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| By Caitlin Oprysko |
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With Daniel Lippman FIRST IN PI — The Conservative Partnership Institute, the GOP think tank stocked with former staffers and allies of Donald Trump, brought in close to $19.5 million in revenue in 2023 — a steep drop from either of the previous two years, according to its latest tax filing. — CPI was formed in 2017 by former Heritage Foundation President Jim DeMint, but the nonprofit’s fundraising soared in 2021 after Trump left office and his former chief of staff Mark Meadows came on as a senior partner, along with other alumni from the administration. CPI raised $45.7 million that year — up from just $6.2 million the year before. The think tank brought in $36.4 million in 2022, tax filings show. — The institute is something of a home base for Trump allies and has hoovered up pricey real estate just a stone’s throw from the Capitol and on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, where GOP political operators and lawmakers convene for “boot camps” and networking. In 2023 and 2024, CPI took in $127,000 from nearly two dozen PACs belonging to current and future members of Congress, according to FEC filings. CPI was also one of the dozens of contributors to Heritage’s Project 2025. — But as a 501(c)(3) organization that is barred from politicking, CPI has drawn accusations of violating that prohibition as well as allegations of grift. — Three of the think tank’s top five contractors last year are either controlled by CPI or affiliated with its leadership, according to the filing, which was shared with PI by Accountable.US, a liberal watchdog group that has filed a complaint with D.C.’s attorney general accusing CPI of violating the tax laws that govern nonprofit groups. CPI did not respond to a request for comment but said in the filing that its “oversight process of audit has been consistent with prior years.” — According to the filing, CPI paid more than $2.4 million to affiliated vendors last year: The CPI-owned event services and real estate management company Conservative Partnership Campus, administrative services firm Compass Professional Inc. and law firm Compass Legal Group, all of which were founded by current or previous CPI officers. That’s on top of $3.2 million the think tank has already paid such groups since 2021, The New York Times reported earlier this year. — CPI’s tax return also named Compass Direct as its highest paid — and only — professional fundraiser last year, paying the firm $90,000. The firm, which formed last year, is run by the brother of CPI President and CEO Ed Corrigan. And CPI’s largest grant last year was the $880,000 it sent to Personnel Policy Operations, a group it helped fund and which has helped pay the legal fees of Meadows and other Trump allies. — Accountable.US President Caroline Ciccone argued in a statement to PI that the tax filing “continues to reveal an organization exploiting its nonprofit status to enrich its leadership and bankroll partisan priorities,” accusing CPI of carrying out “a flagrant abuse of these so-called ‘charitable’ funds.” — The group doled out $2.7 million in grants to other nonprofits, including a handful of conservative groups incubated by CPI and led by top former Trump advisers: America First Legal, which was started by Trump deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller; the Center for Renewing America, which is run by potential budget chief Russ Vought; and the Election Integrity Network, run by election lawyer Cleta Mitchell. Mitchell had been listed as an officer at CPI in 2021 and 2022 but is not on the group’s newest filing. — The FAIR Elections Fund, a newer organization run by Mitchell, received $795,000 from the think tank, while the State Freedom Caucus Foundation received more than a half-million dollars from CPI. — They spent another $15.5 million on program expenses, helping train “227 staff from conservative organizations, nonprofits, and Congressional offices” while hosting more than 100 trainings and seminars and working to find jobs for conservative staffers.
— The bulk of CPI’s funding last year came from seven anonymous donors, including four who wrote checks for more than $1 million. The think tank also disclosed more than $71 million in assets, helped along by $51 million worth of real estate holdings. Happy Thursday and welcome to PI. Send tips: coprysko@politico.com. And be sure to follow me on X: @caitlinoprysko.
| | A message from the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network: Congress, when you prioritize the fight against cancer, you make time for survivors to live their lives to the fullest. As you finish work before the end of the year, support robust funding increases for cancer research and prevention at the NIH and NCI and pass H.R. 2407 / S. 2085 to provide a pathway to coverage for multi-cancer early detection tests once FDA-approved and clinical benefit is shown. Congress: Fight Cancer. Make Time. | | | SPEAKING OF PROJECT 2025: A little over two months after Trump transition co-chair Howard Lutnick went on CNBC to insist that there were “absolutely zero” ties between Trump and Project 2025, the conservative blueprint that had begun to haunt Trump’s campaign, The Washington Post’s Patrick Svitek notes that the president-elect “is assembling an administration that includes some picks for key positions that stand in stark contrast to his repeated efforts to distance himself from Project 2025.” — In addition to Trump’s reported interest in bringing Vought back to run the White House budget office, “Trump has named at least four other nominees who are credited by name in Project 2025.” — That includes “border czar” pick Tom Homan, CIA director pick John Ratcliffe, FCC chair selection Brendan Carr and the Canadian ambassador nod for Pete Hoekstra. There’s also Miller, whom Trump has tapped as deputy chief of staff and whose America First Legal group contributed to Project 2025. FIRST IN PI — THORN RUN NABS 2: Two longtime lobbyists at Squire Patton Boggs have left the firm to join Thorn Run Partners. Vicki Cram, who had been with the firm since 2011 and was the co-chair of Squire's transportation, infrastructure and local government practice group, will be a partner at Thorn Run along with Pam Welsh, who joined what was then known as Patton Boggs in 2006. THEIR THANKSGIVING MIGHT BE AWKWARD: The polling firm owned by the brother of James Zogby, who is launching a run to be vice chair of the DNC, made almost a million dollars as a pollster for the presidential campaign and super PAC of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who later endorsed Trump in the 2024 campaign, Daniel reports. — The campaign of Kennedy, who is now Trump’s nominee to lead HHS, paid John Zogby Strategies just over $600,000 between September 2023 and August 2024 for “research consulting,” according to FEC records. The firm was also paid almost $230,000 by Kennedy’s super PAC American Values 2024 for polling during roughly the same time. — James Zogby told PI that he’s not involved in John Zogby Strategies and that it has “no relevance to my run for DNC Vice-chair.” He added: “The only Kennedy I know is Kerry Kennedy. She is my friend and at my invitation as Chair of the DNC Ethnic Council she addressed our Council at the 2024 convention.” — “Since its inception in 1984, Zogby polling has been vigorously independent and has served an eclectic array of clients with excellent polling,” John Zogby said in a statement. “This latest iteration of the company, a partnership with my sons, follows that tradition. None of this has any bearing on my brother Jim.” — James Zogby, president of the Arab American Institute and a longtime DNC member, told our Holly Otterbein earlier this week that he expects to formally launch his campaign in the coming days. — Jeremy Zogby, a son of John Zogby, handled polling for both the campaign and super PAC at the same time, an unusual arrangement given that firms often set up firewalls with different employees to handle situations like this to comply with FEC rules on coordination. “Our firm sought expert legal advice and followed it diligently — that advice was to never share data files between the campaign and super PAC and stipulate this to both organizations. I did that successfully,” Jeremy Zogby told PI. THE RFK JR. OPPOSITION AWAKENS: Lee Fang reports for RealClearInvestigations that “representatives of companies that make snack foods, sugary beverages, and cooking oils are already meeting to discuss how to thwart” Kennedy’s food reform agenda. — Trump’s alliance with Kennedy — who has alleged that Americans are being “mass poisoned” by the pharmaceutical and food industries — began rousing concerns among the food industry even before the election. But “those initial alarm bells have become a siren among snack food makers and agribusiness representatives, according to records obtained by RCI. Last Friday, lobbyists for major processed food producers huddled over Zoom to discuss the rise of MAHA and how best to handle Kennedy’s recently announced nomination.” — The lobbyists discussed the ways that Congress can limit Kennedy’s grand aspirations or force him to make concessions on his agenda as part of the confirmation process. “Similar strategy sessions have percolated across Washington Beltway lobbying shops representing food, beverage, and drug industries,” Fang reports.
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— Forterra has tapped Colin Chisholm to be COO. Chisholm joins Forterra from Tito’s Handmade Vodka, where he was head of operations. — LSG has added Stephanie Waties as senior vice president and Peter Dougherty as senior director. Waits was previously a principal at Waties McCall Consulting and is an APCO, Finn Partners and Widmeyer Communications alum. Dougherty was most recently a senior program manager at Purple Strategies and is a Biden 2020 alum. — Sara Peters has joined Holland & Knight as a partner. She was previously deputy staff director, budget director and counsel for House Appropriations Republicans. — Jake Olson is joining RaceTrac as head of government affairs. He was most recently chief of staff to Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R-Texas). — Constitution Partners has added Howard Crawford as a partner and Beth Cubriel as a senior adviser. Crawford is president of Patriotic Solutions and is a retired Air Force captain, and Cubriel was previously a managing director at PLUS Communications. — Holtzman Vogel Baran Torchinsky and Josefiak has hired Mark Pinkert as a partner based in Miami. He was most recently with Weil, Gotshal & Manges.
| | | | A message from the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network:   | | | | | None.
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HAMLET GARCIA (PAC)
Red White and True (Super PAC)
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| New Lobbying REGISTRATIONS | | Acorn Consulting: Association Of Idaho Cities
Acorn Consulting: Golden Valley Electric Association Acorn Consulting: Mountain Health Co-Op Acorn Consulting: Samuel Merritt University Ballard Partners: City Of North Miami Beach Ballard Partners: Ripple Labs Inc. Capitol Advocacy Strategies LLC: Cruise Lines International Association
Capitol Counsel LLC: Province Of Alberta Carmen Group Incorporated: Sbj Group Cornerstone Government Affairs Inc.: The University Of Texas At San Antonio Dla Piper LLP (US): The National Association Of Rehabilitation Providers And Agencies Foley & Lardner LLP: Future Defense USA Inc.
Invariant LLC: Carrot Fertility Jones Walker LLP: Lavanta Tech Inc. Mercury Public Affairs LLC: American Chamber Of Commerce In Myanmar Mgd Strategies LLC: Curing Stomach Cancer: Debbie'S Dream Foundation Ogr: Corbin Strategies LLC On Behalf Of Bobbie Baby Inc.
Public Strategies Washington Inc.: Securing Americas Future Energy Alliance Ryberg And Smith, LLC.: Association Marocaine Des Industries Du Textile Et De Lhabillement Sustainable Strategies DC: Larimer County Sustainable Strategies DC: Oil Regional Alliance Tenpenny Law LLC: Leavenworth Waterworks
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| New Lobbying Terminations | |
Colas & Associates LLC: Pharmaceutical Care Management Association Colas & Associates LLC: Teva Pharmaceuticals USA Inc. Ellerbe Government Affairs: Association Of Idaho Cities Ellerbe Government Affairs: Golden Valley Electric Association
Ellerbe Government Affairs: Mountain Health Co-Op Ellerbe Government Affairs: Samuel Merritt University Gallatin Public Affairs: Shanda Asset Management Mgv LLC: Smart Policy Group: Obo, Biomass Power Association Ms. Karen Johnson: Potomac Strategic LLC: On Behalf Of Kids In Need Foundation
Strategic Capitol Group LLC: Fortress Information Security Strategic Capitol Group LLC: Nowsecure Von Batten-Montague-York: Ogaden Community Of USA Von Batten-Montague-York: The Clan Leaders Of The Sool, Sanaag, And Cayn Regions Von Batten-Montague-York: United Somali Alliance Of The USA
Yellowstone Strategies: Freemyer & Associates PC Yellowstone Strategies: Freemyer & Associates PC
| | A message from the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network:
Over 2 million people in the United States will be diagnosed this year. Others will grieve the loss of a friend, colleague, or family member, one of projected 620,000 lives that will be lost to this disease. As you finish this year, Congress has the opportunity to prioritize the fight against cancer to help millions of people.
When Congress prioritizes policies to end cancer as we know it, for everyone, you make time for patients, loved ones, caregivers, and everybody else affected by the 200 diseases known as cancer. Now is the time to support robust funding increases for cancer research and prevention at the NIH and NCI and pass H.R. 2407 / S. 2085 to provide a pathway to coverage for multi-cancer early detection tests once FDA-approved and clinical benefit is shown. Congress: Fight Cancer. Make Time. | | | | |
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