She said she remembers an affable, hardworking, young reporter who showed up for his interview with his mother by his side. A recent Mother Jones investigation found that Amazon hired at least 247 former U.S. government officials and employees in the past 10 years. 20005. [41], In recent years, Big Tech has also taken its privacy and antitrust battles from the Capitol all the way to state houses. Table 3 lists the top 10 lobbyists that contributed the most funds to political campaigns in 2020. The Ferraro Group Reno By most measures, Empower Texans has had a successful election season, helping unseat Republicans deemed too moderate and promoting tea party candidates. Bonnen, Sullivan said, "offered to take an official government action in exchange if I would just go after his political foes. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, Stand with us in our mission to discover and uncover the story of North Texas, Conservative activist Michael Quinn Sullivan fights lobbyist label, What we know after 3 children killed, 2 wounded at Ellis County home, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones defers comment on revival of sexual harassment lawsuit. Get the latest politics news from North Texas and beyond. Prabook is a registered trademark of World Biographical Encyclopedia, Inc. Michael J. Sullivan, lobbyist, former prosecutor. Throughout the 2020 election cycle, Big Tech spent 5.2% more on lobbying and campaign contributions combined than it did in the 2018 cycle. This report finds that the four companies have massively expanded their Washington influence machines eclipsing big spenders of yesterday like Big Oil and Tobacco, and making them among the most powerful corporate interests in Washington. We also must fight the corrupting power of fossil fuel companies and ensure that energy regulators are effective and publicly accountable. 02/27/2023 04:30 AM EST. [3], In 2006, Sullivan was made Acting Director of the ATF by President George W. 10 Largest Lobbyist Groups In The United States - Zippia Sujai Shivakumar, director of the Renewing American Innovation Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, said environmental concerns shouldnt interfere with the national security goals that underpin the CHIPS and Science Acts billions of dollars in manufacturing subsidies. This website is shared by Public Citizen Inc. and Public Citizen Foundation. Before Bonnen made his offer, he also disparaged a number of House Democrats. Just in the past month, an Axios newsletter has featured several advertisements from Amazon about raising the federal minimum wage, from Facebook about passing internet regulations, and from Google flaunting its new philanthropic enterprises. (Note: Apple does not have a corporate PAC, while the three other Big Tech corporations do.). His interaction with lawmakers, however, remained the same, according to evidence collected by the Texas Ethics Commission. These include funding think tanks, as well as academics, who may research, advocate, and publish in favor of Big Tech companies, without necessarily disclosing their benefactors. toggle caption. "[9], Within a few weeks of taking office, Sullivan organized a health-care fraud unit in his district and nearly tripled the number of prosecutors assigned to medical cases, prosecuting companies such as TAP Pharmaceuticals as well as smaller facilities and individual providers. When Sullivan mentions state Rep. Keith Bell, R-Forney, Burrows interjects: "Leave him alone he's just a dumb freshman.". When a mid-level marketing employee at Facebook learned about her employers $20 million annual spend on lobbying, she barely blinked. 602.626.5462, Copyright 2022 | Web Design by Mabble Media | All Rights Reserved, Contact The Ferraro Group - Washington DC. Wanda Garner Cash, who was executive editor of The Facts over Sullivan, said he was a "model reporter." [11] There are various reports and hypotheses to explain Googles decreased political spending since 2018, to be discussed later in the report. More systemic solutions are also required. [31] David McLaughlin, Star Critic of Big Tech Has Side Gig Working for Amazon, Apple, Bloomberg (July 17, 2020), https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-17/amazon-apple-hire-one-of-big-tech-s-most-prominent-u-s-critics. Most of his lobbying activity came out of his practice in Montgomery, Alabama called The Lobbyist Group. We are sorry, but your computer or network may be sending automated queries. Brad Smith, President and Chief Legal Officer, Microsoft, Mick Mulvaney, former U.S. Representative, Big Tech has eclipsed yesterdays big lobbying spenders, Big Oil and Big Tobacco. He has said his group represents grass-roots conservatives and shouldnt have to disclose the source of its funds because its a violation of free-speech rights and could lead to harassment of his donors. Spaw said she did not discuss Texas Scorecards application with Patrick, and that Scorecard's credentials were approved via the same process as all media. A starting point, thrown into sharp relief by the broad corporate financial support for Members of Congress who refused to recognize the results of the November 2020 presidential election, would be for Big Tech companies to end their political spending. The Biden administration remains worried by the concentration of advanced chip production in Taiwan, which sits just 90 miles from an increasingly hostile China. But armed with a team of lawyers, Sullivan seems intent on a drawn-out public brawl with the commission to prove his advocacy doesnt constitute lobbying. Cash also said she thought Sullivan would run for office, both because of his interest in politics and because he had that sort of polish to him. In addition to the largest lobbying armies and budgets in Washington, Big Tech companies have recruited many of Washingtons most free-spending and influential lobbyists. He currently oversees a number of high profile clients on local government issues in a variety of industries, including transportation, banking, the public sector and telecommunications to name a few. Google is a significant outlier in the trend of Big Techs spending growth, as its spending has declined in recent years. Senator. Bresnen believes that because Sullivan doesnt have to register, he has an unfair advantage. He worked with the Gillette Company from 1973 to 1989 before moving into private law, becoming partner at McGovern & Sullivan in the early 1990s. And we have a good relationship. Keffer would like nothing more than to shame, harass and intimidate Empower Texans and its subscribers, Sullivan said in court. Children: Joseph, Kelly, Allyson, James. Some of these environmental assessments can take anywhere from two years to 4 years, Shivakumar said. Almost all of the members of these committees, 134 out of 142, or 94%, received a financial contribution from a Big Tech corporate PAC or lobbyist in 2020. [11][12][13], In February 2009, following the inauguration of President Barack Obama, Sullivan announced his intention to resign his position, following the customary practice of U.S. Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen tape released by Michael Quinn "If I still have the same 10 moderate Republicans who don't want to help on anything, I'm still unable to do what you and I would want done," Bonnen told Sullivan about 11 minutes into the conversation. Before he took his first job, Sullivan the son of a homemaker and high school football coach was a proud Aggie at Texas A&M, where he was a member of the College Republicans, a chaplain for the Corps of Cadets and a columnist for the student newspaper. Quorum Report, a newsletter and website for Capitol insiders, first received credentials in 1983. Sullivan is the chief executive of Empower Texans, a group that's flooded with oil money and is a unique tangle of political lobbying firm, news outlet and deep-pocketed political action committee. Who is available? Some legislators and committees who have received Big Tech PAC and lobbyist funds have conducted the most thorough investigations and hearings on Big Tech in decades, and have introduced the boldest legislation to stifle the corporations unfettered growth to date. Steve Bresnen, a lobbyist and attorney who is leading the charge against Sullivan, said the integrity of elections may be at stake. Attorneys, who typically do not retain their posts in a new administrations. mike@theferrarogroup.com CONNECT WITH US The Ferraro Group - Reno 165 West Liberty Street, Suite 210 Reno, Nevada 89501 775.331.4555 I dont need anything, Sullivan responded. [33] Alex Kantrowitz, The Soft Corruption of Big Techs Antitrust Defense, Big Technology (March 18, 2021), https://bigtechnology.substack.com/p/the-soft-corruption-of-big-techs. Dallas Cowboys want another playmaker on offense. He exhorted Sullivan to help target these Democrats in competitive districts. Times (June 5, 2019), https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/05/us/politics/amazon-apple-facebook-google-lobbying.html. This is the very definition of an impermissible chilling effect under the First Amendment., Sparks tossed Sullivans request for a restraining order against the commission and asked for briefs explaining why the case should be in federal, not state, court. A number of Republicans who had listened to the audio prior to Tuesday backed Sullivans version of the story. One journalist calls these practices the soft corruption of Big Tech, and alleges that the corporations also pay for small businesses to write in local newspapers in the corporate interests favor.[33]. Public Citizen is excited about the momentum around this issue, and urges the federal government to take action on it. [42] Hayley Tsukayama, Virginias Weak Privacy Bill Is Just What Big Tech Wants, EFFs Deeplinks Blog (February 25, 2021), https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/02/virginias-weak-privacy-bill-just-what-big-tech-wants. I think he views everyone as an activist in some way, Hasty said. Its been remarkable; its almost like a creature has been formed out of this person we used to know as MichaelSullivan, she said. As Brad Smith of Microsoft indicated in the comment at the beginning of this report, Big Techs political spending makes a huge difference, more than our democracy can tolerate. According to lawmakers who heard the audio, Bonnen offered to sweeten the pot by revoking the press credentials of the editor of Quorum Report, Scott Braddock, a longtime critic of Empower Texans. Mark Lisheron, a former reporter for the Austin-American Statesman who went on to work for the right-leaning Texas Watchdog, told the commission at the time, "Empower Texans, and I'll say this emphatically, is a bona fide news medium." Three people who recalled working with him in the '90s at the Denison Herald now the Herald Democrat and the TheFactsin Brazosport separately described him as a talented, reliable reporter with such strong conservative convictions that they all assumed he'd go into politics. But when you find corruption, which they say they have, you would publish it, he said. Dont just say things to fit in or to be different. ", Sullivan declined to make predictions about Bonnen's political fate but said he hopes the Republican caucus "understands they need to a better job of finding men and women of integrity" to serve in such a high-ranking position. Introduction [44], On the antitrust side, the Arizona House of Representatives recently passed a bill that would help reduce the dominance and power of Apple and Google in their respective app stores. State Rep. Chris Turner, a Grand Prairie Democrat who serves as chair of the caucus, had perhaps the most notable statement, saying that, for him personally, the revelations are incompatible with Mr. Bonnen serving another term as Speaker., State Rep. James Talarico, D-Round Rock, who Bonnen discussed recruiting a GOP challenger against, said the Speaker has lost his way and that Texas deserves leaders who will put people over politics.. United States attorney District Massachusetts United States Department Justice, Boston, 20012009, acting director Bureau Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives) Washington, 20062009. company profile page along with the rest of the general data. Exxon had been divesting from its Washington operation throughout the decade past, but reached a new low in 2020. Cash and Hunt both said his politics never clouded his reporting. OpenSecrets Since the 2020 election cycle has ended, Public Citizen reevaluated Big Techs influence over the government by analyzing the tech companies lobbying spending and campaign contributions. Sales, Account Management and P&L responsibility of all . Sullivan boasts that he's a watchdog, shedding light on politicians behaving badly. In 2014 alone, Empower Texans spent almost $700,000 in legal fees to fight the penalty, according to documents obtained by Quorum Report. Former editor Donna Hunt hired Sullivan on the heels of his college graduation at the Denison Herald, the local newspaper nearSherman where he attended high school. The foundation of the Big Tech companies influence are their lobbying teams, which use campaign contributions, existing relationships, and past experience to swing policy in their favor. Show us with your support. 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., In a Friday statement, McMorris Rodgers warned that Washington will be unable to beat China in the fight over microchips and other tech if new projects are bogged down and delayed by Americas burdensome regulatory and permitting environment. She said the issue should have been addressed before Congress spent tens of billions of dollars on chip subsidies, but added that House Republicans will continue to lead on solutions that address permitting issues for every industry in our economy.. District attorney Plymouth County, Massachusetts, 19952001. The chip industrys push underscores the tension between President Joe Bidens plans to resurrect high-tech manufacturing in the U.S. and his administrations effort to strengthen environmental protections. Bloomberg's gun-control group outspends NRA, helps Dems win Virginia Though Bonnen appeared to be absent while Burrows rattled off names, the speaker himself had seemed to allude to the same group early on in the conversation, explicitly mentioning the number 10. [16] This conference was organized by the International Association of Chiefs of Police and funded by a $375,000 grant from the Joyce Foundation. The letter details all the steps corporations should take to truly end their electioneering efforts. "We've got Michelle Beckley, who's vile," he said, referring to the freshman Democrat from Carrollton who unseated a Republican in 2018. Though there are glimpses of the old reporter she once knew, said Cash, now a retired journalism professor. Its been an uphill battle, which is playing out in an expensive court fight, but in this latest political saga Sullivan finds himself right where he wants to be: the writer of his own story. Since many of these lobbyists have more than one of the four Big Tech companies as clients, they may be counted more than once, for each client they lobby on behalf of. Sullivan would leave the paper before his political foe would take office in 1997. Read more original journalism from OpenSecrets News. A 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, charitable organization, 1100 13th Street, NW, Suite 800 The search engine giants divestment did not start in 2020, and their motivations are unclear. Critics contend that Sullivan relies on dark money, leaving Texans unable to determine who funds his groups legislative ratings and endorsements, which can affect Texas Republican primaries. In fact, Amazon spent about 30% more than the next biggest spender, Comcast (Table 2). 4600+ Profile mit dem Suchbegriff Michael Sullivan" | LinkedIn By Michael Warren, Manu Raju and Alex Rogers, . His work as U.S. Attorney largely focused on national security and health-care fraud. Because of his experience in the journalism and political worlds, Mr. Sullivan knows through years of experience how best to frame a clients issue so it has the best chance of being successful. Whether suing on behalf of our members to ensure the honest functioning of government, or representing individual consumers seeking redress in court, our litigation draws on our expertise in administrative law, constitutional law, and government transparency. He noted that other media organizations have rankings of lawmakers, similar to the Scorecard. 202.441.7089, The Ferraro Group Arizona It details their campaign and lobbying spending while providing an overview of their other efforts to influence policy making through advertising, support of researchers, and other means. Alexa Ura and Alex Samuels contributed reporting. The suit was dismissed in May and Empower Texans has already filed an appeal to the Fifth Circuit. Prior to joining the firm, he was Vice President of State Government Affairs for Porter Gordon Silver Communications. He and his wife Terry have four children. [9] Facebook and Amazon are the top two spenders among a list of individual corporate spenders. We knew if it came up Michael would pounce and it would become kind of unpleasant in the newsroom.. | Justin Sullivan/Getty Images. [1] Angela Moscaritolo, What Does Big Tech Know About You? Ill put your guys on the floor next session.. The president of the Senate is Lt. Gov. During the Trump administration, Facebooks influential head of government affairs, Joel Kaplan was credited with assisting Mark Zuckerberg as he strived to cultivate political relationships on both sides of the aisle. 4900+ "Michael Sullivan" profiles | LinkedIn In 2006 he became CEO of Empower Texans, an oil-money backed conservative advocacy organization known for attacking moderate Republicans and demanding party purity. Blitz Ahead of Zuckerberg Testimony, Tech Transparency Project (March 9, 2021), https://www.techtransparencyproject.org/articles/facebook-launches-pr-blitz-ahead-of-zuckerberg-testimony. At the same time, there is no doubt companies direct their campaign funds in order to gain access and influence. But recent lobbying disclosures filed in the House and Senate show the commission has hired a lobbyist from Capitol Hill Consulting, a Washington, D.C.-based lobbying firm. Image Credits: Battery Ventures. [34] (The Tech Transparency Project found that Facebook has been similarly papering the town with its PR. Burrows otherwise sounds OK with the list and asks Sullivan to add one more member: state Rep. Tan Parker, R-Flower Mound. Top lobbyist for restaurant group departs amid internal discord By Tuesday afternoon, Republican members hadn't yet weighed in, while a number of Democrats either in leadership positions or mentioned in the recording issued statements condemning the speaker for his comments. Sullivan is known for his brass-knuckles approach to reshaping the Republican establishment. Lobbyists to Biden: Unless you want to cede to China, relax microchip On Tuesday, after Sullivan's recording was released, Bonnen said in a statement that he had repeatedly called for the audio to be made public "because it will be immediately clear that no laws were broken." From 2001 to 2009, Sullivan registered as a lobbyist with the state. The NRA has called the Joyce Foundation an activist foundation whose "shadowy web of huge donations" leads "straight to puppet strings that control the agenda of gun ban groups". A native of the HolbrookAbington region, Sullivan served earlier in his career as the Plymouth County District Attorney, and as a Republican member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Additionally, he has been a registered lobbyist in Carson City for more than two decades. [4] He stepped down in 1995 after being named District Attorney for Plymouth County. After the group was denied access for the 2019 legislative session because of ties to a lobbying organization, it sued the House Administration Committees chairman over it, arguing the rejection was unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination.. Sullivan, gathered 66,164 votes, or 36%, whereas state Representative Dan Winslow, collected 24,057, or 13% of the votes, with 99 percent of precincts reporting shortly before 11:30 pm, on April 30, 2013. A spokesperson for the Commerce Departments CHIPS Program Office declined to comment. [20] David Corn & Dan Spinelli, Amazon Has Become a Prime Revolving-Door Destination in Washington, Mother Jones (March 2, 2021), https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2021/03/amazon-has-become-a-prime-revolving-door-destination-in-washington/. THE LOBBYIST GROUP, LLC in Birmingham, AL - Bizapedia Public Citizen advocates Medicare for All, stronger oversight of dangerous doctors and safe clinical trials. [38] Lauren Kaori Gurley, Secret Amazon Reports Expose the Companys Surveillance of Labor and Environmental Groups, Vice (November 23, 2020), https://www.vice.com/en/article/5dp3yn/amazon-leaked-reports-expose-spying-warehouse-workers-labor-union-environmental-groups-social-movements. Sign up for our newsletter to track moneys influence on U.S. elections and public policy. I wanted to see if we could try and figure that out. Big Tech, Big Cash: Washington's New Power Players When it comes to Big Tech influence via the revolving door, Public Citizen has called on the Biden administration not to hire former Big Tech employees or representatives. To some real extent, what CHIPS and Science giveth, NEPA could taketh away., Some environmentalists disagree with that claim. Geren is engaging in viewpoint discrimination, Empower Texans attorney Tony McDonald wrote in pleadings, adding that their group was being denied equal access to the hall of the House in order to report on its proceedings while making those facilities available to hundreds of other journalists. McDonald declined comment for this story. Sullivan wrote NUTS on the settlement offer and sent it back, mimicking an American generals response in World War II to a Nazi request for surrender at the Battle of the Bulge. But before Sullivan made a name for himself in politics, he was a card-carrying member of what hed today describe as the Fake News media. Among the 10, half lobbied on behalf of at least one Big Tech corporation that year. But in court filings, he said that media credentials are reserved for employees of editorially independent entities, and Empower Texans, by contrast, is generally known as a political advocacy organization., Sullivan made inroads in the Senate this year when Texas Scorecard was granted press credentials for the upper chamber. Within 48 hours, he had what he needed., We had a hierarchy in my office in Congress. He had beautiful manners.. Appeals court sides with Texas Ethics Commission over lobbying fine Phoenix, AZ 85034 When Public Citizen first reported on Big Techs lobbying spending in 2019, we warned that Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google lobbyists, consultants, lawyers, and allied researchers were quickly descending upon Washington. Recent advertisements in Politico Pro, the paid Washington-insider publication whose readership includes Members of Congress, their staff, lobbyists, and public interest groups like Public Citizen, have been sponsored by Facebook, and featured their advertisements advocating for updated internet regulations.. [17] Revolving Door Employment History section, Jay Carney, OpenSecrets, https://www.opensecrets.org/revolving/rev_summary.php?id=78737. Additionally, he has been a registered lobbyist in Carson City for more than two decades. Speaker Dennis Bonnen during the Texas Fallen Heroes ceremony on May 25, 2019. Among the 10 lobbyists who were the biggest contributors to the 2020 election cycle. Washington, D.C. 20001 This past election cycle has been the most expensive in political spending to date, and also saw the most lobbying spending and campaign contributions to Congress from Big Tech.[12]. [15] This leverage is being wielded to impact D.C. decisionmakers on everything from privacy regulations to tax law. Michael P. O'Leary, an executive who has straddled the worlds of government, lobbying and media, has been named as president and CEO of the National . Since many of these lobbyists have more than one of the four Big Tech companies as clients, they may be counted more than once, for each client they lobby on behalf of. Partner The Ashcroft Group, LLC, since 2009. The chip industrys push underscores the tension between President Joe Bidens plans to resurrect high-tech manufacturing in the U.S. and his administrations effort to strengthen environmental protections. He was extremely conservative, she recently recalled. [32] Paul Farhi, David Brooks of New York Times Criticized for Undisclosed Financial Ties to Project He Praised, Washington Post (March 4, 2021), https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/media/david-brooks-facebook-weave-aspen/2021/03/04/2493b798-7d06-11eb-a976-c028a4215c78_story.html. Zuckerberg was met with a packed agenda: He started with dinner at a private room in an upscale restaurant with prominent Democrats including Sen. Warner (D-Va.), Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), and independent Sen. King (ID-Maine). [3], Representing the town of Abington, he was elected as a Republican state representative in 1990. Big Tech corporations exert influence not just through formal lobbying or campaign contributions, but also through advertisements. OpenSecrets is the nation's top resource for clear and unbiased information. In about a month leading up to Mark Zuckerbergs hearing before Congress on March 25, the Project identified 56 messages sponsored by Facebook across ten political newsletters. But as Figure 8 illustrates, there is variance in giving across committees. Google briefly topped the list in 2017, but dropped off by 2020.[11].
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