KochPAC donates to Cruz Presented by the Consumer Brands Association

With help from Jesse Rifkin and Emily Kopp

ROLL MY WINDOWS DOWN, AND CRUZ: The latest FEC filing from Ted Cruz's leadership PAC, the Jobs, Growth & Freedom Fund, shows a $5,000 contribution from KochPAC. Because it's through the leadership PAC, the money couldn't be used toward Cruz's presidential bid. KochPAC has also contributed to the Senate campaigns of Rand Paul and Marco Rubio (although the donation to Rubio did end up getting transferred to his presidential campaign, since he's not seeking reelection in the Senate). Charles Koch has said he isn't taking sides in the primary.


KNOW WHEN TO FOLD 'EM: The Campaign for Accountability, the watchdog group that earlier this month asked the the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the Federal Election Commission to investigate Sheldon Adelson and his Las Vegas Sands Corporation, retracted several of its accusations after Adelson provided evidence to the contrary. In a follow-up letter to the Senate committee, the Campaign for Accountability attached a letter from Adelson's lawyer threatening to sue for libel. If this sounds familiar, it could be because the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee retracted and apologized for similar allegations in 2012, also under threat of litigation.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Enjoy the holiday, everyone. PI will be back on Monday, featuring highlights of relatives' political commentary that made everyone groan. Send yours (and tips) to [email protected].

SAY IT WITH BILLBOARDS: The Outdoor Advertising Association of America yesterday put up 20 bus shelter billboards in D.C. and seven digital billboards in Baltimore congratulating retiring Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) on receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom. (Is that an in-kind contribution? Whatever, she's not running.)

RESOURCES: Rio Tinto promoted Todd Malan, currently head of the mining giant’s D.C. office, to vice president, external affairs & communications, Americas. Malan (formerly a Goldman Sachs managing director in Washington) adds responsibility for media and communications in addition to government relations, and reports to Simone Niven, Rio Tinto’s global head of external affairs & communications in London.

STARTUP: Bennett Resnik started Tower Advisory Group to provide regulatory and strategic advice to the energy industry. "For example, foreign investors are paying significant attention to how certain policies drive regulatory requirements in the United States, and how these requirements may impact their investments," Resnik said.

TPP WATCH: From POLITICO Pro's Victoria Guida and Colin Wilhelm: The financial services industry usually supports free trade deal, but U.S. banks and insurers are saying they might stay on the sidelines of the Obama administration's effort to win congressional support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Some financial firms don't like that the agreement would allow governments to require them to maintain data servers within foreign borders, despite prohibiting such requirements for all other companies.

ELSEWHERE IN THE INFLUENCE WORLD:

'THAT HELPS US': Unidentified lobbyists discussed how the refugee crisis could provide political cover for a rider blocking the Waters of the United States rule, according to a recording sent to Lee Fang of The Intercept by someone on the call. The Edison Electric Institute hosted the call, and representatives from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the American Forest and Paper Association, the National Association of Home Builders and the American Farm Bureau participated.

ETHICS PROBE: An Office of Special Counsel investigation found that the Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad violated federal rules because its director — Jeffrey Farrow, a lobbyist and foreign agent for Puerto Rico and Palau — was hired as a contractor, not a federal employee, Eric Lipton writes in The New York Times.

PAID SPEECH: From 2009 to 2014, Bill and Hillary Clinton took in $26 million from 109 appearances sponsored by banks, hedge funds and other groups on Wall Street, report Lisa Lerer and Ken Thomas for The Associated Press. http://bit.ly/1XoDewB

ALWAYS THE REAL THING: The Global Energy Balance Network, an obesity nonprofit led by a professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, says the says the $1.5 million donation from Coca-Cola doesn't affect its work. But emails obtained by The Associated Press show Coke helped select the group's leaders, edited its mission statement and suggested content for its website, Candice Choi reports.

NEW PAC REGISTRATIONS (Type of PAC)

Advance Alabama (Super PAC: Independent Expenditure-Only Committee, Unauthorized)

NEW JOINT FUNDRAISING COMMITTEES

None

NEW LOBBYING REGISTRATIONS (Firm: Client)

Lewis-Burke Associates, LLC: Texas Tech University

Lewis-Burke Associates, LLC: University of New Hampshire

The Washington Tax & Public Policy Group: Celgene Corporation

American Defense International, Inc.: Musthane

American Defense International, Inc.: TransUnion, LLC

NEW LOBBYING TERMINATIONS: (Firm: Client (Type of Termination)

NVG, LLC: Merck & Co., Inc.

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