Bottom Line: Oil magnate accused of OPEC collusion brings on top lobbying shop

Oil and gas

Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck registered to lobby on issues related to the Federal Trade Commission for Scott Sheffield, the former CEO of Pioneer Natural Resources. 

The regulator accused Sheffield last month of trying to collude with OPEC to inflate prices, which the company said “reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of the U.S. and global oil markets and misreads the nature and intent of Mr. Sheffield’s actions.”

Will ​Moschella, former principal associate deputy attorney general and assistant attorney general in the Justice Department’s Office of Legislative Affairs, will work on the account.

​Exxon Mobil Corp. hired Empire Consulting Group to lobby on issues related to oil, gas, the environment and taxation. The lobbyist on the account is Brandon ​Garrett, who was then-Vice President Joe Biden’s policy director and political adviser during President Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign.

​Marathon Petroleum hired FTI Government Affairs to lobby on issues related to corporate taxation and energy. ​Mickeala Carter, a U.S. Department of Agriculture and House Agriculture Committee alum, will work on the account.

​Murphy Oil Corporation hired Acorn Consulting to lobby on issues related to onshore and offshore oil and gas production. Michael Henry, a veteran lobbyist and former staffer on the House Transportation and Energy and National Resources committees, will work on the account.

Finance

The private equity firm Blackstone hired Hogan Policy Advisors to lobby on issues related to tax reform, financial services, energy policy and health care. J. Michael ​Hogan, who previously worked on Capitol Hill as deputy chief of staff to former Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), will work on the account.

Visa hired Phronesis DC to lobby on financial services issues. The credit card company has been opposing a bill spearheaded by Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) that would require large financial institutions to offer at least two credit card payment processing networks, with one option being a network other than Visa or Mastercard, which currently control a combined 80 percent of the credit card “swipe fee” market. 

One of the lobbyists on the account is Brett ​Quick, former staff director of the Senate Banking Subcommittee on National Security, International Trade and Finance.

Tax

Phronesis DC also registered to lobby on tax policy and “free speech matters” for Koch Government Affairs, which represents Koch Industries. Quick will work on the account alongside Brendan Dunn, former policy adviser and counsel to Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.).

Communications

The National Association of Broadcasters hired Haro Solutions to lobby on issues related to television broadcasting, including the AM for Every Vehicle Act. The broadcast association is backing a bill that would compel carmakers who want to phase out the 100-year-old technology to include AM radio in all new vehicles. The lobbyist on the account is Steve ​Haro, former chief of staff to former Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and former assistant secretary of Commerce.