Bloomberg Government Top Lobbying Firms 2022
Bloomberg Government Top Lobbying Firms 2022

Lobbying spending in Washington reached a new high of $4 billion in 2022, continuing a multiyear streak driven by a law aimed at climate change and inflation, plus measures steering tax money into highways and semiconductor manufacturing. Bloomberg Government analyzed Lobbying Disclosure Act reports from all 2,105 registered lobbying firms that filed with the Senate during 2022. This report focuses on 363 firms that reported $1 million or more in revenue and lobbying activity in each quarter of the year.

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David GoodfriendComment
David Goodfriend Named "Washington DC's 500 Most Influential People of 2023"
David Goodfriend Named "Washington DC's 500 Most Influential People of 2023"

Goodfriend represented the Communication Workers of America’s NewsGuild in its Federal Communications Commission proceedings, arguing against the purchase of Tegna by Standard General, saying the mega-media deal would corrode democracy.

Hometown: Madison, Wisconsin. First job: Busboy at Rocky Rococo’s Pizza. What his office walk-up song would be: “Underdog” by Alicia Keys.

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David GoodfriendComment
Consumer protection organizations claim bill to limit ticket fraud actually creates ‘concentrated power’
Consumer protection organizations claim bill to limit ticket fraud actually creates ‘concentrated power’

Brian Hess, the executive director of Sports Fans Coalition, a non-profit that claims to protect buyers by fostering more competition between ticket sellers, said the original bill created a concentration of market competition.

“The bill actually concentrated power into a few large entertainment conglomerates,” he said. “It did nothing to protect consumers, despite its name.”

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Brian HessComment
Bill favors Ticketmaster, slights Colorado consumers
Bill favors Ticketmaster, slights Colorado consumers

In 2017 the Denver Broncos callously revoked the season ticket licenses of several fans because they resold their own season tickets to games they couldn’t attend on NFLTicketExchange.com, a website promoted and endorsed by both the NFL and the Broncos. Such anti-fan conduct was thankfully outlawed in 2018 when Colorado passed a law protecting a consumer’s right to freely use, sell, or give away their purchased tickets by transferring them to someone else if they wish. But all of that is at risk today. Ticketmaster is once again playing its game of monopoly and state lawmakers should not be deceived by it.

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op-edsBrian HessticketsComment
Equal Pay for Team USA (with Brian Hess)
Equal Pay for Team USA (with Brian Hess)

Hope's Joined by Brian Hess, Executive Director of the Sports Fan Coalition, to discuss the process behind getting the Equal Pay for Team USA Act signed into law by President Biden earlier this month. They also talk about how SFC came into existence and winning fights where they're the "David" vs "Goliaths" like the NFL and US Olympic Committee.

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Brian Hess named on the Hill's 2022 Top Lobbyist List
Brian Hess named on the Hill's 2022 Top Lobbyist List

"I'm honored to be included as one of the Hill’s 2022 Top Lobbyists alongside such influential advocates. The work we’ve accomplished at the Goodfriend Group and Emmer Consulting is nothing short of extraordinary. I’m lucky to represent the kinds of clients I do — non-profits, labor unions, and mission-driven companies that help people connect in meaningful ways with one another. I can’t wait to see what 2023 has in store for us.”

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e-Lobbying Strengthens our Democracy
e-Lobbying Strengthens our Democracy

Successful advocacy depends on adapting to changing political realities, not trying to relive the glory days by scuffing up leather shoes. Democracy only thrives when the entire citizenry can easily engage with lawmakers and staff. A virtual Congress must be the backbone of the United States' 21st-century democracy. Capitol Hill should reopen to the public, but the only way to live up to the government the Founding Fathers envisioned is to create systems and provide the infrastructure necessary for everyone to participate; that is how we truly achieve "for the People, by the People."

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Statement on Police Brutality, Racism, and Violence

Emmer Consulting and The Goodfriend Group condemn acts of police brutality, racism and violence. We re-commit ourselves to advocating for social justice in our work and in our lives. These unusually challenging times strain our basic notions of community. People fear for their health, livelihood, and lives. Our common bonds seem overshadowed by divisions, sometimes by race, other times by income, political party, or age group.

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Shaking up the diversity pipeline with Handshake director Jordan Pedraza
Shaking up the diversity pipeline with Handshake director Jordan Pedraza

Jordan Pedraza is the director of support at Handshake, a digital college career network that connects employers to diverse talent at HBCUs and other colleges. Through its easy-to-use mobile app, college students connect with recruiters at companies like Airbnb, Deloitte and Amazon to start meaningful technology careers. As a former Googler and board member at Pomona College, Pedraza has dedicated her career to education, technology, and improving opportunities for college students.

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