Nunberg working on Kosovo elections Presented by the Consumer Brands Association

With David Beavers and Daniel Lippman

NUNBERG WORKING ON KOSOVO ELECTIONS: Sam Nunberg, a former aide on President Donald Trump’s campaign in 2016 who made a name for himself through his combative TV appearances after being subpoenaed in the special counsel’s investigation, has joined another campaign. He’s working as an adviser to Kadri Veseli, the Democratic Party of Kosovo’s candidate for prime minister in the Oct. 6 elections. He’ll “provide public affairs and communications strategy services including strategic advice, public relations and government outreach,” according to a copy of the contract filed with the Justice Department. The contract, which was signed last week, is worth $110,000.


— Americans working in foreign elections aren’t typically required to register as foreign agents, but Nunberg said in an interview that he did so because his work involves reaching out to the media in the U.S. Nunberg declined to say which outlets he’d contacted, but The New York Post — which doesn’t closely cover politics in Kosovo — ran a story on Veseli this week. “Unlike my rivals, I am the only candidate running on promoting a strong and public partnership with the USA and the Trump White House,” Veseli said in a statement to the paper. And Newsmax, the conservative outlet run by Chris Ruddy, who’s a friend of Trump, ran an op-ed by Veseli on Wednesday.

— Nunberg might help set up meetings in Washington for Veseli if he wins but isn’t doing so before the election. “I’m not here selling access to the White House,” he said in an interview from Kosovo.

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BOVIM LEAVES SIGNAL FOR AVISA: Eric Bovim has left Signal Group to become chief executive of the U.S. arm of Avisa Partners, a European consulting firm. He departure from Signal Group, where he was a managing director, comes as three other veterans of the firm — Rob Chamberlin, Jeff Markey and Sam Whitehorn — leave to start their own lobbying shop, Elevate Government Affairs. In an interview, though, Bovim said the timing was coincidental.

WHY RYAN COSTELLO PLANS TO BECOME A LOBBYIST: Former Rep. Ryan Costello (R-Pa.) said he didn’t plan to become a lobbyist after leaving Congress in January. Now he’s reconsidering. Costello has consulted for various clients since leaving Congress, including the Climate Leadership Council and Everytown for Gun Safety but hasn’t registered to lobby. In an interview, though, he said he plans to register once House ethics rules allow him to lobby his former colleagues in January. “For me to really lean in on the policymaking side, the most effective way for me to do that would be to register,” he said.

— Costello changed his mind after he found himself referring clients or prospective clients to other lobbyists rather than doing the work himself. He also wanted to avoid any suspicion that he’s lobbying without registering. Asked whether his plans meant he’d never run for office again, he declined to rule it out. But “it’s my intention to do this without an eye toward electoral prospects down the line,” he said.

McGINLEY LANDS AT VOGEL GROUP: Bill McGinley, who served as Trump’s White House cabinet secretary before leaving this summer, has joined the Vogel Group as a principal. He has no plans to register as a lobbyist, he said in an interview, but he would restrict himself to lobbying Congress if he decides to lobby in the future, due to the restrictions in the administration’s ethics pledge.

DENHAM REGISTERS TO LOBBY: Former Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Calif.), who landed at K&L Gates after losing reelection last year, has registered to lobby for his first two clients. Denham and another K&L Gates lobbyist, Amy Carnevale, will lobby for PPG Industries, a Pittsburgh-based paint giant, on “customs and enforcement issues in Russia,” according to a disclosure filing. And Dennis Potter of K&L Gates and Denham will lobby for the World Dog Alliance, a nonprofit based in Hong Kong, on “banning the human consumption of dog and cat meat worldwide.” Denham is barred from lobbying Congress for three more months but he’s allowed to lobby the administration.

TRADE GROUPS CALL WARREN’S LOBBYING TAX UNCONSTITUTIONAL: K Street isn’t amused by Elizabeth Warren’s proposal to tax companies and trade groups that spend more than $500,000 a year on lobbying. “No matter how you spin this or what you call it, it would be an unconstitutional attack on manufacturers’ First Amendment rights,” Linda Kelly, the National Association of Manufacturers’ senior vice president for legal, general counsel and corporate secretary, said in a statement to The Hill. “We will always speak out for our values and our people, and we refuse to be silenced.”

THE FIRMS BEHIND FAKE COMMENTS IN THE NET NEUTRALITY FIGHT: BuzzFeed News’ Jeremy Singer-Vine and Kevin Collier report that “two little-known firms, Media Bridge and LCX Digital, working on behalf of industry group Broadband for America, misappropriated names and personal information” to submit fake comments in the fight over net neutrality. BuzzFeed News also found that LCX, an obscure advertising agency based in Southern California, has worked on at least two other campaigns that raised similar impersonation allegations — issues that were so alarming that state legislators in South Carolina and Texas referred the matters to law enforcement.”

CORRECTION: PI mischaracterized the nature of the Recording Academy’s advocacy day in Wednesday's edition. Industry professionals met with lawmakers in their districts.

JOBS REPORT

— Miles Taylor has joined Google as head of national security relations. He previously was chief of staff at the Department of Homeland Security.

— The American Network of Community Options and Resources has hired Shannon McCracken as vice president of government relations, effective Jan. 1. She currently is vice president of Kentucky community living for BrightSpring Health Services.

— Former Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-Pa.) has joined BAE Systems’ board of directors.

— Erik Hower and Carol Wilner are returning to AT&T on an interim basis, POLITICO’s Morning Tech reports. Hower will be vice president for global public affairs, and Wilner will be vice president for constituency relations.

SPOTTED: At an awards dinner held by the American Society of Association Executives — the trade group for people who lead trade groups — on Wednesday night at the National Building Museum, according to a PI tipster: Michelle Korsmo of Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America, Sal Martino of the American Society of Radiologic Technologists, Steve Anderson of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, Matthew Shay of the National Retail Federation, Tom Kuhn of the Edison Electric Institute, Paul Hartgen of National Association of Manufacturers, Steve Caldeira of Household & Commercial Products Association and Susan Robertson, Garet Turner, Mary Kate Cunningham, Nate Fisher, Jeff Evans and Chris Vest of the American Society of Association Executives.





New Joint Fundraisers

None

New PACs

Fighting for Maryland Action Fund (Super PAC)

Orthodox Vote (Super PAC)

Presidential Impeachment Defense Fund (PAC)

New Lobbying Registrations

Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld: Hillwood Development Company, LLC

CGCN Group, LLC (formerly known as Clark Geduldig Cranford & Nielsen, LLC): Creatures Great and Small

Christophersen Inc: Washington Cannabusiness Association

DCI Group, LLC: Raiffeisen Bank International AG

Ervin Hill Strategy: Absolute Software Corporation

Government Relations Group, LLC: Limitless Boats

Holland & Hart LLP: Vineyard Wind LLC

Husch Blackwell Strategies: Practical Employee Solutions on behalf of Kids Shouldn't Have Cancer Foundation

Imperium Global Advisors: Independent Payroll Providers Association

K&L Gates LLP: The World Dog Alliance Limited

King & Spalding LLP: Foundation for a Better Economy

Liz Robbins Associates: Banjo

Manger Group LLC: Major Cities Chiefs Associatrion [sic]

Match Group, Inc.: Match Group, Inc.

McLarty Inbound LLC: Melia Hotels International, S.A.

Mercury Public Affairs, LLC: JMA Services

ML Strategies, LLC: Safe Skies, LLC

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP: City of Burlington, North Carolina

Squire Patton Boggs: The Conti Group

The Roosevelt Group: InterContinental Hotels Group

Wynne Health Group: ChemistryRx

Wynne Health Group: City of Thornton

Wynne Health Group: Satellite Healthcare

New Lobbying Terminations

American Capitol Group: Chimerix, Inc.

BlueWater Strategies: San Gabriel Basin Water Quality Authority

Covington & Burling LLP: News Media Alliance

McDermott Will & Emery LLP: NGL Energy Partners

Mercury Public Affairs, LLC: 22nd Century

Rubin Health Policy Consulting, LLC: ElevatingHOME

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