With Daniel Lippman

FIRST IN PI — KOUNTOUPES, DENHAM, CARR & REID ADDS A DEM: Denise Mousouris is leaving Rep. Cheri Bustos’ office, where she was finance director for the former DCCC chair, to become a principal at Kountoupes, Denham, Carr & Reid. In a statement released by the firm, Bustos called Mousouris “instrumental in the record-breaking fundraising” during her stint leading House Democrats’ campaign arm and praised her flexibility learning to fundraise during a pandemic. “She is able to see the entire chessboard and has an intimate understanding of how to meet the needs of different constituencies,” Bustos added. Mousouris will register to lobby and will work with all of the firm’s clients to begin with.

RIGGLEMAN JOINING NAVIGATORS: Former Rep. Denver Riggleman (R-Va.) has joined Navigators Global as a senior strategist. The one-term congressman was ousted in a GOP primary last summer after officiating a same-sex wedding. Riggleman told PI in an interview that he believed Navigators is more interested in his technical expertise as a former Air Force intelligence officer than his political ties, and that he doesn’t plan to register to lobby. He’ll join the firm’s national security practice and consult on issues ranging from drones to cannabis.

— The former congressman, who became outspoken about the rise of the QAnon conspiracy theory within his party toward the end of his tenure, lamented the rise of disinformation among some of his colleagues and touted his background in tracking conspiracy theories, such as the push to overturn the election results that culminated in last month’s insurrection.

— He suggested the firm was looking for “the new type of Republican” who is “you know, not crazy,” and wants to show that there are Republicans “out there like me that want to get back to our basic belief systems” of conservatism.

Good afternoon and welcome to PI. How’d we get to February already? Send your best tips: [email protected]. And follow me on Twitter: @caitlinoprysko.

DEPARTMENT OF SAYING THE QUIET PART OUT LOUD: Government watchdog groups slammed lawmakers from both parties over a report detailing their pushback against the decision across much of corporate America to put a blanket freeze on political donations in the aftermath of last month’s insurrection.

— The Wall Street Journal’s Brody Mullins, Emily Glazer and Chad Day report that “Democrats friendly with business have complained to companies, including Alphabet Inc.’s Google, Citigroup Inc. and Lockheed Martin Corp., that they are being penalized for actions taken by Republicans challenging the results of the Nov. 3 election.” Aides for members of both parties “may be less willing to help undermine those proposals by speaking out against them in public, offering amendments to water them down in committee or lending their support to competing proposals,” according to the Journal.

— “This is exactly the problem with the broken system in Washington,” said Bawadden Sayed, a spokesperson for End Citizens United, which seeks to limit corporate influence in government. “Trading corporate PAC checks for access and policy stances is blatant corruption. This grotesque behavior by lawmakers and their staff is exactly why trust in government is at an all-time low.” The group also accused companies pausing all political donations of creating a “false equivalency” and engaging in “a cowardly PR stunt.”

— Public Citizen, another watchdog group, ripped the “utter shamelessness” of congressional staffers’ acknowledgment of the role political dollars play in shaping legislation, accusing both Democrats and Republicans of being “completely addicted to corporate PAC money.”

FILING DAY: “Former President Donald Trump amassed $31.2 million in his new political operation by the end of 2020, giving him a powerful tool to keep the Republican Party in his grip as he left office,” our Zach Montellaro and Elena Schneider report. Save America, the former president’s leadership PAC, is “set to play a key role in Trump’s plans to keep a strong hand in party politics — both to boost loyalists and also to seek retribution against Republicans he believes have wronged him.”

— Though he’s barred from spending that money “directly on any future campaign of his own … he can use it to wield influence in campaigns in the midterm elections, pay his political advisers and travel the country,” as he did last week by commissioning a poll that appeared to show Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) in hot water over her vote to impeach him. The committee spent only a couple hundred thousand dollars on donation processing fees through Dec. 31, and Zach and Elena point out that because of an affiliated joint fundraising agreement between Trump’s PAC and the RNC, his leadership PAC likely has much more cash to work with.

HOW ELAINE LURIA PAID OFF HER CAMPAIGN DEBTS: “Corporate political action committees gave Rep. Elaine Luria more than $30,000 in the final weeks of 2020, after the Virginia Democrat reversed her policy of refusing such donations,” Roll Call’s Kate Ackley reports. “Luria, who finished her 2020 reelection owing more than she had in her campaign account, used contributions from the PACs of Google, Altria, Raytheon, General Dynamics, Rolls Royce North America and others to pay off debt, according to recent filings with the Federal Election Commission.”

— “For the entire 2020 campaign, Luria reported raising $6.6 million. As of Nov. 23, she had more than $107,000 in debts and less than $103,000 in her account. The corporate PAC donations, totaling about $34,000 and all coming in December, also came from the funds connected to Boeing Co., BAE Systems Inc., Ernst & Young and AFLAC, among others, the FEC documents show.”

— Mark Epley is joining Arnold & Porter’s legislative and public policy practice as a partner. He was most recently a senior adviser at the Managed Funds Association and is a Speaker Paul Ryan alum.

— John Jones has been named executive vice president of government relations at Nareit. He was previously vice president.

— Kristen Verderame has been named vice president of government relations for the data-centric software company NetApp, Morning Tech reports.

— Remy Brim, co-head of the health and life sciences practice at BGR Group, and former Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wis.), co-head of its financial services practice, have joined BGR’s executive board and will become principals in the firm. Matt Hoffmann, Andy Lewin, Jo Maney and Justin Rzepka will also become principals.

— Sandler Reiff Lamb Rosenstein & Birkenstock has promoted Dara Lindenbaum to partner. She was previously senior counsel.

— Jesse Spector has joined Glen Echo Group as a senior director. She previously directed technology policy at the Software & Information Industry Association. The firm also announced four promotions: TJ Chase is now a director on the creative team, Emma Christman is director of external affairs and engagement, Charlie Vinopal is a senior associate and Carrie Hutcheson is an associate.

— Jewelyn Cosgrove is joining Melwood as vice president of government relations, Playbook reports. She previously was director of federal government affairs at the Healthcare Distribution Alliance.

— S-3 Group has added Reagan Lawn as a digital manager. She was previously at Edelman.

— Former D.C. Circuit Judge Thomas Griffith has joined Hunton Andrews Kurth as a special counsel in its issues and appeals practice. Griffith will focus his practice on appellate litigation, congressional and internal investigations, and strategic counseling.

None.

612 Wharf Avenue (Super PAC)
The ABBA PAC (PAC)
American Association of Settlement Consultants PAC (AASC PAC) (PAC)
Americans Expect New Energy - AXNE PAC (Leadership PAC: Rep. Cindy Axne (D-Iowa))
Americans for Equality (PAC)
American Independent Marijuana Farmers' Association (PAC)
Decriminalize NC (Super PAC)
Fair Elections Matter (Super PAC)
Local 610 Political Action Committee Fund (PAC)
MO Drive Fund (PAC)
Progressive Republicans PAC (PAC)
RemoveMIttRomneyPAC (Super PAC)
Rev Up PAC (Leadership PAC: Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.))

Davidoff Hutcher & Citron, LLP: Tutor Perini Corporation
K&L Gates LLP: Capital Southeast Connector Joint Powers Authority
K&L Gates LLP: Chspsc, LLC
K&L Gates LLP: Prn Software
Prime Policy Group: Free At Last Coalition
Prime Policy Group: Pyxus International, Inc.

American Continental Group: Bytedance Inc.
Effective Advocates LLC: Gc3 Sustainable Chemistry Alliance
Flywheel Government Solutions: Emaxx Assurance Group Of Companies Inc
Isaac Evans-Frantz: Center For Economic And Policy Research
Summit Strategies Government Affairs LLC: Sb Capitol Solutions On Behalf Of The Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority