Brownstein will lobby for Pakistan

With Daniel Lippman

FIRST IN PI — BROWNSTEIN WILL LOBBY FOR PAKISTAN: The Pakistani government has brought on a team of lobbyists from Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, including former Sen. Mark Begich, to represent its interests in Washington amid the ongoing humanitarian fallout of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, according to a copy of the contract obtained by PI.

— Brownstein’s contract with the Pakistani Embassy is worth $100,000 per month, to be paid quarterly, and includes Mimi Burke, Sean Callahan, David Cohen, Nadeam Elshami, Marc Lampkin, Doug Maguire, Al Mottur and Ari Zimmerman, in addition to Begich. It comes as Pakistan has continued to engage with the U.S., Russia and China in the wake of the pullout of U.S. troops from Afghanistan and the Taliban’s subsequent takeover. Representatives from those countries, or the extended troika, met last week in Islamabad to discuss what they described in a joint statement as a “severe humanitarian and economic situation in Afghanistan.” The extended troika also met with Taliban leaders on the sidelines of those talks, where they called on the Taliban to allow “unhindered humanitarian access” and pushed for the restoration of rights for women and girls.

— In a statement, Brownstein spokesperson Lara Day said that the firm will work to “forge stronger Pakistan-U.S. bilateral relations” following the withdrawal, which she contended is “essential to regional peace and stability, strong counterterrorism efforts, and promotion of economic growth and trade.” Day noted that Pakistan is also “at the crossroads of developments in and between Iran and China, making it strategically important to both the U.S. and European partners.”

Good afternoon and welcome to PI. Send lobbying tips: [email protected] And be sure to follow me on Twitter: @caitlinoprysko.

MORE NEW BUSINESS: As lawmakers gear up for a grueling end-of-year legislative sprint (literally), the Moroccan Embassy has enlisted a team from Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld that includes Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a former Florida congresswoman and House Foreign Affairs chair, to try to secure wins for the kingdom in annual defense policy legislation as well as a fiscal 2022 spending bill, according to Justice Department filings.

— The three-month, $120,000 contract began this month, days after the Senate Appropriations Committee unveiled its spending bill for the State Department and foreign operations that would bar funding for a U.S. consulate in the Moroccan-occupied Western Sahara, where tensions have recently begun to flare.

— As part of negotiations for the kingdom to normalize diplomatic relations with Israel late last year, former President Donald Trump broke with previous U.S. policy as well as that of the EU, United Nations and African Union in recognizing Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed territory. The administration then followed that up with an announcement of plans to open a consulate in Western Sahara, and this summer a State Department official indicated during a visit to Rabat that the Biden administration does not plan to reverse the Trump administration’s declaration, according to the Times of Israel.

— Ros-Lehtinen and Akin Gump’s Ed Pagano, a longtime chief of staff to Senate Appropriations Chair Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), as well as Hans Rickhoff and Geoff Verhoff, will also work to secure changes to the NDAA, which the Senate could begin to take up as soon as today and which would limit Rabat’s participation in U.S.-led military exercises unless Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin certifies that the kingdom “has taken steps to support a final peace agreement with Western Sahara.” They will also “educate Members of Congress and the U.S. public on the importance, and strategic importance of the bilateral relationship,” between Rabat and Washington, according to the DOJ filings.

INFLUENCE REAL ESTATE CORNER: “The storm clouds circling in Congress around tech titans like Amazon and Google are drawing energy from an unlikely hub of anti-Silicon Valley fervor: a nearby townhouse owned by another huge tech company,” POLITICO’s Emily Birnbaum reports.

— “The red-brick home that Oracle owns two blocks south of the Capitol has long been a popular waypoint on the D.C. fundraising and lobbying circuit, one of a sea of townhouses that corporations and advocacy groups use as perches of D.C. influence.” Beyond the tech industry, UPS also owns a townhouse in the neighborhood, and just around the corner is the Amway House, the D.C. headquarters for the multi-level marketing giant, as well as the townhouse for the Allied Pilots Association union.

— But the Oracle house has seen an “uptick in fundraisers for lawmakers pushing legislation that would rein in the cloud and database company’s Big Tech competitors,” from Rep. David Cicilline, “the Rhode Island Democrat pushing an aggressive package of tech antitrust bills, to Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), who heads the House’s largest conservative caucus.”

— “‘It’s a beautiful space,’ said Ken Glueck, Oracle’s top lobbyist, explaining the house’s popularity among the lawmakers and tech industry insiders that the company aims to woo. He added: ‘Do I think it’s effective? Absolutely it’s effective.’” The four-story, four-bedroom townhouse, legally owned by an LLC operated by an Oracle executive, is situated at a location “ideal for getting Congress’ ear: just across a park from the House office buildings, a block from the Capitol Hill hangout Tortilla Coast, and an easy walk to both the Democratic and Republican national party headquarters. It is steadily climbing back to full operation after pausing all live events during the pandemic, a monthslong stretch during which the townhouse underwent renovations.”

— “‘It leverages our footprint. It gives us visibility,’ Glueck said, standing in the townhouse’s blindingly white foyer. The building has amenities that are attractive to busy lawmakers and their congressional staff: a high-ceilinged conference room, a versatile open space for fundraising events complete with TV screens, a kitchen with full amenities and a rooftop deck for the summertime. Not to mention that it has a stocked wine cooler, though Glueck said the townhouse doesn’t host events past 10 p.m. to avoid any raucous partying.”

NOT ALL SMOOTH SAILING FOR THE CRYPTO LOBBY: As cryptocurrency startups and lobbying groups rush to amass influence in Washington by building up their advocacy footprints, The Washington Post’s Tory Newmyer details efforts that insiders concede have “been both late and haphazard.”

— For instance, seven months after the launch of the lobbying group the Crypto Council for Innovation, which counts Fidelity, Square, Coinbase, Andreessen Horowitz and Ribbit Capital as members, “the council still hasn’t opened its doors in Washington. Nor has it hired any staff. The project has snagged on picking a chief executive, and its membership … is at odds in part over whether to recruit a Washington veteran or a crypto executive for the job, people close to the process said.”

— “Crypto pioneers pride themselves on their resistance to top-down organizing, arguing that the alternative financial infrastructure they are building on decentralized computing networks will prove faster, safer and cheaper for consumers than the established version that relies on banks to serve as middlemen for borrowing and payments.”

— “Lobbyists involved in the effort said executives are struggling to adapt that philosophy to a Washington mission that would benefit from empowering a representative to serve as crypto’s face to policymakers. ‘The industry has anarchic DNA,’ one veteran lobbyist said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to offer a candid assessment. ‘Building a hierarchy to negotiate with government is antithetical to why most of these guys got into this in the first place.’”

BRUNSWICK GROUP PROMOTES FIVE: Courtney Chiang Dorman has been promoted to managing partner of the Americas at Brunswick Group, while Mylene Mangalindan and Darren McDermott will become co-heads of the San Francisco office. The office’s former head, Ash Spiegelberg, will become global co-lead of the firm’s technology, media and telecoms sector group, and Lauren Nadig will become head of the Dallas office, succeeding Mark Palmer who will focus full time on advising clients. Nadig will also continue to serve as chief of operations for the Americas.

— Kachina Weaver has joined Brownstein as a strategic consulting adviser in the firm’s Denver office. She’s the founder and principal of Weaver Strategies, and previously served as deputy legislative director to Colorado Gov. Jared Polis.

— Jessica Klement has joined the American Society of Travel Advisors as vice president of advocacy. She was most recently staff vice president of policy and programs at the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association.

— Mike Gill is joining the Housing Policy Council as senior vice president of capital markets. He previously was chief of staff, head of strategy and senior vice president at Common Securitization Solutions.

— J. David Grossman is returning to the Consumer Technology Association as vice president of regulatory affairs. He was most recently executive director of the GPS Innovation Alliance and is an FCC and Anna Eshoo alum.

— Valery Galasso is now chief of policy for telecommunications at the New York State Department of Public Service, for which she was appointed by Gov. Kathy Hochul. She most recently was a producer at Participant Media and is also an alum of the FCC and Joe Biden’s vice presidential office.

— Will Baskin-Gerwitz is now comms director for Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.). He previously was a regional press secretary for the DNC, and is a Joe Donnelly alum.

None.

Crimson Goes Blue, Inc. (Hybrid PAC)
FIGHT POVERTY PAC (PAC)
New Jersey First PAC (PAC)
New North Carolina Project PAC (Hybrid PAC)
Put Florida First (Super PAC)
School Freedom Fund (Super PAC)

Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld: Mondelēz Global LLC
Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz /The Daschle Group: Texas Essential Healthcare Partnerships
Bassglp LLC: Aptera Motors, Inc.
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP: Moody’s Corporation
Capitol Hill Consulting Group: Dr. Michael Reed
Capitol Venture LLC: Othram, Inc.
Confluence Government Relations: The Livingston Group On Behalf Of Mr. Stephen Hebert
Duddington Global Strategies LLC: Amazon.com, Inc.
Duddington Global Strategies LLC: Capitol Venture LLC On Behalf Of Othram, Inc.
Genesis Partners Palm Beach LLC: Educational Partners International LLC
Genesis Partners Palm Beach LLC: Intermex Wire Transfer LLC
Hill East Group, LLC: Card & Associates On Behalf Of Inner State
K&L Gates, LLP: Dac Investment Management, LLC
Linchpin Strategies, LLC: Council For Professional Recognition
Miller & Chevalier Chartered: Mt. Vernon Investments Lp
The Birch Group LLC: Ft. Abraham Lincoln Foundation
Troutman Pepper Strategies (Fka Troutman Sanders Public Affairs Group, LLC): Accessdx Laboratory, LLC
Troutman Pepper Strategies (Fka Troutman Sanders Public Affairs Group, LLC): W. C. Bradley Co.
Woodberry Associates: Des Moines Water Works

Birch, Horton, Bittner & Cherot: Christina Stathis
Birch, Horton, Bittner & Cherot: Rough & Ready Guide Service, Inc.
Government Relations Group, LLC: Ancient City Brunch Bar
Government Relations Group, LLC: Limitless Boats
Government Relations Group, LLC: Pendullum Powere Amd Water, LLC