Bottom Line

TRANSPORTATION. President Trump’s promise to invest heavily in infrastructure nationwide is spurring advocacy activity from municipalities and companies. The City of East Point, Ga., hired Van Scoyoc Associates to work on municipality issues generally, and the contract includes lobbyists who once worked for the Transportation Department and the Senate Transportation Committee. Montgomery County, Md., located right outside Washington, D.C., brought on transportation lobbyist Anja Graves to work on obtaining transportation appropriations. And Holland & Knight is lobbying for the Coalition for the Northeast Corridor, a group of businesses — including Alstom, CH2M, the Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, Drexel University and Siemens — focused on increased infrastructure spending along Amtrak’s Northeast corridor line from D.C. to Boston.

TECHNOLOGY. Baker & Hostetler signed NTCA – The Rural Broadband Association and will represent the industry group on telecommunications issues. Greg Orlando, the lobbyist on the account, has experience on the Senate Commerce Committee, the Senate Commerce subcommittee on communications and the Federal Communications Commission. It is the first outside lobbying firm hired by the trade association.

{mosads}HEALTHCARE. Cardinal Health hired two lobbying firms, American Capital Group and the Cormac Group. In disclosure forms, American Capital Group lists work on Medicare and Medicaid issues. The Cormac Group is working on “Puerto Rico issues,” forms say. A division of Cardinal Health is the “largest and most technologically-advanced distributor of pharmaceutical products and medical supplies in Puerto Rico,” according to a corporate press release.

BUSINESS. Florida-based firm Ballard Partners, which boasts connections to the Trump White House, signed three additional clients — Genting Management Services, wine and spirits company Pernod Ricard and Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida. The firm now represents 17 clients, including Amazon, Univision, the U.S. Sugar Corporation, American Airlines, Dish and the GEO Group. The firm’s founder, Brian Ballard, was a donor to Trump during the campaign. His business partner, Susie Wiles, managed the Trump campaign’s efforts in Florida. Ballard Partners also recently hired Dan McFaul, who had served on the Trump presidential transition team.