Bernhardt hangs a shingle

Politico

02-06-2025

With help from Katherine Long and Daniel Lippman
FIRST IN PI — BERNHARDT STRIKES OUT ON HIS OWN: Former Interior Secretary David Bernhardt is launching his own shop on K Street to help companies navigate the second Trump administration. Bernhardt, a longtime former lobbyist at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, was originally tapped by President Donald Trump to serve as deputy Interior secretary before moving up to lead the department in the second half of Trump's first term.
— The Bernhardt Group will primarily provide strategic advice, but the former secretary said in an interview that the firm may do some lobbying work on an as-needed basis.
— 'We're at an incredibly dynamic time right now where things are moving at an incredible pace in government,' Bernhardt told PI, and people 'are really seeking the need to identify creative solutions, figure out how to navigate a pathway and then be able to execute a strategy in a way that will have a durable and meaningful result.'
— Bernhardt returned to Brownstein after Trump left office in 2021, and landed back at the firm earlier this year after taking time to, among other things, help steer Trump's transition team for the department Bernhardt once led.
— Also this year, he took on an expanded role as executive vice president at the pro-Trump think tank America First Policy Institute, joined the board of Trump's social media company and teamed up with former Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette in an effort to promote Trump's energy agenda.
— Several of his former colleagues at Brownstein will join Bernhardt as partners at the new firm. They include Bill McGrath, who also served as staff director for the House Oversight subcommittee that oversees the Interior department, Jon Hrobsky and Luke Johnson.
— Kate Gonzales, who worked for former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), is joining as a vice president from Brownstein; Samantha Hebert, who worked under Bernhardt at Interior, is joining from Brownstein as a senior adviser; and Phoebe Miner, a former Sinema and Kurt Schrader alum, is joining from Brownstein as director of operations and administration.
— A trio of Bernhardt alums is also coming over from RBW Group. Cole Rojewski, who is also a former chief of staff to top GOP lawmakers including former House Appropriations Chair Kay Granger, is joining as a partner along with Todd Willens, who was Bernhardt's chief of staff at Interior. Faith Vander Voort, a Hill GOP, Interior and Mike Pence alum, is joining from RBW as vice president of public affairs.
— Bernhardt, who wrote a book in 2023 outlining his takeaways on the 'failing administrative state,' told PI that his new team's 'tremendous expertise' on both the legislative and regulatory fronts will allow the firm to draw on various policymaking tools across the government. The goal is that the results, he said, 'will stand the test of time and potentially stand the test of administrations changing.'
— 'It's very different if you've been in the room, if you've made the decision, if you know what the decision maker is going to think about,' he said. 'I think that provides a unique perspective.'
— Bernhardt declined to name any of the new firm's clients. But he said its work won't be limited to natural resources policy and could encompass a number of issues the firm's staff have been involved in, from telecom and privacy to financial services and appropriations.
Happy Monday and welcome to PI. We hope you had a relaxing recess — now that you're back, send all the reconciliation tips. You can add me on Signal, email me at [e-mail], and be sure to follow me on X: @caitlinoprysko.
BUSINESS ROUNDTABLE ADDS TRADE LEAD: Business Roundtable has tapped Nasim Fussell to serve as vice president of trade and international policy. Fussell joins the business lobbying organization at a time of growing uncertainty and concern over Trump's tariff plans.
— Fussell previously served as senior vice president at government affairs and communications firm Lot Sixteen, where she led its international trade practice. She has also served as international trade counsel for the Senate Finance Committee and trade counsel for the House Ways and Means Committee.
— According to Business Roundtable, Fussell will work with member CEOs to 'develop and promote trade and investment policies that support a competitive American economy.'
— Fussell 'will play a critical role as we work with the Administration to advance policies that level the playing field for U.S. exporters, remove harmful tariffs and provide certainty for U.S. businesses,' Joshua Bolten, Business Roundtable's CEO, said in a press release.
SCHUMER AIDE LANDS AT RESOLUTION: Resolution Public Affairs, the lobbying firm started by former Chuck Schumer aide Heather McHugh, has brought on another former longtime aide to the Senate minority leader. Meghan Taira has joined the firm as a principal after almost two decades in Schumer's office, most recently as legislative director. Before joining Schumer's office, Taira worked for Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) and as a lobbyist at Arnold & Porter and Avalere Health.
THE ART OF NOT MAKING A DEAL: Big law firms that struck deals with the Trump administration to avoid punishment for perceived slights — in exchange for pro bono work on Trump-friendly issues — did so to avoid the glare of the spotlight and prevent an exodus by skittish clients. But folding amid the pressure, rather than fighting Trump in court, is beginning to impact firms' bottom lines anyway, The Wall Street Journal's Erin Mulvaney, Emily Glazer, C. Ryan Barber and Josh Dawsey found.
— 'At least 11 big companies are moving work away from law firms that settled with the administration or are giving—or intend to give—more business to firms that have been targeted but refused to strike deals,' including Oracle and Morgan Stanley.
— 'In interviews, general counsels expressed concern about whether they could trust law firms that struck deals to fight for them in court and in negotiating big deals if they weren't willing to stand up for themselves against Trump. The general counsel of a manufacturer of medical supplies said that if firms facing White House pressure 'don't have a hard line,' they don't have any line at all.'
AND YET: 'Trump's attempts to punish law firms that employed his perceived foes or handled cases he disliked have been bitingly rejected by courts, with three federal judges lambasting them as retaliatory and unconstitutional. … But the president's court losses, with a fourth case pending, are only part of the story,' per The Washington Post's Mark Berman.
— 'Lawyers say both the sanctions and the negotiated deals have had a chilling effect, with some firms declining to work on issues counter to the administration's goals, including on immigration.'
FLYING IN: The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association is kicking off a fly-in tomorrow, during which members will lobby for the repeal of a Biden-era rule requiring financial institutions to submit information about the race, ethnicity and gender of small-business loan recipients. The association will also push for the restoration of full expensing of capital investments, immediate deductions of research costs and full deductibility of business interest in the reconciliation bill.
AFP DROPPING $4M ON MEGABILL ADS: Americans for Prosperity is dropping another seven figures on an ad blitz to contain Republican defections on the House-passed reconciliation package and steer the bill through the Senate as lawmakers return from the Memorial Day recess.
— The campaign, part of a $20 million commitment from the Koch-backed group, will include 'video and digital ads that will air on cable, connected TV, and other digital platforms' with the TV ads initially slated to run in North Carolina, Louisiana, Maine, Idaho and D.C., CBS News' Hunter Woodall reports.
— ''The sooner the Senate advances the bill, the sooner Americans start seeing relief where they need it most,' said Brent Gardner, the organization's chief government affairs officer in a statement. The statement also noted the group is well aware that as the process being used to fast track the bill progressed 'the hill to climb was only going to get steeper.''
TRUMP VS. LEO: Trump openly attacked Leonard Leo, former Federalist Society chair, calling him a 'real sleazebag' in a Truth social post late Thursday evening. But Trump's allies have expressed discontent with Leo and his operation, which helped place hundreds of judges across the federal judiciary and tilt courts in conservatives' favor, long before Trump's public critiques, our Hailey Fuchs and Daniel Barnes write.
— 'Frustration had been growing among Trump and MAGA loyalists as a series of court rulings have hampered elements of Trump's second term agenda — including by the Supreme Court, appellate courts and district courts — and by judges Trump installed on the bench during his first term with Leo and the Federalist Society's guidance.'
—'On Thursday, Leo said in a statement, 'I'm very grateful for President Trump transforming the Federal Courts, and it was a privilege being involved. There's more work to be done, for sure, but the Federal Judiciary is better than it's ever been in modern history, and that will be President Trump's most important legacy.''
— 'Leo and the Federalist Society have been boxed out of the judicial nomination process as the second Trump White House has begun to name jurists for vacancies. But the Federalist Society had already been making moves in anticipation of some tension with Trump, given his recent rhetoric on the judiciary, said one person in conservative legal circles granted anonymity because of the sensitive dynamics.'
ALL IN ON AUTONOMY: Elon Musk is working to garner support from members of Congress to clear the way for driverless vehicles, as the Tesla CEO recenters his priorities on his business empires following his departure from the Department of Government Efficiency, David Welch, Edward Ludlow and Kara Carlson write for Bloomberg.
— Musk and those who work for him have been calling lawmakers in recent weeks to lobby on the effort, one that remains a large priority for electric carmaker company Tesla. He has also been weighing in on revisions to the 'Autonomous Vehicle Acceleration Act of 2025,' introduced May 15, which would begin implementation of a general framework for autonomous vehicles.
— 'The Trump administration has said it's amenable to federal rules for AVs and Musk has used Tesla's earnings calls to advocate for a federal framework for self-driving cars.'
— Musk will continue to advise Trump after his departure from DOGE. But his focus for Tesla remains largely on autonomy and robotics.
— 'Tesla plans to launch its long-anticipated rideshare service in Austin on June 12, using a small fleet of existing Model Y SUVs, Bloomberg reported. Tesla also aims to add purpose-built Cybercabs, expected to reach volume production next year, to its rideshare service.'
Jobs report
— Monica Welt is joining the Retail Industry Leaders Association as general counsel of RILA and president of the Retail Litigation Center. Welt previously served as deputy general counsel at Big Lots.
— Julia Schechter is now senior manager of policy comms at Snap. She previously was a PR manager at Apple.
— Jamison Cruce is launching Cruce Capitol Consulting. He previously was vice president of government affairs at USA Rice.
— Anna Newby is now director of global policy comms at Micron. She previously was director of comms at the National Nuclear Security Administration.
— Justin Vail has rejoined Protect Democracy as counsel and head of coalition advocacy. He previously was special assistant to the president for democracy and civic participation in the Biden White House.
— Brian Reich and Eric Hollister Williams are now senior vice presidents at One Strategy Group. Reich previously was deputy assistant secretary for strategic planning and director of speechwriting at HHS and is a Clinton White House alum. Williams previously was director of corporate communications at Apple.
— Reilly McBride is now vice president of policy and advocacy communications at JPMorgan Chase. She previously was deputy communications director for the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies and is an Invariant alum.
— Philip Bednarczyk is now director of the German Marshall Fund's Warsaw office. He previously was an adviser for Europe and Eurasia for the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
— Maggie Sklar has joined the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as senior director of public policy and advocacy. Sklar was most recently a senior complex financial institutions policy specialist at the FDIC.
— Christian Calvert is now press assistant for the House Energy and Commerce Committee. He previously was SEC program officer for campus advancement at Young America's Foundation.
— Patty Stolnacker is joining Cohesity to stand up its global government affairs team. She was previously public policy head of U.S. and Canada for Google's platforms and devices team and is a George W. Bush and Rick Santorum alum.
New Joint Fundraisers
None.
New PACs
AMERICA FIRST AGRICULTURE ACTION INC. (Super PAC)
Matthews First (PAC)
Solar for American Energy Dominance PAC (Super PAC)
Unbound PAC (PAC)
New Lobbying REGISTRATIONS
Anndyl Policy Group, LLC: The National Association For State Community Services Programs
Aquia Group, LLC: Podimetrics
Ballard Partners: Can Community Health
Ballard Partners: Composite Technology International, Inc.
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP: 3E, LLC
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP: Sterling Ranch, LLC
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP: Trajectory Energy Partners, LLC
Chamber Hill Strategies: Let Lahaina Rebuild Coalition
Colton Street Group: Recognition Music Group
Hither Creek Strategies, LLC: Leonardo Drs, Inc
Kelley Drye & Warren LLP: Ftc Modernization Coalition (Informal Coalition)
K&L Gates, LLP: Federated Hermes, Inc.
Miller & Chevalier, Chtd: American Staffing Assn
Nestpoint Associates LLC: Anchor Hocking Company
Nestpoint Associates LLC: Faraday&Future Inc.
Nestpoint Associates LLC: Lawn And Garden LLC
Ragnar Group LLC: Gypsum Resources Materials, LLC.
Ragnar Group LLC: Redding Rancheria
The Bennett Consulting Group: City Of Moab
The Bennett Consulting Group: Salt Lake County
The Bennett Consulting Group: Valid8
The Bennett Consulting Group: Vaquero Resources
Tsg Advocates Dc, LLC: American Airlines, Inc.
Tsg Advocates Dc, LLC: The Nemours Foundation
New Lobbying Terminations
Diroma Eck & Co. LLP: Konecranes Finland Corp.
Invariant LLC: Solugen, Inc.