Legal Times: Podesta Group Looks for Healthy Growth

The Podesta group has added a nutrition policy expert to its portfolio. Ellen Haas, a former undersecretary of agriculture in the Clinton administration, is joining the lobbying firm as of counsel to a newly formed food, nutrition, and ag policy practice.
A former president of the Consumer Federation of America, Haas oversaw the government’s nutrition policy [...]

Legal Times: Abramoff Impersonator, for Rent

A look at The Orlando Sun-Sentinel today suggests that we’ve entered campaign stunt season. The Florida Democratic Party is gunning for Central Florida’s Tom Feeney, who joined Jack Abramoff on his fabled 2003 Scottish golfing jaunt. To make their point, they’ve started a web site documenting the lawmaker’s ties to the former Greenberg Traurig lobbyist.
That [...]

Sun Sentinel: What’s going on in the Florida Legislature

Here’s a scorecard of actions taken by Florida lawmakers Monday and a look ahead at what’s expected at the state Capitol today. Legislators have four remaining days to resolve weighty issues ranging from a proposed law on abortion and the new state budget to healthcare for Florida’s 3.8 million uninsured.
On Monday:
RENTERS: The Florida Senate shipped [...]

Miami Herald: National Democrats offer support to local candidates

Miami-area Democrats, seeking to show they have national support for three key congressional races against Republicans, brought in some extra fire power Monday: U.S. Rep. Chris Van Hollen, head of the committee that helps House Democrats get elected.
Van Hollen of Maryland pledged that the three Democratic challengers will have the backing of the Democratic [...]

Politico: New disclosure reports lack clarity

Driving America’s Future pops up as a client of Patton Boggs, with former Clinton Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater listed as its man on Capitol Hill. But again, its financial muscle remains a mystery on the form.
Photo: AP

The much-touted new lobbying disclosure reports are now available. But beware: They do little to make it easier to [...]

Politico: Suite Talk April 29, 2008

Carlyle Group Picks Up Bryan Corbett
Bryan Corbett has left the Bush administration to become a principal of The Carlyle Group’s government affairs team, where he’ll provide advice on regulations and strategy to the firm’s fund managers.
Corbett had been a special assistant to President Bush on economic policy and a senior adviser to Deputy Treasury Secretary [...]

CQ Politics: Arizona Republicans Concerned About Holding Renzi’s Seat

Arizona Republicans appear to have hit a wall on finding a potential moderate candidate for the vast 1st Congressional District, the seat of retiring GOP Rep. Rick Renzi , who is scheduled to go on trial in October on a 35 count indictment for charges including conspiracy, extortion, money-laundering and wire fraud.
Former state Sen. [...]

AP: Ethics committee criticizes retiring Sen. Domenici

Retiring Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., created an appearance of impropriety when he called a federal prosecutor in New Mexico to inquire about the timing of corruption indictments, the Senate ethics committee said Thursday.
The committee criticized Domenici in a letter to the senator, but it recommended no punishment.
The prosecutor, David Iglesias, later was fired and said [...]

UPI: Corporate bribery grows as legal niche

Corporate bribery is a growing niche for U.S. lawyers, as enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act has stepped up, investigators and attorneys said.
At a recent American Conference Institute seminar on corporate bribery, 400 people showed up, The Washington Post reported Friday. Ten years ago, only 60 might have attended the event, speaker Roger Witten [...]

Private Equity Hub: Carlyle Bolsters Lobbying Team

Bryan Corbett has joined The Carlyle Group as a principal on the firm’s Government and Regulatory Affairs team. He will be based in Washington DC, and will report to David Marchick.

Corbett most recently served in the Bush Administration as a Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy and as Senior Advisor to [...]