Zodiac killer-themed super PAC will go after Cruz Presented by American Academy of Dermatology Association

With David Beavers and Aubree Eliza Weaver

ZODIACPAC WILL GO AFTER CRUZ: Democrats appear to have formed a new super PAC to attack Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), based on the meme that Cruz is the Zodiac killer. The website of the super PAC, zodiacPAC, states clearly that Cruz is not the killer. “That would be ridiculous,” the site says. “The Zodiac Killer was a brutal murderer in the 1960s, before Ted Cruz was born. The zodiac meme is like a political cartoon for the digital age. It's outlandish, but it highlights Ted Cruz's fundamental meanness — someone who cares more about his own ambition and fame than the people of Texas.”


— The website describes the super PAC, which registered on Wednesday with the FEC, as “a political action committee founded by young Houstonians, out of a belief that there are lots of Texans who don't feel represented by the likes of Ted Cruz. Many of the most conservative and senior leaders in Congress come from our great state; the November 2018 election is an important opportunity to challenge conservative Republicans' support for Donald Trump's racist, sexist, elitist agenda.” While it’s hard to tell whether there’s real money behind a super PAC when it first registers, its slick website and use of an established Democratic compliance firm suggest it could raise enough to be a thorn in Cruz’s side. The super PAC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

ALPINE GROUP LANDS THREE: The Alpine Group has signed two blue-chip clients, AECOM and GlaxoSmithKline. Barry Brown and Rhod Shaw will lobby for AECOM on Energy Department contracting, according to a disclosure filing, and James Hawkins and Les Spivey will lobby for GlaxoSmithKline. (AECOM also signed the S-3 Group recently to lobby on the Energy Department’s environmental cleanup program.) The Alpine Group has also signed Nuix North America, a software firm.

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INSIDE PHILIP MORRIS’ CAMPAIGN AGAINST GLOBAL ANTI-SMOKING EFFORTS: A new investigation from Reuters’ Aditya Kalra, Paritosh Bansal, Duff Wilson and Tom Lasseter sheds light on Philip Morris’ campaign against the World Health Organization’s efforts to combat smoking. “Reuters has found that Philip Morris International is running a secretive campaign to block or weaken treaty provisions that save millions of lives by curbing tobacco use.”

— “In an internal document, the company says it supported the enactment of the treaty. But Philip Morris has come to view it as a ‘regulatory runaway train’ driven by ‘anti-tobacco extremists’ – a description contained in the document, a 2014 PowerPoint presentation. Confidential company documents and interviews with current and former Philip Morris employees reveal an offensive that stretches from the Americas to Africa to Asia, from hardscrabble tobacco fields to the halls of political power, in what may be one of the broadest corporate lobbying efforts in existence.” Full story .

NCTA NABS McINTOSH AS SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT: “Cable industry trade group NCTA has tapped Joanna McIntosh as its next senior vice president for government relations, the group announced this morning,” POLITICO’s Steven Overly reports. “McIntosh most recently worked as the executive vice president for global policy and external affairs at the Motion Picture Association of America. Before that, she spent nine years working in federal relations for Verizon and nearly three years at AT&T, according to her LinkedIn profile. … Rita Lewis, NCTA's former government relations lead, shifted to a part-time role at the association earlier this year.” Full story.

MEET THE FIXERS: The new issue of CQ Magazine profiles five very different Washington “fixers”: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.); Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.); Lisa Curtis, a South Asia adviser to National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster; the consultant Ron Bonjean; and Nancy Jacobson of No Labels. Bonjean is probably the figure of most interest to the K-Street types who read this newsletter. Bonjean “burnished his credentials most recently as then-Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch’s spokesman,” CQ’s Shawn Zeller writes. “He came out of the Gorsuch fight unscathed and with fresh ties to the White House counsel’s office. With an administration that continues to have trouble communicating its message, Bonjean is sure to resurface.” Full story.

DRAMA AT THE CHAMBER: “A feud has erupted inside Washington’s most powerful business lobby,” The Hill’s Megan Wilson reports. “The U.S.-India Business Council’s (USIBC) board of directors voted 29-0 last week to cut ties with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.” But “the Chamber says the vote will not be recognized because the USIBC has no legal right to separate. … In a letter sent Tuesday evening, Chamber President and CEO Tom Donohue told USIBC members the council “is part of the Chamber, and the Chamber does not plan to transition it anywhere.’” Full story.

FEC LETS LAWMAKERS USE CAMPAIGN FUNDS FOR HOME SECURITY: “The FEC unanimously adopted a plan today allowing members of Congress to use their campaign funds to install or upgrade home security systems,” POLITICO’s Maggie Severns reports. “The FEC took up the issue after the House sergeant-at-arms sent a request to the commission last month, explaining that lawmakers are increasingly facing threats to their safety and asking if campaign funds could be used to help upgrade their homes. While the FEC had occasionally allowed lawmakers to spend campaign funds on home security on a case-by-case basis, there was no guidance allowing lawmakers to do so without bringing the issue to the FEC first.” Full story.

CONSERVATIVE GROUPS SEND LETTER BACKING ANTI-UNION BILL: A clutch of conservative groups sent a letter to members of Congress today urging them to back legislation reining in labor unions. The bill, introduced by Rep. Phil Roe (R-Tenn), “would ensure unions remain accountable to workers by requiring periodic recertification referendums after significant workforce turnover, asking workers if they wish to remain represented by their current union,” the groups write in the letter. The signatories include Americans for Prosperity, the Club for Growth, Freedom Partners, Americans for Tax Reform and Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, among others. Here’s the full letter.

FROM OUR BRITISH CORRESPONDENTS: “Whatever the outcome of Brexit negotiations, one set of people looks certain to cash in: British lobbyists,” POLITICO Europe’s Tom McTague reports. “The legal and regulatory uncertainty triggered by Britain’s departure from the European Union is sparking a business boom for lobbying firms that specialize in influencing the messy business of lawmaking in Westminster and Brussels. ‘Someone once said to me if the London population is going to go up, invest in rats: more people, more rats,’ said Katie Perrior, former director of communications for Prime Minister Theresa May. “It’s quite simple: more regulation, more lobbying.’” Full story.

JOBS REPORT

— The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America has promoted Charles Symington Jr. to senior vice president for external, industry and government affairs. He’s been with the trade group known as “Big I” since 2004.

— Ditto, the Brooklyn-based public relations firm, has hired Blain Rethmeier to open a San Francisco office, per Playbook, with plans to start hiring immediately. He’ll target small- to mid-size companies and startups interested in help with Washington communications. He was previously a managing director at Edelman, handling corporate and crisis work for the Western region.

— Shontelle Dodson, a senior vice president and the head of medical affairs for the Americas at Astellas, has joined the board of directors of the National Pharmaceutical Council.

— Alston & Bird has added Stuart Rogers as a partner in the New York office, advising investment banks on mergers and acquisitions. He was previously a managing director at Credit Suisse.

ON THE CALENDAR: Salem Media Group will hold a special broadcast from the White House on July 25 featuring syndicated talk radio hosts including Hugh Hewitt, Mike Gallagher, Dennis Prager, Michael Medved, Larry Elder and Eric Metaxas, according to the company, as well as local hosts. "The day’s radio broadcast theme Made in America will feature senior members of the Trump Administration as program guests on approximately 20 Salem Media Group radio shows," Salem Media said in a statement.

NEW JOINT FUNDRAISERS:

None

NEW PACs:

Building A National Knowledgeable Security PAC (Unknown)

Coalition For American Veterans Political Action Committee (Super PAC)

Next Generation PAC (PAC)

Pay Attention Citizens (PAC)

Sanity Prevails 2020 (Unknown)

zodiacPAC (Super PAC)

NEW LOBBYING REGISTRATIONS:

Alpine Group, Inc.: AECOM

Alpine Group, Inc.: GlaxoSmithKline LLC

Alpine Group, Inc.: Nuix North America, Inc.

Alston & Bird LLP: Convenience Distribution Association

East End Group, LLC: PaxVax

Ervin Hill Strategy: IOMAX USA, Inc.

Faegre Baker Daniels: Homesteaders Life Company

Goldhaber Policy Services LLC: Renew Financial Group LLC

Hannegan Landau Poersch & Rosenbaum Advocacy, LLC: American Life, Inc.

Health and Medicine Counsel of Washington: The National Pancreas Foundation

Kevin Kayes LLC: Sony Corporation of America

King & Spalding LLP: Ipsco Tubulars, Inc. (dba TMK IPSCO)

LeBlanc Government Relations, LLC: Crossroads Strategies on behalf of ProFish Americas

LeBlanc Government Relations, LLC: Crossroads Strategies on behalf of the City of Fife, WA

LeBlanc Government Relations, LLC: Crossroads Strategies on behalf of United States Seafoods, LLC

Lincoln Policy Group: GPS Capital Markets

Lincoln Policy Group: National Association for Home Care and Hospice

Lincoln Policy Group: Verax Biomedical

Scully Roskey and Missmar: Novartis Corporation

The McKeon Group, Inc.: GC Services LP

Ultra Electronics Defense Inc: Ultra Electronics Defense Inc.

NEW LOBBYING TERMINATIONS:

ADS Ventures, Inc.: Chesapeake Testing

ADS Ventures, Inc.: National Decision Support Company

Alpine Group, Inc.: American Rental Association

Alpine Group, Inc.: Magellan Midstream Partners L P

Baker & Hostetler LLP: FINRA Financial Industry Regulatory Authority

Balch & Bingham, LLP: Black Hall Aerospace, Inc.

Barnett Sivon & Natter, P.C.: Council Of Federal Home Loan Banks

Global Communicators, LLC formerly Harff Communications Inc: TeleQuality Communications, Inc.

Health and Medicine Counsel of Washington: Hepatitis Foundation International

Hunt Alternatives, LLC: Hunt Alternatives, LLC

Jackson Vaughn Public Strategies: FirstCash Inc

Jackson Vaughn Public Strategies: Smart Payment Plan

Leavitt Partners, LLC: Underwriters Laboratories (UL)

McGuireWoods Consulting: Adeptus Health

Mr. Hugh McGillicuddy: Mirage Systems

Podesta Group, Inc.: Marathon Pharmaceuticals, LLC

Roberti Global (fka Roberti White, LLC): SolarCity

The Duberstein Group Inc.: Federation Of Korean Industries

The Duberstein Group Inc.: Sanofi-Aventis U.S. Inc.

The Duberstein Group Inc.: Social Finance, Inc. (SoFi)

The McKeon Group, Inc.: Fix Development Group, LLC

The McKeon Group, Inc.: Gold Coast Medical Supply

The McKeon Group, Inc.: LSI Party

The McKeon Group, Inc.: PTC, Inc.

The McKeon Group, Inc.: The Cormac Group (U.S. Education Servicing, LLC)

The McKeon Group, Inc.: United States Tamil Political Action Council

The Smith-Free Group, LLC: Network for Investor Action and Protection

Williams and Jensen, PLLC: Butterfly Effects, LLC

Williams and Jensen, PLLC: ChanceLight Behavioral Health & Education

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