Why Burning Man hired lobbyists Presented by the Consumer Brands Association

With David Beavers and Daniel Lippman

WHY BURNING MAN HIRED LOBBYISTS: The Burning Man Project hired a team of top lobbyists at Holland & Knight as part of a fight with the Bureau of Land Management over the future of the festival that’s been held on federal land in the Nevada desert for nearly three decades, as PI noted on Monday. Here are a few more details: The Bureau of Land Management published a draft environmental impact statement — a once-a-decade review of Burning Man’s environmental footprint — in March. Burning Man warned at the time that the draft statement would force “untenable changes in our permit.”


— Burning Man objected to proposals that it pay for maintenance of a county road leading to the event, provide dumpsters and hire a security company “to screen for weapons and drugs in all vehicles,” according to a blog post on the festival’s website. Marnee Benson, Burning Man’s associate director of government affairs, told The Associated Press in April the proposed rules would lead to a festival “where dumpsters replace goodwill, where your actions are monitored by police and security guards.”

— Burning Man hired Holland & Knight in May. “Burning Man Project is working with Holland & Knight to ensure the Environmental Impact Statement and permit for the Burning Man event accommodate our vision moving forward,” Dominique Debucquoy-Dodley, a Burning Man spokesperson, said in a statement to PI. Asked whether Burning Man sought out a lobbyist with Trump administration ties — Scott Mason, one of the lobbyists representing Burning Man, is a former Trump campaign staffer — Debucquoy-Dodley replied, “We selected Holland & Knight because they have experienced NEPA lawyers to address legal concerns with the EIS.” (NEPA is the National Environmental Policy Act.)

— The Bureau of Land Management released its final draft environmental impact statement earlier this month. It’s not clear how much influence — if any — the lobbyists had over the document, but Burning Man will likely be able to avoid dumpsters and security screening at this year’s festival, at least, according to a Burning Man blog post. Rudy Evenson, a Bureau of Land Management spokesperson, said the agency would monitor trash and other problems at this year’s festival. “The BLM will work with the Burning Man organizers to solve any issues that are identified,” he said.

SPACEX ADDS ANOTHER LOBBYING FIRM: SpaceX, Elon Musk’s spaceflight company, has added another lobbying firm as it bulks up its presence in Washington. Howard Schweitzer of Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies, a former Export-Import Bank official, will lobby for SpaceX on export financing issues, according to a disclosure filing. Cozen O’Connor is the third lobbying firm SpaceX has hired so far this year, along with Forbes Tate Partners and Strategic Marketing Innovations. SpaceX also retains American Defense International, Bedrock Strategies, Harbinger Strategies, Invariant, J.A. Green & Company, PoliSpace and Squire Patton Boggs, according to disclosure filings.

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CHRIS COX STEPS DOWN: “The National Rifle Association’s embattled top lobbyist has resigned after being accused of seeking to overthrow the group’s leader, a person familiar with the matter said,” Bloomberg News’ Neil Weinberg and Polly Mosendz report. “Chris Cox, the NRA’s No. 2 official and its liaison to elected officials, has served in the role since 2002.” Full story on the NRA.

FORMER LOBBYIST AT EPA STEPS DOWN AMID ETHICS INVESTIGATION: Apparently it’s a good day to resign. “The former utility lobbyist who has led many of President Donald Trump’s major deregulatory efforts is stepping down from the Environmental Protection Agency, a move that comes after POLITICO's reporting on his connections to the industry,” POLITICO’s Alex Guillén reports. “House Democrats began an investigation in April into EPA air pollution chief Bill Wehrum’s ties to his old law firm, Hunton Andrews Kurth, and especially the Utility Air Regulatory Group, an influential collection of coal-heavy utilities that lobbied against climate regulations.” Full story on Wehrum.

WHO BOUGHT ADS DURING THE DEBATES: As the Democratic presidential debates kick off on MSNBC tonight, the Club for Growth, the Judicial Crisis Network, “D.C. Statehood Initiative, Job Creators Network and Californians for Energy Reform are all running ads on MSNBC on Wednesday or Thursday, according to Advertising Analytics,” POLITICO’s Steven Shepard reports.

WHITE HOUSE WILL HOST MYSTERIOUS ‘SOCIAL MEDIA SUMMIT’ NEXT MONTH: “The White House will host ‘digital leaders’ for a meeting next month, a spokesperson said today,” POLITICO’s Margaret Harding McGill and Cristiano Lima report. “The Social Media Summit set for July 11 will focus on the ‘strategic challenges of today's online environment," spokesperson Judd Deere said.

— “Deere did not answer questions about who is invited to the summit. The announcement comes amid President Donald Trump's escalating attacks on Google, Facebook and Twitter, whom he accuses of bias against him and other conservatives. Trump today said the federal government should file lawsuits against some of the companies. ‘Look, we should be suing Google and Facebook and all that, which, perhaps we will," the president said during a phone interview on Fox Business.” Full story on the social media summit.

IOWA’S ATTORNEY GENERAL ADVISED JUUL ON HOW TO HANDLE THE FDA: Juul Labs’ “top executive sought advice from Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller on how to respond to a February [Food and Drug Administration] letter expressing concern over a deal between the popular e-cigarette makers and tobacco giant Altria, according to documents shown to POLITICO on Tuesday,” POLITICO’s Sarah Owermohle reports. Juul chief executive Kevin Burns' “request to Miller came in response to a letter from then-FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, who sought a meeting with both companies after he accused Altria of contradicting commitments it had made to regulators by taking a large stake in the popular e-cigarette brand.”

— “Miller spoke with Burns but ‘does not view himself as an adviser to the company on their relationship with the FDA,’ said his spokesperson, Lynn Hicks. ‘Juul has many people to turn to who know a lot more about the FDA. Besides, it is not our proper role.’ Gottlieb told POLITICO on Tuesday that he was ‘completely unaware’ of Juul’s request for counsel from Miller, an outspoken supporter of the e-cigarette brand who has praised its founders in a Time 100 article.” Full story on Juul.

TEACHERS UNION GETS A NEW LEADER: “The National Education Association announced today that Kim Anglin Anderson will serve as the teachers union's new executive director,” POLITICO’s Kimberly Hefling reports. “Anderson, a lawyer who previously worked nearly three decades at NEA, spent the last three years as executive vice president of the Democracy Alliance. … Anderson replaces John Stocks, who will take on a role as a senior adviser at NEA focused on the 2020 election.” Full story on the NEA.

FLYING IN: The Alliance for Transparent & Affordable Prescriptions is hosting a fly-in today to discuss policy changes that could lead to lower drug prices on the Hill. Doctors and other representatives from coalition members including the Coalition of State Rheumatology Organizations, U.S. Pain Foundation and American Bone Health will meet with Sens. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Reps. Neal Dunn (R-Fla.), Kevin Brady (R-Texas) and John Sarbanes (D-Md.), among others.

— The American Property Casualty Insurance Association is bringing insurance executives to the Hill today for the trade group’s first fly-in since the merger of the American Insurance Association and the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America. They’ll discuss the National Flood Insurance Program, data security and marijuana issues, among others, with Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and Reps. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.), Ed Perlmutter (D-Colo.) and Lacy Clay (D-Mo.). And the Associated Builders and Contractors is flying in today to advocate for passage of the Fair and Open Competition Act, POLITICO’s Morning Shift reports.

OPEN YOUR WALLETS: “The Democratic National Committee will throw a lunchtime fundraiser in Miami Beach on Thursday as the primary debates draw party donors and other VIPs to the city,” POLITICO’s Maggie Severns and Marc Caputo report. “The event was organized by the DNC finance chairman, Chris Korge, and will be held at the home of Thomas Sullivan, the founder of the hardwood flooring company Lumber Liquidators. Sullivan is a Democratic donor who in the past hosted President Barack Obama for a 2013 fundraiser for the midterm elections.” Full story on the DNC fundraiser.

Jobs Report

— Marissa Barrow is joining CREDO Action, effective July 8. She currently is deputy press secretary at the Progressive Change Campaign Committee.

— Story Partners has hired Brandon Stallings as senior director. He previously was senior communications manager at Atlantic Media.

— Francella Ochillo is joining Next Century Cities as executive director, POLITICO’s Morning Tech reports. He previously was vice president of policy and general counsel at the National Hispanic Media Coalition.

— Crosscut Strategies has Chelsie Jeppson as a digital communications specialist, POLITICO’s Huddle reports. She previously was digital director for House Budget Committee Democrats.

New Joint Fundraisers

None

New PACs

None

New Lobbying Registrations

38 North Solutions, LLC: Scale Microgrid Solutions

38 North Solutions, LLC: Zero Mass Water

Cozen O'Connor Public Strategies: Space Exploration Technologies Corp.

Forbes-Tate: AEON Biopharma

Husch Blackwell Strategies: WPC Technologies

Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough: GST LLP

Squire Patton Boggs: Office of the Governor, State of Colorado

The Petrizzo Group, Inc.: Cel-Sci Corporation

New Lobbying Terminations

Bridge Strategies LLC: Arab Community Ctr/Econ & Social Service

Michael Torrey Associates, LLC: Danone North America PBC (formerly known as DanoneWave)

The O Team LLC: ION Media Networks, Inc.

The Rose Company, LLC: David L. Horne, LLC on behalf of ICP US Hydro Holdings Inc.

The Rose Company, LLC: David L. Horne on behalf of Free Flow Power

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