Bottom Line: NHL adds former lawmaker to lobby bench

Hockey

The National Hockey League hired HillEast Group to lobby on issues related to league event security. Former Rep. John Katko (R-N.Y.), who retired at the end of the 117th Congress, will work on the account alongside three of his former chiefs of staff, Brad Gentile, Zach Howell and Erin Elliott.

Retail

The ​International Council of Shopping Centers hired Salinas Strategies to lobby on issues related to organized retail theft and fraud. The council has expressed support for the bipartisan, bicameral Combating Organized Retail Crime Act, which would beef up the federal response to rising retail crime. Norberto Salinas, former senior counsel on the House Judiciary Committee, will work on the account.

Tech

Gecko Robotics, a Pittsburgh-based company that sells ultrasonic infrastructure inspection robots, hired K&L Gates to lobby on issues related to attaining federal contracts and grants. One of the lobbyists on the account is former Rep. Michael Doyle (D-Pa.), the former chair of the House Energy Subcommittee on Communications and Technology who retired at the end of the last session.

Finance

​JPMorgan Chase hired Marshall & Popp to lobby on finance, banking and investment issues. Hazen Marshall, former policy director for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), will work on the account.

Food

​Kellogg’s hired Mercury Public Affairs to lobby on issues related to plant-based foods. One of the lobbyists on the account is Shannon Campagna, who joined the firm’s Food and Agriculture Policy practice in July and has led government affairs for multinational food giants including Mars and Safeway.