Liz Cheney's Ouster a Major Loss for K Street Lobbyists

K Street lobbyists and lawyers lost a favorite lawmaker on Tuesday night when the Trump-backed candidate Harriet Hageman defeated Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY).

Ahead of the pivotal primary for Wyoming’s at-large congressional district, Politico documented how lawyers and lobbyists have been some of “Cheney’s biggest benefactors throughout her political career.”

The establishment media outlet noted that more than four dozen Republican lobbyists signed up to host one fundraiser for Cheney in 2021.

Politico also noted that many prominent lobbyists donated to Cheney in the final weeks of her primary, even though she was slated to lose Hageman.

The outlet’s Caitlyn Oprysko elaborated:

 Samuel Olchyk of Venable, Michael Robinson of Mehlman Castagnetti Rosen & Thomas, Khary Cauthen of Cheniere, Julius Hobson of Polsinelli and Christopher Boesen of Tiber Creek Associates of Capitol Hill, are among the registered lobbyists who wrote checks to Cheney in the final weeks of the primary, along with Joshua Dorner, the managing director of SKDK’s Washington office and Hal Quinn, the head of the National Mining Association.

— CVS Health’s Shannon Penberthy and ACG Advocacy’s Michael Barbera also wrote checks to Cheney this year, and throughout the campaign, she received donations of at least $2,900 — the maximum amount allowed for individuals for a primary — from Nathanson + Hauck’s Megan Hauck, the Business Roundtable’s Josh Bolten and Kristen Silverberg, Blackstone’s Wayne Berman, Coinbase’s Kara Calvert, Fierce Government Relations’ Kirk Blalock, Forbes Tate Partners’ Jeff Forbes (a Democrat), West Front Strategies’ Shimmy Stein and Airlines for America’s Nick Calio.

…

— James Richards of Cornerstone Government Affairs, Brian Shinault of American Strategic Partners and Denise Morrisey of Capitol Counsel have also donated to Hageman.

Former lawmakers also donated to Cheney.

This includes, “Filemón Vela, Congress Minutes reported. Former Reps. Mac Thornberry, Martha Roby and Rodney Frelinghuysen also contributed via their old campaign accounts, while former Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen gave to Cheney personally.”

Jeff Miller, a House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) ally who runs the lobbying firm Miller Strategies, said in 2021 that they could either work for Cheney or they could work for the potential next House speaker.