Prolific scam PAC operator lobbies for a lighter sentence

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Dec 20, 2023 View in browser   By Caitlin Oprysko Presented by With Daniel Lippman SCAM PAC MASTERMIND LOBBIES FOR LESSER SENTENCE: Prolific scam PAC operator Matt Tunstall, who began serving a 10-year prison sentence earlier this year for his role in bilking more than $3 million from unwitting would-be political donors, is looking to take advantage of former President Donald Trump’s landmark criminal justice law and new federal sentencing guidelines for first-time offenders to shave some time off his prison stay. — Tunstall and two associates pleaded guilty last year to a range of charges from conspiracy to commit wire fraud to money laundering stemming from a pair of PACs they ran during the 2016 election. The PACs ostensibly raised money to boost the presidential candidacies of both Trump and Hillary Clinton, but in actuality cycled the money back into the pockets of the PAC’s operators. — Tunstall in particular is alleged to have used the money he pocketed from the scheme to fund a lavish lifestyle for himself, including luxury cars and other designer goods. He was handed a stiffer sentence than his co-defendants. — But in new court filings this month, Tunstall asked a federal judge in Austin to reduce his sentence by two years, arguing that his time behind bars has already helped him see the error of his ways. “I feel awful about the families that are truly effected through my actions,” Tunstall wrote in a note to the judge in his case, U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman. “Since I have been in custody and I have been given time to think, I feel a lot of remorse,” he told the judge. — The note is part of an effort to take advantage of new sentencing guidelines from the independent U.S. Sentencing Commission that went into effect just last month. One of those changes allows inmates to move to have their sentences reduced if warranted by “extraordinary and compelling reasons,” a step that only the head of the Bureau of Prisons could take previously. The changes also allow certain first-time offenders to have their sentencing guideline range reduced by two levels, which Tunstall argued he should be eligible for. — While he conceded that “the nature and circumstances of the offense were serious,” Tunstall noted that the conduct in question “did not involve violence, bodily injury, or dangerous weapons.” — Tunstall said he’s participating in programming under the First Step Act that already gives him credits toward his sentence, including parenting, anger management and drug abuse treatment programs, and has a clean disciplinary record. Moreover, Tunstall told the judge that he plans to start “a skill based company” upon his release from prison to “give my family stability and the financial support that they deserve.” — “I pray for mercy, and I respectfully ask this court to grant my motion,” Tunstall told the judge. Tunstall’s attorney did not respond to a request for comment. Happy Wednesday and welcome to PI. You’ve only got two more days in 2023 to send PI your best money and influence tips. Why wait?: coprysko@politico.com. And be sure to follow me on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter: @caitlinoprysko.   A message from bp: Across the US, bp supports more than 275,000 jobs to keep our energy flowing. Like updating turbine blades at one of our Indiana wind farms and producing more secure energy in the Gulf of Mexico. See how else bp is investing in America.   SENATE GOP-ALIGNED DARK MONEY GROUP RAISED $125M FOR MIDTERMS: One Nation, the dark money group affiliated with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, brought in nearly $125 million to boost Senate Republicans’ bid to retake control of the chamber in last year’s midterms, according to tax filings obtained by PI. — That’s less than the record $172 million in revenues One Nation raked in during the 2020 elections, but it blows past the $64 million raised in 2021, an off year, and the $58 million the group raised during the 2018 midterms. — More than a fifth of last year’s haul came from just one anonymous donor who wrote a $25.8 million check to the nonprofit, with around 30 more of the group’s hundred-plus donors last year kicking in at least $1 million, according to the filing. While One Nation isn’t required to disclose the names of its donors, Sludge reported in May that past donors to the group have included ConocoPhillips, CVS Health, Phillips 66 and Southern Company. — One Nation, which according to media tracking firm AdImpact dropped over $60 million on ads last year, reported spending almost $156 million last year, and ended 2022 with $8.2 million in the bank. — The nonprofit’s top two vendors last year were Main Street Media Group, which One Nation paid $48 million for “media services” and the consulting firm FP1, which received $23 million for “digital media services.” Direct mail firms Arena and Majority Strategies received a combined $10 million for mail services, and Mentzer Media Services received $2.6 million for media services. PI METRO SECTION: Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on Tuesday chided the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, the entity that oversees metro D.C.’s two main airports, for its involvement in the fierce lobbying battle over adding new slots for long-haul flights of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. — Cruz, who has come down on the side of the Delta Air Lines-backed campaign for more long distance slots, took issue in particular with the MWAA’s membership in the Coalition to Protect America’s Regional Airports, which is backed by United Airlines and several regional airports and opposes slot changes that could eat into United’s business at Dulles International Airport. — Unlike other airport operators in the coalition, Cruz pointed out in a letter to MWAA President John Potter, MWAA answers to Congress. “While many, including myself, disagree with United Airlines’ position, as a private company, it may lobby Congress and the public to support its business objectives,” Cruz wrote. — “The same is not true for MWAA, a government creation that is statutorily obliged to promote IAD’s and DCA’s interests. MWAA is not United Airlines’ corporate lobbyist, nor should it be. Nevertheless, MWAA has become the face of United Airlines’ lobbying campaign against DCA.” — Cruz demanded the MWAA respond to a series of questions and turn over documents and communications relating to its membership in the regional airports coalition, as well as research on DCA’s perimeter rule, capital improvement projects at D.C. airports and how it would implement any new DCA slots included as part of the FAA reauthorization bill. Crystal Nosal, a spokesperson for MWAA, told our colleagues over at Morning Transpo that it had received Cruz’s letter and “will respond appropriately.” FIRST IN PI — DISH ADDS 3: Satellite cable provider Dish Network has added three new members to its government affairs team. Svetlana Matt will lead Dish’s policy team as director of public policy. She was most recently at Meta, where she was an AI privacy policy manager. Before that, Matt served as legislative director to former Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-Calif.), a member of the House Energy & Commerce Committee, and helped lead staff work for the House AI Caucus and House Wi-Fi Caucus. — Dish is adding a second Democrat, Malcolm Sherrod, as manager of government relations. He was most recently an associate director at FGS Global and will help lead Dish’s outreach to Democrats in Congress. — Meanwhile Phillip Waller is leaving the Hill after nearly a decade to become manager for policy communications and public affairs at Dish. Waller has spent his entire Hill career working for Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), the former chair of the Senate Commerce Committee and the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, most recently as communications director.   A message from bp:   Jobs Report — Joe Gilson is now director of government affairs at the American Farm Bureau Federation, where he will lead farm bill efforts. He most recently handled agriculture and energy policy for Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and is a USDA alum. — Jagir Patel is now an associate at Phillips and Cohen LLP. He most recently was a program examiner at OMB and is also an alum of the Education Department. — Jonah Wendt is joining Advancing American Freedom, the nonprofit advocacy organization founded by former Vice President Mike Pence, as a policy adviser. He previously was a legislative staffer for Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas). — Brittany McCants is now a partner in Barnes & Thornburg’s labor and employment department. She previously was counsel at Bass, Berry & Sims. New Joint Fundraisers DMP Victory Fund (Debbie for Florida, Democratic Executive Committee of Florida) Kennedy Suozzi Victory Fund (Suozzi for Congress, Kennedy for Congress) Minnesota Senate Victory 2024 (Sen. Amy Klobuchar, DSCC) New PACs Higher Ground PAC (Leadership PAC: GLENN IVEY) National HBPA Horse Protection PAC (PAC) New Lobbying REGISTRATIONS Downs Government Affairs: Northeast Community College Greenberg Traurig, LLP: Eb-5 Investment Coalition Greenberg Traurig, LLP: Hui Huliau Hogan Lovells US LLP: Booking Holdings Inc. Putalastrategies: Key Capture Energy Shumaker Advisors, LLC: Lwrc International, LLC Telegraph Avenue Advisors: Castle Mountain Venture Telegraph Avenue Advisors: Dateline Resources Limited Telegraph Avenue Advisors: Jenner & Block LLP On Behalf Of Cook Inlet Tribal Council Telegraph Avenue Advisors: Jenner & Block LLP On Behalf Of County Of San Bernardino Telegraph Avenue Advisors: Jenner & Block LLP On Behalf Of Twenty-Nine Palms Band Of Mission Indians Telegraph Avenue Advisors: Jenner & Block LLP On Behalf Of Yuroktribe Telegraph Avenue Advisors: Jenner & Block LLP On Behalf Of Northern Arapaho Tribe New Lobbying Terminations Hobbs, Straus, Dean & Walker, LLP: Comanche Nation Invariant LLC: Saildrone Mjs Advisors LLC: Arizona Chamber Of Commerce Mjs Advisors LLC: Arizona State University Mjs Advisors LLC: Rare Access Action Project Mjs Advisors LLC: Texas Association Of Business   A message from bp: bp added more than $70 billion to the US economy last year by keeping oil and gas flowing and developing more lower carbon energy. It’s and, not or. See what doing both means for energy nationwide.     Follow us

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