| | | | |  | | By Caitlin Oprysko | Presented by ExxonMobil | With help from Daniel Lippman FIRST IN PI — GENSLER AIDE HEADS TO K STREET: Heather Slavkin Corzo, a former top adviser to SEC Chair Gary Gensler, is joining Mindset Advocacy as a principal. Slavkin Corzo left the SEC in May after three years as the Wall Street regulator’s policy director, where she became one of Gensler’s “most trusted advisers,” he said in a statement at the time. — Before that, she was a longtime AFL-CIO policy staffer, serving most recently as director of capital markets policy. Slavkin Corzo also worked for a pair of progressive financial advocacy groups, Principles for Responsible Investment and Americans for Financial Reform. — She does plan on registering to lobby for certain yet-to-be-determined clients at Mindset, whose financial services-heavy roster includes a number of organizations with an interest in the SEC’s work including Blackstone, the Financial Technology Association, Klarna, Wells Fargo, Regions Bank, Visa, Paradigm, Paxos, Nationwide Insurance, Mellon Financial and the American Investment Council. BPI LAUNCHES TAX GROUP: Democratic consultancy Bully Pulpit International is getting in on downtown’s frenzied preparations for next year’s tax fight with a new practice group led by partner Scott Mulhauser and managing director Adam Hodge. — Mulhauser is a former top aide on the Senate Finance Committee, and Hodge is a former Treasury official, and both are alumni of the Biden administration, so the firm feels it is “well equipped to help brands and philanthropies and organizations all move their issue forward in the space,” Mulhauser told PI. — Much of the activity right now is prep work, he added, so that clients can have their strategies ready to deploy as soon as the fog surrounding the future makeup of Washington clears after the election. “Now is the time that brands and causes are finding and focusing on their issues, determining their allies, and their opponents and their voices, and preparing their messaging and their research and their proof points to deploy them,” Mulhauser said. — Whereas on fights like the corporate tax rate there could be “thousands” of stakeholders jumping in, for some smaller provisions, there could just be a handful of entities engaging. But “those provisions are definitional” for clients, and it’ll be crucial to get the right messaging in front of the right audience, he said: “We're only limited by the amount of bandwidth there is to talk about and advertise on this stuff.” Happy Monday and welcome back to PI. We hope you had a relaxing break. What’s happening out there?: coprysko@politico.com. And be sure to follow me on X: @caitlinoprysko.
| | | | Understand 2024’s big impacts with Pro’s extensive Campaign Races Dashboard, exclusive insights, and key coverage of federal- and state-level debates. Focus on policy. Learn more. | | | | | LIBERAL MEDIA NETWORK BACKED BY DEM POWER ATTORNEYS: “A secretive local media network with ties to high-profile national Democratic operatives wants to convince regulators in Arizona that despite the political tilt of its stories, it is not a political entity and should not be subject to campaign finance disclosures,” Semafor’s Max Tani writes. — “Star Spangled Media operates a series of left-leaning websites including the Morning Mirror, a difficult-to-find, barebones blog that for the last few months has periodically published a few unbylined stories about seemingly random topics.” — “Over the last few weeks, Star Spangled Media has started spending a modest amount to boost Morning Mirror stories on Facebook that tout the pro-abortion rights records of local Democratic candidates running for Michigan House seats.” — “The site is low on content, but it has the backing of the law firm led by Marc Elias, perhaps the Democratic Party’s best known elections litigator and a central player in 2024’s politics. And Elias’ law firm is moving to ensure the odd blog is treated as a journalistic operation, not a political one.” ANNALS OF FUNDRAISING, THEN: From last summer up until this March, President Joe Biden hosted around a dozen meetings at the White House with longtime party donors, after which those donors cut massive checks to his reelection effort, our Jennifer Haberkorn and Elena Schneider report. — That includes tech entrepreneur Mark Pincus, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and former Twilio CEO Jeff Lawson, who each donated more than half a million to Biden’s joint fundraising committee in the weeks before or after meeting with Biden at the White House in December. — “All told, of the 50 largest contributions to the Biden Victory Fund through the end of March, just over half (27) of the donors or their spouses had a meeting with a small group of people at the White House. Many of them — and additional donors — also attended other meetings or holiday parties or, in a handful of cases, state dinners at the White House.” — “The meetings — held long before the June debate that brought simmering concerns about Biden’s age to the fore — were designed to address any concerns of major Democratic donors, including policies and Biden’s cognitive abilities, by seeing Biden in action in a small setting.” — They also “came at a time when the Biden reelection campaign was ramping up and when it became more readily apparent that the president would need to rely more fully on megadonors rather than the grassroots fundraising spigot that had propelled his 2020 campaign.” ANNALS OF FUNDRAISING, NOW: As concerns continue to mount about Biden’s ability to win in November, anxious Democratic financiers are mobilizing to put in place a financial infrastructure in case the president does — despite repeated, stern denials of such plans — withdraw from the race. — One group of donors “is working to raise as much as $100 million for a sort of escrow fund, called the Next Generation PAC, that would be used to support a replacement candidate” or else be used to boost down-ballot Democrats if Biden doesn’t step down, per The New York Times’ Ken Vogel, Teddy Schleifer and Lauren Hirsch. — A separate group led by former Intuit and PayPal CEO Bill Harris has corralled $2 million to fund “mini-primary” debates to find Biden’s replacement, The Washington Post’s Theo Meyer reported over the holiday weekend. — And as other major donors have announced plans to pause contributions to Biden or committees and groups supporting him and other Democrats, the Times’ Reid Epstein, Maggie Haberman, Schleifer and Vogel report the hesitancy has thrown the president’s fundraising schedule in flux, with plans for at least one potential fundraiser scrapped after lagging interest. GOP HOMES IN ON CASEY’S FAMILY: “Bob Casey Jr. rode a wave of reform to the U.S. Senate in 2006, standing out with other Democrats who vowed to end a culture of scandal and self-dealing in Washington, D.C.,” NBC News’ Henry Gomez reports, but “nearly two decades later, Casey faces a tough fight for a fourth term, along with accusations that friends and family have benefited from his political career.” NOT GOING DOWN WITHOUT (ANOTHER) FIGHT: “The telecom industry has unleashed a barrage of lawsuits designed to block a major policy goal of the Biden administration, a new internet-fairness regime it hopes to lock down ahead of the November election,” our John Hendel reports, “showcasing the kind of behind-the-scenes Washington fight that can flare in an election year as a White House tries to cement its legacy.” — “The suits, filed in the closing days of May in federal courts across the country, opened a new front in the battle over ‘net neutrality,’ a policy the Federal Communications Commission voted to adopt in April. Net neutrality rules guarantee all web users equal access to the internet without throttling or blocking particular sites. The rules are set to go into effect July 22, unless a court blocks them.” — “In adopting the new policy, the FCC revived an argument that has raged on and off for nearly 20 years — triggering a fresh and expensive legal battle between the government and one of Washington’s most powerful lobbies.”
| | | | A message from ExxonMobil: The world needs ways to reduce carbon emissions. At ExxonMobil, we’re working on solutions in our own operations – like carbon capture and clean energy from hydrogen – that could also help in other industries like manufacturing, commercial transportation and power generation, too. Helping deliver heavy industry with low emissions. | | | | | — Peter Chandler has joined Internet Works as its first executive director. He was previously senior vice president of federal policy and government relations at TechNet. — Saira Jesani will be the next executive director of the Data & Trust Alliance. She was previously deputy executive director, and succeeds Jon Iwata, who will become the organization's executive chair. — Andrew Hinkebein is joining Bollinger Shipyards as director of government affairs. He was previously a state director for Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) and is a Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) alum. — Mark Hayes has joined the Futures Industry Association as vice president of global communications. He previously was vice president of communications at the Farm Credit Council. — Zamaan Qureshi is joining watchdog group Accountable Tech as campaigns associate, per Morning Tech. He will continue as co-chair of youth advocacy organization Design It For Us, and previously worked at The Real Facebook Oversight Board. — Jasmine Vasquez is now head of U.S. public policy at Pinterest. She previously was manager of government affairs and public policy at YouTube and is a Xavier Becerra and Hill alum. — Kristin Lee is now vice president for communications and client advocacy at Waystar. She most recently was director for technology communications at Meta and is an Obama OSTP alum. — Nathan Yanez is joining Invariant’s strategic communications and public affairs team as a manager. He previously was senior account executive at Lucas Public Affairs. — Ian Hopkins has joined Foley & Lardner as a public affairs adviser. He recently graduated from the Catholic University of America and previously interned for Rep. Gabe Amo (D-R.I.) and Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.).
| | | | A message from ExxonMobil:   | | | | | Fong Victory Fund (Rep. Vince Fong, For Our Nation's Greatness, Resilience, Excellence, Strength, and Security (FONGRESS) PAC, NRCC) Victory Now for Gallego (Rep. Ruben Gallego, Victory Now PAC) Wyden Hassan Victory Fund (Sen. Ron Wyden, Maggie Hassan)
| | Alliance for Freedom and Responsibility (Super PAC) El Paso Electric Company Employee PAC - Federal (PAC) Future Coalition PAC (Super PAC) Get Out the Vote (PAC) OREGONIANS FOR TRUTH AND ACCOUNTABILITY PAC (Super PAC) Replace Biden Super Pac (Super PAC) Shining the Light on the Red White and Blue (PAC) State Building & Construction Trades Council of California Federal PAC (Super PAC)
| | | | A message from ExxonMobil: Heavy industry accounts for nearly 30% of global carbon emissions. For these businesses, setting and achieving meaningful carbon-reduction goals can be complex. At ExxonMobil, we’ve been working on reducing our own carbon emissions. At our Baytown plant, one of the world’s largest integrated refining and petrochemical operations, we’re working to deploy hydrogen power and carbon capture to reduce emissions by up to 30%. Now, we’re taking solutions like these to others in heavy industry. Using our technologies, we can help these businesses create a plan to make similar reductions. And together, we can deliver a lower-emissions future. Let's deliver. | | | | | New Lobbying REGISTRATIONS | | 2020 Strategies LLC: Dfi Action A2 Strategies, LLC: Phibro Animal Health Corporation Alston & Bird LLP: Kerecis Ark Strategy: Forescout Technologies, Inc. Avoq, LLC (Fra Team Subject Matter, LLC): Defend Solar USA Alliance Capitol Hill Consulting Group: City Of Panama City Beach Ibex2 Solutions, LLC: O'Brien, Gentry, & Scott Obo Tekniam Liberty Partners Group, LLC: Wellvana Health LLC Mason Street Consulting, LLC: Alliance Of Licensed Medicare Insurance Agencies (Almia) Military Veterans Of America: Military Veterans Of America Ms. Elizabeth Lavach: Dbv Technology Schagrin Associates: U.S. Octg Manufacturers Asscociation
| | New Lobbying Terminations | | 2020 Strategies LLC: American Federation For Children Avoq, LLC (Fra Team Subject Matter, LLC): Arcelormittal North America Holdings LLC Avoq, LLC (Fra Team Subject Matter, LLC): Graphjet Technology Sdn Bhd Coaspire, LLC: Robotic Construction Technologies, Inc Dentons US LLP: Brookfield Renewable Energy Marketing US LLC Dentons US LLP: Capital Power Corporation Dentons US LLP: Dc Water Haley & Associates: California Fig Advisory Board Haley & Associates: Valley Fig Growers Holland & Knight LLP: Bluebird Strategies Holland & Knight LLP: Business Valuation Resources, LLC Holland & Knight LLP: Erlanger Health System Holland & Knight LLP: Flo Services USa Inc. Holland & Knight LLP: Independent Sector Holland & Knight LLP: Perimeter Solutions Holland & Knight LLP: Relativity Space Holland & Knight LLP: Uc Health Holland & Knight LLP: University Of Arizona Health Sciences Holland & Knight LLP: USn Opco, LLC D/B/A Panoramic Health Holland & Knight LLP: Volta Industries, Inc. J. Keith Kennedy: Association Of America's Public Television Stations Legation Strategies, LLC: American Nuclear Insurers Mcguirewoods Consulting (A Subsidiary Of Mcguirewoods LLP): Americans For Transparency And Accountability Mr. Rex Sherry: Clark Street Associates On Behalf Of Witricity Tauzin Strategic Networks: Partnership For Quality Home Healthcare The Vogel Group: Smp Automotive Systems Alabama The Vogel Group: Smr Automotive Mirrors International USa Inc
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