With Daniel Lippman

SEVEN LETTER ADDS RICCI:Seven Letter public affairs firm, is getting more Republican heft, adding Mike Ricci as a partner. Ricci was previously communications director for former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, where he became the face of Hogan’s administration during the Covid-19 pandemic.

— Prior to working for Hogan, Ricci served for more than a decade as a top spokesperson for the past two Republican House Speakers, Paul Ryan and John Boehner. Erik Smith, the firm’s founding partner and CEO, stressed in an interview that Seven Letter would have been happy to add Ricci at any point during the past several years.

— But the timing is fortuitous nevertheless. Washington's current political climate is “an environment I'm very familiar with," Ricci said, whether from his time in D.C. or Annapolis.

— “Every choice becomes even more important” in a divided government, he told PI. “How you pull those levers really matters because sometimes, it's about an outcome — a lot of the time though, it's about messaging vehicles, and making those messaging vehicles move. … I know it seems like in divided government there aren't that many outcomes … that there can be,” he added, but sometimes that makes messaging choices matter even more.

— The growing chasm between Republicans in Congress and some of their more traditional allies, like the business community, is also somewhere Ricci’s background will be useful, Smith said.

— In the new Congress, “I think that there are areas in which traditional Republican constituencies might even be at odds with each other,” he said, making the ability “to help them figure out how to talk to each other” a huge asset that'll provide opportunities “for someone who's worked for two Republican speakers to really make some impact.” The firm employs another former Ryan aide, Brendan Buck.

— On top of the addition of Ricci, Seven Letter is expanding its creative team, bringing on Kobina Yankah as the first creative director of its ad consultancy Seven Letter Labs. Yankah spent the midterms working as creative director for House Democrats’ campaign arm, building out the DCCC’s in-house creative team. His past clients have included New Line Cinema, the MLB and the NBA, for whom his work won an Emmy.

— Seven Letter Labs has also hired Valentina Mendez as a paid media manager for its advertising offering, and brought on three of the firm’s 2022 fellows — Aida Farah, Cate Biegun and Isabel Haber — as content specialists.

Happy Monday and welcome to PI. Send tips: [email protected]. And be sure to follow me on Twitter: @caitlinoprysko.

GETTING CHIPPY: “As Washington prepares to pump $39 billion in federal subsidies into new microchip plants, the chip lobby is pressuring the Biden administration to relax environmental review requirements or risk ceding the semiconductor supply chain to China,” POLITICO’s Brendan Bordelon reports.

— “The Semiconductor Industry Association — the chip industry’s main voice in Washington — is pressing the Commerce Department to grant new manufacturing projects a ‘categorical exclusion’ from federal environmental review law. 'With billions ready to be spent under the CHIPS and Science Act, industry lobbyists worry the law’s review requirements could delay domestic chip production for years.'”

— “In a public filing that has not previously been reported, SIA warned that failure to provide chipmakers with an exemption could ‘pose significant delays in the disbursement of CHIPS funds and result in delays in the construction and operation of facilities.’ It urged the Commerce Department to use its administrative powers to ‘streamline and expedite reviews to the greatest extent possible.’”

— “While many industries, like highway builders or other infrastructure contractors, have decades of experience dealing with the law, it’s something new for the semiconductor industry — and it’s hoping to avoid it, arguing that any delays could spell trouble for Washington’s broader chip plans.”

— The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has pushed a similar line of argument, and the chip industry “has also been working lawmakers on Capitol Hill. In a hearing on Feb. 1, House Energy and Commerce Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) said chip manufacturers ‘are coming to us looking for exemptions from NEPA, because the federal dollars are triggering long and erroneous environmental reviews for them.’”

FLY-IN SZN: A coalition of cleantech incubators led by Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator are kicking off a fly-in today with entrepreneurs and incubator leaders from across the country. The coalition will push for more funding for the Energy Department’s Technology Transitions and Clean Energy Demonstrations divisions, and for full funding of a national clean energy incubator program authorized in the CHIPS and Science Act.

— They’ve got meetings with nearly two dozen offices and congressional committees on the Hill, including with Reps. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), White House clean energy czar John Podesta, Energy Department commercialization official Vanessa Chan and Gabe Klein, who is overseeing the Biden administration’s push to build out EV charging infrastructure.

— The National Association of Chain Drug Stores will begin a two-day fly-in tomorrow, where members of the trade group will reiterate their push for pharmacy benefit manager reforms as well as changes to direct and indirect remuneration fees and Medicare coverage for expanded services like testing and treatment for infectious diseases provided by pharmacists.

WHERE LEO’S $1.6B WINDFALL IS GOING: “Conservative activists are coordinating a multimillion-dollar national campaign to make ESG the next CRT,” and they’re getting financial backing from the vast dark money network overseen by conservative judicial activist Leonard Leo, per The Wall Street Journal’s Julie Bykowicz and Angel Au-Yeung.

— Activists’ goal is to “transform the acronym for environmental, social and corporate-governance investing into a rallying cry against ‘woke capitalism,’ much the way critical race theory became shorthand for broader criticisms about how race is taught in schools. The same conservative money is behind both efforts, documents and interviews show.”

— “A conservative nonprofit called Marble Freedom Trust and its consulting firm, CRC Advisors, are leading the anti-ESG push and have spent more than $10 million on the effort so far, mostly through the group Consumers’ Research, people familiar with the spending said."

— “Formed in 2020, Marble Freedom Trust has received $1.6 billion in funding from Chicago billionaire and former manufacturer Barre Seid. Since then, it has distributed money to groups fighting some of the top conservative causes, including limits on abortion and opposition to critical race theory, according to tax records, advertisements and interviews. Also on that list is pushing back on ESG.”

CRYPTO’S NEW PLAYBOOK: “Crypto lobbyists have a new cudgel in their intensifying battle with U.S. regulators: Europe wants their business. Industry leaders are increasingly making the trans-Atlantic juxtaposition to argue for clearer regulations as U.S. agencies begin to enforce decades-old rules for trading and banking in the crypto world,” POLITICO’s Zachary Warmbrodt and Bjarke Smith-Meyer write.

— “Congress is nowhere near the point where it might craft a federal standard for digital currency, so regulators appointed by President Joe Biden are filling the void. That’s in contrast with the European Union, which is preparing to activate new laws tailor-made for digital asset companies. Many European officials are beginning to pitch the EU as a welcoming place for crypto businesses to set up shop.”

— “It’s an argument that no U.S. policymaker is in a position to make, with American politicians at odds over whether to embrace or discourage the growth of crypto and regulators taking matters into their own hands,” and “lobbyists and sympathetic lawmakers stateside are trying to keep pressure on Congress by warning that the U.S. is falling behind the rest of the world without a clearer set of rules.”

MISSING DISCLOSURE: “CNN’s State of the Union and host Dana Bash held a Sunday roundtable discussion about the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment featuring CNN political commentator David Urban, who said that ‘there's plenty of blame to go around on this’ and pivoted to criticizing the Biden administration. CNN never disclosed or asked Urban about his work for Norfolk Southern, which paid him and his then-lobbying firm over a million dollars,” Eric Hananoki reports for liberal media watchdog Media Matters.

— “Urban was until 2020 the president of the lobbying firm American Continental Group, where he lobbied for Norfolk Southern on ‘transportation issues related to railways’ starting in 2009, according to federal disclosure forms.” In many cases, Urban was the only lobbyist listed on the account, and the railroad parted ways with ACG when Urban left — not before doling out more than $1 million to the firm.

— Urban is now at BGR Group, which represents rail clients (though Urban is not registered to lobby for any). On Sunday, Urban “participated in a panel discussion about East Palestine. CNN identified him on screen as a CNN political commentator and former Trump campaign adviser.”

— “CNN and Bash didn’t disclose Urban’s work for Norfolk Southern and BGR’s connections to the railroad industry. And Bash didn’t challenge him on whether any of the ‘blame’ should go to Norfolk Southern or about his own work for the company. Norfolk Southern, specifically, lobbied against safety regulations.”

— Scott Shewcraft is joining Mindset as a senior director focusing on financial services, retirement and digital assets. Shewcraft was previously with the Economic Innovation Group and was chief of staff for Rep. Bill Foster (D-Ill.).

— Allison Jaslow will be the next CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America — the first woman to lead the organization and the first openly gay veteran to lead a major veterans organization in the country. Jaslow previously served on IAVA’s board of directors and as its executive director, and is a Cheri Bustos and Jim Webb alum.

— Nicole Frazier is now an associate partner of government relations at Dentons Global Advisors. She most recently was senior vice president at the Daniels Fund and is a Trump White House alum.

— Matt Kellogg is now principal at Rich Feuer Anderson. He most recently was vice president of government affairs and communications at MoneyLion and is a Trump Treasury and Kevin McCarthy alum.

— The Climate Leadership Council has hired Conner Brace as director of policy and government relations. He was most recently senior government relations manager at the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers and is a Steve Scalise alum.

— Courtney Mason is now a program coordinator at the Council on Foreign Relations. She most recently was an engagement manager at B&S Europe.

— Jordan Lieberman has joined digital media company Powers Interactive as CEO. He most recently was senior vice president at FourthWall Media.

— Chris Davis is now COO at Paul Hastings. He most recently was acting CFO at Goodwin.

— Erin Guzman has been promoted to be senior director of corporate affairs at software company Synopsys.

— American Bridge 21st Century is naming Alexandra De Luca vice president of strategic communications and Tiffiany Vaughn Jones senior director of strategic communications and national press. De Luca previously was director of state and gubernatorial communications, and Vaughn Jones was national press secretary.

— Alicia O’Brien is rejoining King & Spalding as a partner in the special matters and government investigations group. She most recently was senior counsel and special assistant to the president at the White House, and is a DOJ alum.

— Clinton Soffer is launching PT Strategy, a new political consulting firm. He most recently was deputy political director at the RGA and is an NRSC, NRCC and RNC alum.

— Mary Monica Palmer is now leading strategy and government affairs at Gothams. She most recently was head of government affairs at Epirus, and is a Pentagon, State Department and Capitol Hill alum.

— Peter Warren is now senior adviser for the House Oversight Committee. He most recently was director of research at the Empire Center for Public Policy, and is a Trump OMB alum.

None.

Americans for Law and Order (Hybrid PAC)

Alston & Bird LLP: Management Group Investors, LLC
Daikin America, Inc.: Daikin America, Inc.
Mcguirewoods Consulting (A Subsidiary Of Mcguirewoods LLP): Marine Corps Heritage Foundation
Mg Housing Strategies LLC: California Council For Affordable Housing
Pioneer Public Affairs: Resurety, Inc.
Sbl Strategies, LLC: Grand River Dam Authority
Thorn Run Partners: Remitly, Inc.
Tiger Hill Partners LLC: Navient Solutions, LLC

Cornerstone Strategies Group: Chenmed LLC
Fti Government Affairs: Partnership For Clean Energy Investment
Government Relations Group, LLC: Opuscare Of Florida, LLC
Gutierrez Productions, Inc.: Gutierrez Productions, Inc.
Lamont Consulting Services, LLC: The Boeing Company
Pace, LLP: San Manuel Band Of Mission Indians
Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP Dba Taft Advisors LLC Fka (Taft, Stettinius & Hollister, LLP): Meta Platforms Inc (Formerly Facebook Inc And Various Subsidiaries)