBER: House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is escalating his clash with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce , telling the group's "board members and state leaders the organization must undertake a complete leadership change and replace current president and CEO Suzanne Clark," Axios' Hans Nichols and Jonathan Swan report. — "McCarthy's direct conversations make clear he will not work with Clark and her leadership team if Republicans win control and he becomes House speaker. But he's charting a potential path forward for the business group to reestablish a relationship with the GOP conference." — "Mark Ordan , chairman of the board of directors, told Axios that Clark continues to have the 'complete support' of the executive committee. 'The U.S. Chamber of Commerce team serves a vital role in the daily defense of American business,' he said. 'We serve our members, not a political party.'" — "'Staying true to that mission requires a smart, savvy, vigorous leader like our CEO Suzanne Clark,' he said. 'It is for that reason that our governing body, the executive committee of the board of directors, is unequivocally enthusiastic about Suzanne's performance and the importance of her ongoing tenure as CEO of the U.S. Chamber. She has our complete support.'" WHICH CEOS DO (AND DON'T) HAVE BIDEN'S EAR ON THE ECONOMY: "In early 2022, as it became clear that a steep rise in consumer prices would be more severe and longer-lasting than his own aides had predicted, President Joe Biden began to widen the circle of people giving him economic advice ," Bloomberg's Nancy Cook reports. — "While his predecessors might have turned to Wall Street giants like Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Biden's White House reached out to corporate executives such as Apple Inc.'s Tim Cook, Bank of America Corp.'s Brian Moynihan, and the leaders of retailers Target Corp. and Walmart Inc., according to people familiar with the matter." — "Biden's most frequent calls were with labor leaders, several of whom the president's known for years. He talked occasionally with former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers … and gleaned tidbits of information about the US economy from people he ran into at church, golf and his grandkids' field hockey games back home in Delaware." — "The president had much less contact with oil companies, many tech CEOs and big Wall Street players such as Jamie Dimon, chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase & Co. Biden's circle came to reflect his political sensibilities: working-class people and union members more likely to shop Walmart than Amazon.com Inc. and hold accounts with Bank of America than investment firms." FOR YOUR THANKSGIVING TRAVEL SPOTIFY QUEUE: Strategic comms shop Seven Letter has launched a new podcast, "Control," hosted by a pair of former GOP Hill aides about — you guessed it — potential Republican control of Congress. Brendan Buck and Annalyse Keller will host the pod. — The inaugural episode features Buck's old boss, former House Speaker Paul Ryan, and Ryan's advice — and words of caution — for McCarthy, his probable successor as GOP speaker. Future episodes following the election and into the new Congress in January will aim to peek around the corner to preview what to expect from a Republican majority on oversight and policy issues alike. ABRAMS GROUP'S PAYMENTS SPLIT ETHICS WATCHDOG: The day that government ethics lobbyist Craig Holman was quoted in a POLITICO report calling massive legal payments from Stacey Abrams' voting rights group to a law firm run by the campaign chair of Abrams' Georgia gubernatorial campaign posed a "very clear conflict of interest," an official from Abrams' group, Fair Fight Action, complained to Holman's employer , watchdog group Public Citizen, The New York Times' Michael Powell reports. — "The next day, Public Citizen retracted Mr. Holman's statement, writing that its organizational position was 'that the contractual arrangement described in the story is normal and non-objectionable. It raises no legal or ethical concerns.' … The sequence of events raised questions about whether Public Citizen, an esteemed public interest advocate, backed down under pressure from liberal supporters of Ms. Abrams." — While Holman has stood by his stance, "his boss, Robert Weissman , the president of Public Citizen, disagreed. 'I think that Craig made a mistake,' he said in an interview. 'Our take is that he characterized something as a conflict that is not. Hiring someone you know as your counsel is very common and not problematic.'" A GOP election lawyer defended the arrangement as well, but even he, like "nearly every lawyer contacted" by the Times, "questioned the mountainous legal bills accrued in the case."   DON'T MISS POLITICO'S 2nd ANNUAL DEFENSE SUMMIT ON 11/16: The United States is facing a defining moment in the future of its defense, national security and democratic ideals. The current conflicts and developments around the world are pushing Washington to reshape its defense strategy and how it cooperates with allies. Join POLITICO for our second annual defense summit, "At a Crossroads: America's Defense Strategy" on November 16 in person at the Schuyler DC or join online to hear keynote interviews and panels discussing the road ahead for America's national security. REGISTER HERE .     Jobs Report — Accenture has named Andrew J.P. Levy chief corporate and government affairs officer. He was most recently general counsel for growth markets at the company. — John Rich has joined Touchdown Strategies as vice president, and Kirby Eule has joined as a director. Rich was previously a senior manager for marketing communications at Doma and Eule was previously a managing associate at Keybridge Communications. — Chris Howard is now executive vice president for external affairs and new product compliance at cigar maker Swisher International. He was previously senior vice president, general counsel and chief compliance officer for E-Alternative Solutions, a Swisher sister company. — Ian Whitson has joined FTI Consulting as a senior director for government affairs. He was previously legislative director for Rep. David Rouzer (R-N.C.). — John Wittman is joining PLUS Communications as a partner, and will open an office for the firm in Austin, Texas. He's the founder of Wittman Public Affairs and was previously communications director for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. — Terry Holt has joined Mercury Public Affairs. He's the founder of public affairs firm HDMK and is a George W. Bush, John Boehner and Richard Lugar alum. — Antonio White is now senior vice president and public policy executive for U.S. federal affairs at Bank of America . He most recently was deputy assistant secretary for community engagement in the office of public affairs at the Treasury Department. — Carrie Sheffield is now director of the America First Policy Institute's Center for the American Worker and Center for American Values. She previously was a senior policy analyst for the Independent Women's Forum. New Joint Fundraisers None. New PACs Lexicon PAC (PAC) Moore Holding Co. PAC (dba Moore PAC) (PAC) Turnout 2022 (Super PAC) New Lobbying Registrations Alycia Farrell: Strategic Marketing Innovations (Smi) On Behalf Of Worcester Polytechnic Inst. Aurora Strategic Advisors: City Of Cottage Grove Grayrobinson Pa: Brevard County Fl Grayrobinson Pa: Onstreet Media National Women'S Health Network: Denys Symonette Mitchell New Lobbying Terminations Atlas Advocacy: Zovio Elevanta, LLC: Elevanta LLC Elevanta, LLC: Elevanta LLC Federal Business Group: Sts International, Inc. Hogan Lovells US LLP: The Mackinac Technology Company J.P. Deese & Associates, LLC: Solar Dex Lester Health Law Pllc: Carepathrx Magazine Publishers Of America: Magazine Publishers Of America Mckechnie & Company: City Of Pittsburg, Kanas   Follow us

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