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April 22, 2021

This week in money-in-politics

Biden White House is bad business for Trump-tied lobbyists

Lobbying firms that flourished under former President Donald Trump are hemorrhaging corporate clients now that Joe Biden occupies the White House.

Trump campaigned on a promise to “drain the swamp.” But his election spawned a cottage industry of lobbyists — many of whom had not lobbied in Washington before 2017 — selling access to the president. After Trump’s defeat, every one of those lobbying firms saw their earnings decline in the first three months of 2021, and some shuttered entirely.

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Small-dollar donors get behind headline-grabbing lawmakers

Democrats edged out Republicans in fundraising from small-dollar donors during the first quarter of 2021, getting the 2022 election cycle off to an early — and expensive — start. Democratic congressional candidates received a cumulative $25.8 million from individuals donating $200 or less, representing more than a quarter of the party’s total first-quarter haul of nearly $101 million. Republicans raised less overall, bringing in $88.6 million total. A larger share — 29.4 percent — of the GOP’s 2021 sum came from small-dollar donations. Democratic Senate candidates edged out Republicans with small-dollar donors, raising a total of $11.4 million while Republicans running for Senate raised $9.9 million.
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GOP leadership bankrolls election objectors who lost PAC support

Republican congressional leaders are bankrolling the campaigns of lawmakers who challenged the 2020 election results, helping them offset the loss of corporate PAC donations. In the first quarter of 2021, House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) sent $388,000 from his campaign and leadership PAC to committees affiliated with 54 lawmakers who objected to the Electoral College results. During the same period in 2019, Scalise’s committees gave $100,000 to other lawmakers’ campaigns. Scalise gave far more to Republican election objectors than any corporate PAC. The House Freedom Fund, a leadership PAC linked to former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, gave $155,000 to these lawmakers.
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Greitens competes for Trump’s support in Missouri Senate primary

Former governor Eric Greitens, who resigned in 2018 after being indicted in connection with two criminal charges that were later dropped, is competing with Missouri Senate candidates over Trump-backed endorsements and funding. Vying for the open seat that two-term Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) will leave behind, Greitens raised around $27,000 since announcing his run on Mar. 22. He donated around $18,000 himself and roughly $9,300 came from donors. Greitens announced on Monday that Kimberly Guilfoyle, a former Trump campaign adviser and Donald Trump Jr.’s girlfriend, joined his campaign as national chair. The campaign sent emails from Guilfoyle on Tuesday reiterating the news and asking for donations.
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Biden-linked lobbyist quintuples Q1 revenue under new president

Jeff Ricchetti, the brother of White House counselor Steve Ricchetti, raked in $820,000 in lobbying revenue from January through March, according to lobbying filings released Tuesday. That’s nearly five times more than he earned during the same period last year.

The rapid rise in lobbying revenue indicates that corporate interests believe Ricchetti can help them access the White House, where his brother plays a prominent role advising President Joe Biden and negotiating the terms of the president’s proposed $2.3 trillion infrastructure package.

Ricchetti’s lobbying firm had its best start to the year since 2009, President Barack Obama’s first year in office, when it brought in $840,000 in the first quarter. Jeff and Steve Ricchetti worked at the firm at the time.

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OpenSecrets in the News

See our media citations from outlets around the nation this week:

Crypto Is Minting Lobbyists (The New York Times)
A growing web of trade groups aims to influence policies that will aid (or squash) the digital gold rush.
National money, small donors pour into Wyo’s U.S. House race (WyoFile)
The split within the GOP has carried over into the race for Wyoming's lone U.S. House seat, with Congresswoman Liz Cheney and her top intra-party opponents all posting strong fundraising numbers in the first quarter of 2021.
Several key officials leave U.S. Chamber of Commerce as lobbying group faces GOP criticism (CNBC)
Several key officials have left the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as the nation’s biggest business lobbying group shifts its priorities and changes its leadership. At least four of the Chamber’s key leaders left in recent months.

The Associated Press
The Washington Post
ABC News
CNN
The Hill
Politico
MarketWatch
Roll Call
Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette
Clarion Ledger
San Antonio Express-News
New Jersey Advance
E&E News
Anthropocene Magazine
The Guardian
Hong Kong Free Press
ProPublica

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Small-dollar donors get behind headline-grabbing lawmakers

GOP leadership bankrolls election objectors who lost PAC support

Greitens competes for Trump’s support in Missouri Senate primary

OpenSecrets in the News

See our media citations from outlets around the nation this week:

Crypto Is Minting Lobbyists (The New York Times) A growing web of trade groups aims to influence policies that will aid (or squash) the digital gold rush.

National money, small donors pour into Wyo’s U.S. House race (WyoFile) The split within the GOP has carried over into the race for Wyoming's lone U.S. House seat, with Congresswoman Liz Cheney and her top intra-party opponents all posting strong fundraising numbers in the first quarter of 2021.

See more here

Crypto Is Minting Lobbyists (The New York Times)
A growing web of trade groups aims to influence policies that will aid (or squash) the digital gold rush.

National money, small donors pour into Wyo’s U.S. House race (WyoFile)
The split within the GOP has carried over into the race for Wyoming's lone U.S. House seat, with Congresswoman Liz Cheney and her top intra-party opponents all posting strong fundraising numbers in the first quarter of 2021.