Top GOP lobbyist named McCarthy’s chief of staff

Dan Meyer, the president of the lobbying firm, the Duberstein Group, on Monday was named House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy’s (Calif.) chief of staff.

The House Minority Leader announced Meyer’s role in a press release, saying that Meyer has “spent his career helping shape conservative Republican policy solutions and lead the fight for them every day.” 

{mosads}Meyer has been with the Duberstein Group for 16 years. His clients so far in 2019 include PhRMA, Caterpillar, Pfizer, Business Roundtable, BP, America’s Health Insurance Plans, Honeywell International, Alibaba Group, Centene Corp, CSX Corp, Sempra Energy, and United Continental Holdings.

He has donated $20,250 to Republicans so far in 2019, $4,600 of which went to McCarthy’s Majority Committee PAC, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. In the 2018 cycle, he donated $109,050 to Republicans. 

The Duberstein Group was founded by Kenneth Duberstein, who was White House Chief of Staff to President Reagan.

Prior to joining the firm, Meyer was chief of staff to then-Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) and assistant and deputy assistant to the president for legislative affairs at the White House under George W. Bush.

“As Chief of Staff, he will apply his breadth of personnel, policy, and political acumen to our House Republican conference dedicated to achieving results for the American people and winning back the majority,” McCarthy said.

He replaces Barrett Karr, who will be managing director of government affairs at Silver Lake Partners, a private equity company.

She does not expect to have to lobby in her new role, Karr told The Hill in May. Her work will entail monitoring the legislative and regulatory landscape.

Meyer spoke at the Program for Newly Elected Members of Congressin Cambridge, Mass., in December. He was on a panel entitled, “White House Congressional Relations: How to Advocate for Your Priorities.”

He is chairman of the board of the Congressional Institute, which sponsored the program.