Peter Schorsch - page 458

Capitol Insight, the high-profile lobbying firm headed by former Speaker of the House Dean Cannon, took in more than $1 million in compensation for the second quarter of 2014. Capitol Insight’s seven-person advocacy team — seven executive and five for legislative — represent a roster of savvy influence leaders, and enviable client list of 40 executive principals. Cannon’s crew includes celebrated names as Larry Cretul, who served as House Speaker in 2009; Rheb Harbison, former senior VP at the Florida Chamber,…

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Each quarter, when lobbyists file mandated reports detailing their compensation before Florida’s legislature or executive branch, we take a close look at who is bringing in what and from where. And each quarter, it is with quiet awe that we review the report from Southern Strategy Group — an impressive depiction of what to do right in the business of strategic consulting. The firm, complete with 24 of Florida’s brightest political minds, represented more than 170 clients before the Legislature…

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A morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics. Today’s Rise and Shine Fact-iversary is brought to you by Sachs Media Group, the state’s dominant public affairs PR firm: How rapidly has communications technology advanced? On this day in 1911, a New York Times dispatcher sent the first telegram around the world via commercial service. Exactly 66 years later, from Florida’s Cape Canaveral, NASA launched the Voyager 2 satellite, which carried a message about Earth beyond the boundaries of our solar system.…

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This blog first reported Tuesday morning that the Tampa Bay Times made a serious factual error in a story about Rep. Steve Southerland and his travel to King Ranch, the Texas hunting grounds at the center of an ongoing investigation by the newspaper into Republican Party fundraising. Sunday morning, Times reporters Craig Pittman and Michael Van Sickler report that on “Monday, Southerland became the first U.S. congressman to acknowledge he went to the U.S. Sugar lodge for a hunting trip.” That sentence —…

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What does it say about trial lawyers, when the worst they can say about a candidate is calling them … a “trial lawyer?” A new mailer from supporters of former banker Jay Fant has begun to hit mailboxes this week in the GOP primary for House District 15. The contentious race pits Fant, a “small businessman” who served as CEO of Jacksonville’s First Guaranty Bank for nine years before federal regulators shut it down for mismanagement, against attorney Paul Renner…

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Florida has always been in the sights of Pittsburgh-based mega-firm Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC — one of the nation’s top 20 federal lobbying practices. The firm’s March 2014 merger with Tampa’s Fowler White Boggs is evidence of its Tallahassee ambitions, further bolstered by Q2 lobbing earnings of $732,953 – $452,977 legislative and $279,976 executive. With Q1 fees of $772,952, the newest Tallahassee heavyweights have brought in $1,505,905 in 2014 so far. Fowler White’s 6-person lobbying team, led by Mac Stipanovich,…

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There are certain burdens with being among the top few names associated with lobbying in Florida. But for Brian Ballard, retaining clients does not appear to counted among them. Ballard’s firm, Ballard Partners, represents 154 clients before the legislature, and 152 before Florida’s executive branch, according to second quarter compensation reports. Each quarter, lobbyists who are registered to represent clients before Florida’s legislature or executive branch must submit reports detailing their client roster and compensation ranges. On August 15, reports…

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