Investigate Every Aspect of Money in Politics. [13] The only corporation that lost in its ranks was Google, which in 2020 was down six lobbyists from 103 in 2018. Blitz Ahead of Zuckerberg Testimony, Tech Transparency Project (March 9, 2021), https://www.techtransparencyproject.org/articles/facebook-launches-pr-blitz-ahead-of-zuckerberg-testimony. Big Tech corporations are known to have funded trade associations, advocacy organizations and think tanks across the political spectrum, including groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the American Conservative Union, the Brookings Institution, and the Center for American Progress. These data sets are a goldmine for academics as well as journalists and interested citizens. When asked by U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks who his political opponents may be, Sullivan referred to House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, Rep. Jim Keffer, R-Eastland, and former House member Vicki Truitt of Keller. Corpus Christi attorney Jim Clancy, who previously chaired the Texas Ethics Commission, said media organizations dont report expenditures like lobbyists do. In 2006 he became CEO of Empower Texans, an oil-money backed conservative advocacy organization known for attacking moderate Republicans and demanding party purity. [5] Sullivan was the prosecutor in the 20012002 criminal trial of Richard Reid, widely known as the "Shoe Bomber". [20], Lastly, Amazon has hired two Trump confidantes since 2017, Jeff Miller and Brian Ballard, both of whom Public Citizen has exposed as key lobbyists for business interests at large throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.[21]. [5], Sullivan was appointed U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts by President George W. Bush on September 14, 2001, in the wake of the September 11 attacks. While the companies have already factored state and local environmental procedures into their plans, Shivakumar said NEPA is an unknown to them.. "[5], He spoke before the U.S. House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security in support of the USA PATRIOT Act in May 2005, urging Congress to make the act's surveillance provisions permanent. For Big Tech and beyond, the political spending covered in this report represents just one piece of the greater puzzle of influence-peddling in Washington, and across the country. 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. Sullivan said exposing the records would supply ammunition for his political opponents. While logged in and authenticated, you will not be asked to solve any complicated Recaptcha V2 challenges. To the offering of media credentials, Bonnen told House members in an email after Sullivan's allegations surfaced in late July, that he "knew, at the end of the day, the House rules not the Speaker determine who gets media credentials. Dallas Cowboys want another playmaker on offense. [23] Ryan Mac & Craig Silverman, Mark Changed The Rules: How Facebook Went Easy on Alex Jones and Other Right-Wing Figures, Buzzfeed News (February 21, 2021), https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ryanmac/mark-zuckerberg-joel-kaplan-facebook-alex-jones. 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, Michael Quinn Sullivan's secret audio of Texas House speaker blurs line between journalism, activism, (Erich Schlegel/Special Contribut / The Dallas Morning News), partially motivated by concern that the contents would damage, according to evidence collected by the Texas Ethics Commission, 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. 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. Asked for comment, his office said that credentials were handled by Senate Secretary Patsy Spaw. I dont want to use the word extremism, but he pretty much had his mind all made up about the way things were, Cornwell said. Speaker Dennis Bonnen during the Texas Fallen Heroes ceremony on May 25, 2019. Michael Sullivan was known as Mountain Brook's most eligible bachelor (according to Bravo TV) before meeting the love of his life Jaime Primak, star of new reality show Jersey Belle. He should resign as speaker, she said. Among the 10, half lobbied on behalf of at least one Big Tech corporation that year. The Texas Rangers are investigating the matter at the request of the House General Investigating Committee. Their next step will be to try to counter that opinion. [30] @RMac18, Twitter (March 11, 2021, 2:59 PM), https://twitter.com/RMac18/status/1370101942978969600. Learn the basics, like "10 things every voter should know," and more about campaign finance. This website is shared by Public Citizen Inc. and Public Citizen Foundation. The lobbying effort is going down to the wire. It's a move he has said is at least partially motivated by concern that the contents would damage Republicans. [29] Speaking to the insidious but covert impacts of undisclosed conflicts of interest, Rep. Jones concluded his line of questioning by stating, Secret corporate funding has undermined our democracy., This funding, of course, is also not new to corporate strategy in Washington. [3] The position had been made subject to the Senate confirmation process and Sullivan was the first nominee to be sent to the Senate. He was extremely conservative, she recently recalled. I think he views everyone as an activist in some way, Hasty said. A few had even called on the speaker to resign, or issued statements that stopped just short of doing so. Not only do they stand at the top of the list, Facebook and Amazon lead the pack of corporate lobbying spenders by a significant margin. 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. Prior to joining the firm, he was Vice President of State Government Affairs for Porter Gordon Silver Communications. It diminishes his claim to be legitimate media, Braddock said. Throughout the year, Amazon and Facebook spent nearly twice as much as Exxon and Philip Morris did on lobbying. Woman arrested in killing of 3 children at Italy, Texas, home in Ellis County, 41 North Texas congregations granted approval to leave the United Methodist Church, American Airlines, flight attendants file for mediation during contract negotiations, New Uptown office tower lands second major lease, Years after North Texas bid for Amazons second headquarters, retail giant halts plan, Mesquite to become the site of new 2,500-home community, North Texas builders see influx of activity in new year, but challenges persist, Mark Wahlberg pours tequila for fans at Dallas restaurant during thunderstorm, Chambelanes cambian de look: bailarines se adaptan a una nueva moda y ritmo en DFW, The Cowboys are closer than you think to a total makeover at running back, Ex-Cowboys OC Kellen Moore opens up on Dallas departure, shows gratitude for Mike McCarthy. [13] Note that this sum does not represent unique individuals. Dont just say things to fit in or to be different. In the February hearing, McMorris Rodgers said she had previously urged manufacturers to ask Congress for permitting reform along with the federal subsidies. Download the full report Asked for comment, his office . Submit a correction suggestion and help us fix it. The registration fee during those . 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. [14] Horsley says that the ATF has a long track record of abusive behavior and Sullivan, as Acting Director, continued to defend the ATF's abusive actions without any indication of making changes. For industries to receive a categorical exclusion from NEPA, they must show that the class of actions under review (in this case, chipmaking) do not individually or cumulatively have a significant effect on the human environment. But Hartl said that even if the Commerce Department wanted to grant that exclusion, theyd first have to kick off a rulemaking process. Those peoplehave all largely verified his account. [1][2] He attended Boston College High School and Boston College, and went onto Suffolk University Law School. Filing Jurisdiction, Entity Type, Registered Agent, File Number, Filing Status, and Business Category. With billions ready to be spent under the CHIPS and Science Act, industry lobbyists worry the laws review requirements could delay domestic chip production for years. Sullivan, 49, is of course best known as a political power broker. He has said his group represents grass-roots. In a recent internal all staff meeting at Facebook, one employee asked about how Facebook is different from Big Tobacco, when it funds research about the societal problems it is causing. Maybe because he's declared all-out war on cheats in the drug industry", "Boston Gun Violence Reduction Program Recognized As National Model", "Accused 'shoe bomber' intends to plead guilty", "Prosecutorial abuse: US Attorney Michael Sullivan should drop the charges against the Logan 19", "Statement concerning the surveillance provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act ( 201, 202, and 223)", United States House Committee on the Judiciary, Boston judge issued warrant for Abdullah Khadr, Eldest son of family linked to terrorism arrested in Toronto, Court papers: Suspect confessed to weapons buys for al-Qaida, "Senator Vitter continues to keep a hold on ATF Director Nominee", "Taking a Stand: Reducing Gun Violence in Our Communities", "Senate Close To Confirming A Ted Kennedy-style Liberal To BATFE", "CCRKBA urges Senate to withhold Sullivan confirmation at BATFE", "An Open Letter to the People of America", "Sullivan resigns from post as acting ATF director", "Former U.S. Attorney Sullivan gathering signatures for Senate run", "Sullivan: I'll be on Mass. [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. 3.2 MB. His interaction with lawmakers, however, remained the same, according to evidence collected by the Texas Ethics Commission. While Apple and Google reduced lobbying spending from the 2018 to 2020 cycle, total spending among the four Big Tech corporations still increased. OpenSecrets is tracking political donations from Biden's ambassador nominees, Cabinet and other appointees, and bundlers. Not that you need our permission., Roughly five minutes later, the speaker said, Let me tell you what I can do for you. Brett Hartl, government affairs director at the Center for Biological Diversity, said the chip lobbys fears feel like unnecessary paranoia thats mostly stemming from an unfamiliarity with how NEPA works. He said the law is frequently trotted out by industry as an umbrella scapegoat for all types of delays in approvals of projects. While Hartl could not say theres a zero chance that taking federal chip subsidies would by itself prompt a NEPA review, he called it a relatively unlikely thing that would trigger it., But the chip lobby is still spooked. There was not much compromise.. Build your own tools, design your own mashups or simply display a widget of information based on our comprehensive resources. He was voted "Legislator of the Year" by the Massachusetts Municipal Organization in 1994. Ruth Marcus, columnist, The Washington Post. 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. Turns out that it's incredibly cost-effective. Sullivan, who is the publisher of Texas Scorecard, a hardline conservative blog, had registered as a lobbyist from 2001 to 2009 but did not in 2010 and 2011. OpenSecrets. 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. The lobbyist works for Company X who wants to promote using gerbils in wheels for energy. Amazon significantly increased its spending from 2018 to 2020, by 30%. Sullivan contends that hes no lobbyist working on behalf of specific interests and that the commissions inquiry is unconstitutional. [4] Facebook and Google have wielded unprecedented influenceover our democratic process. Ultimately, she said, the entire experience has made her more determined than ever to win reelection. Sparks added that the battle could last a long time and cost the people of Texas a lot of money.. Yet as Big Tech converts its enormous economic and social power into political influence, our political system is hamstrung from addressing those increasingly serious issues. But without clarity on federal environmental reviews, Shivakumar said chipmakers will struggle to draft the manufacturing proposals Commerce hopes to receive. Just a month later, Zuckerberg was invited back to the White House for a private dinner.[24]. 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. The Texas Ethics Commission and Empower Texans President Michael Quinn Sullivan clashed. But in 2010, he stopped. A 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, charitable organization, 1100 13th Street, NW, Suite 800 Duke is an outspoken former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan and former member of the Louisiana Legislature. Open Secrets following the money in politics, OpenSecrets Following the money in politics, Armed Services Committee members received $5.8 million from defense sector during 2022 election cycle, The railroad industrys hold over Washington goes beyond Norfolk Southern, Online platforms embroiled in Supreme Court cases on content moderation spend millions lobbying on internet legislation, How U.S. arm sales fuel the humanitarian crisis in Yemen. 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. He noted that other media organizations have rankings of lawmakers, similar to the Scorecard. Search. He told legislators if they did not vote for issues advocated by Empower Texans, they would lose the organization's endorsement, get low rankings on Texas Scorecard and be subject to political challenges. Michael has 1 job listed on their profile. That is a two-year, three-year process, said Hartl likely small comfort for the chip lobby, whose members are hoping to receive the subsidies within the next year. Discover. more than the group has given any other candidate. Who is available? 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. Bush nominated Sullivan to be permanent director in 2007, but the nomination was blocked by a Senate hold placed by Senators David Vitter (R-Louisiana), Michael Crapo (R-Idaho) and Larry E. Craig (R-Idaho). AUSTIN For the past month, Michael Quinn Sullivan has been the narrator of this years most explosive Texas political firestorm. Reno, Nevada 89501 A gun-control lobbying group funded largely by billionaire Michael Bloomberg just helped Democrats take over the state government in Virginia - right in the National Rifle Association's backyard. [24] Mike Isaac et al., Now More Than Ever, Facebook Is a Mark Zuckerberg Production, N. Y. 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. 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. Burrows promises that the House will "spend the entire interim trying to expose what those dollars are being spent on" and building public support for the cause before giving it another try in 2021. 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. 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. [16] AJ Dellinger, How the Biggest Tech Companies Spent Half a Billion Dollars Lobbying Congress, Forbes (April 30, 2019), https://www.forbes.com/sites/ajdellinger/2019/04/30/how-the-biggest-tech-companies-spent-half-a-billion-dollars-lobbying-congress/?sh=237c196f57c9. Once logged in, you can add biography in the database. Litigation can remedy or deter wrongdoing, impact policy and meaningfully slow abuses of power. Michael Sullivan net worth: Michael Sullivan is an American lobbyist and reality television personality who has a net worth of $2 million dollars. Then in January 2021, Public Citizen joined 46 other groups in another letter, this time specifically urging President Biden to appoint antitrust enforcers without Big Tech ties. Big Techs lobbyists are not just numerous, they are also among the most influential in Washington. Though not new to Amazon, Jay Carney, the companys Senior Vice President for policy and press, will likely have much more access in this administration than ever before. Sullivan contends that he's no lobbyist working on behalf of specific interests and that the commission's inquiry is unconstitutional. Basically Everything, PC Mag (April 8, 2020), https://www.pcmag.com/news/what-does-big-tech-know-about-you-basically-everything. 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. Steve Bresnen, a lobbyist and attorney who is leading the charge against Sullivan, said the integrity of elections may be at stake. Democrats and Republicans alike benefitted from these funds, which totaled more than $3 million. Mr. Sullivan was also president of his own government affairs firm, Knight Government Affairs, and a partner in Paladin Advertising, a southern Nevada political consulting agency. OpenSecrets routinely creates custom data sets on a wide variety of topics, based on popular requests, and provides you with direct access. Not because the checks are big, but because the way the political process works. In addition to its own in-house lobbyists, the group has Invariant, Urban Swirski & Associates, Prime Policy Group and Capitol . [45] But the monopolists put up a good fight: in the lead up to the vote on the bill, they hired every lobbyist in town.[46], Tech companies not covered in this report, like Uber, Lyft, Instacart, DoorDash, and Postmates, spent a stunning $200 million lobbying for a ballot initiative that would reclassify their drivers as employees instead of independent contractors, thereby reducing cost and liability for themselves. Other important pieces of Big Techs spending include: state and local election spending, dark money and more. Facebook and Amazons ascent was rapid. [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. 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.. Quorum Report, a newsletter and website for Capitol insiders, first received credentials in 1983. In 2006, he started a relationship and ultimately married publicist and public relations expert, Jamie Primak. I wanted to see if we could try and figure that out. As with other industries and companies, Big Tech spends far more on lobbying than campaign contributions. 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. JOIN THE MOVEMENT Learn More about the distinction between these two components of Public Citizen. Bonnen could also be heard speaking disparagingly about multiple Democrats, calling one House member vile and suggesting that anothers wifes gonna be really pissed when she learns hes gay.. 20005. Amazon and Facebook drove the great majority of growth in lobbying spending throughout the last two years. We also must fight the corrupting power of fossil fuel companies and ensure that energy regulators are effective and publicly accountable. More systemic solutions are also required. Now Big Tech has pervasively infiltrated Washington, and dominated spending in nearly every category of possible influence. 2 min read. Ms. Sullivan has said that she spent. 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." "This was nothing more than a political discussion the problem is that I had it with that guy," Bonnen said in a statement. 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). In November 2020, Public Citizen joined 32 groups in a letter urging President Biden to reject Big Tech appointments to his cabinet. Neither Bonnen nor Rep. Dustin Burrows, who was also in the meeting and stepped down as House GOP Caucus chairman this week as a result of the scandal, hadpublicly discussed the details of the conversation before this week, leavingonly Sullivan to tell his version of the secret meeting for a month. Having the people who decide whether theyre going to spend millions of dollars for or against you looking you in the eye while your on the floor voting on bills is a bad idea.. 702.367.7771, The Ferraro Group Washington D.C. Table 3 lists the top 10 lobbyists that contributed the most funds to political campaigns in 2020. Later this week, both the House Democratic and House Republican caucuses are set to be in Austin for already-scheduled meetings. Since Public Citizen published the 2018 report, the four Big Tech corporations have faced greater legal and regulatory challenges than ever before. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. View Michael Sullivan's profile on LinkedIn, the world's largest professional community. 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. 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. [25] The Biden administration remains worried by the concentration of advanced chip production in Taiwan, which sits just 90 miles from an increasingly hostile China. "Clardy's the ringleader of all opposition," Burrows tells Sullivan, referring to state Rep. Travis Clardy, R-Nacogdoches. Married Terry Sullivan, 1975. "So you'd say Allison, Ashby, Bailes, Bell Clardy, Darby, Kacal, Lambert, Raney, Stephenson?" Bonnen, Sullivan said, "offered to take an official government action in exchange if I would just go after his political foes.