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</div><div>Sommers’ American Investment Council became a client of the all-Republican lobbying firm CGCN, <a href="https://www.politico.com/tipsheets/politico-influence/2017/01/jim-murphy-to-bakerhostetler-218115" data-wpel-link="external" target="blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-shadow: none; font-family: Rubik, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Politico reported</a>. CGCN Group, LLC (Formerly Clark Geduldig Cranford & Nielsen, LLC) would lobby on tax treatment of partnerships and tax reform. CCGN also added power company Nextra Energy to its list of clients at the time. <a href="https://www.desmog.com/mike-sommers/#s14" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-shadow: none; font-family: Rubik, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">[14]</a>  desmog</div><div><section class="login" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><section class="excerpt" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><p style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 1em 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">---</section></section></div><div>
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</div><div> American Investment Council (AIC), formerly the Private Equity Growth Capital Council (PEGCC), is a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobby(politics)" class="mw-redirect" title="Lobby (politics)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">lobbying</a>, advocacy, and research organization based in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington,D.C." title="Washington, D.C." style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Washington, D.C.</a>, that was launched by a consortium of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Private_equity" title="Private equity" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">private equity</a> firms in February 2007. It focuses on defending and promoting the private equity and growth capital investment industry to lawmakers and the public at large. Its members include some of the world's largest private equity firms.<div id="toc" class="toc" role="navigation" aria-labelledby="mw-toc-heading" style="border: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); padding: 7px; display: table;"><input type="checkbox" role="button" id="toctogglecheckbox" class="toctogglecheckbox" style="margin: 0px; position: absolute; opacity: 0; z-index: -1; display: none;" /><div class="toctitle" lang="en" dir="ltr" style="text-align: center; direction: ltr;"><h2 id="mw-toc-heading" style="margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; overflow: hidden; border: 0px; line-height: 1.3; display: inline;">Contents</h2><label class="toctogglelabel" for="toctogglecheckbox" style="cursor: pointer;" /></div><ul style="list-style: none; margin: 0.3em 0px; padding: 0px;"><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#History" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">1History</a><ul style="list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px;"><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-2" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#Founding_and_early_history" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">1.1Founding and early history</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-3" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#Expansion_and_renaming" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">1.2Expansion and renaming</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-4" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#Member_firms" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">1.3Member firms</a></li></ul></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-5" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#Activities" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">2Activities</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-6" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#Studies_and_reports" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">3Studies and reports</a><ul style="list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px;"><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-7" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#Top_States_and_Districts_Report" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">3.1Top States and Districts Report</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-8" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#Other_reports" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">3.2Other reports</a></li></ul></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-9" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#Legislation_and_regulation" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">4Legislation and regulation</a><ul style="list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px;"><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-10" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#Lobbying_disclosures" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">4.1Lobbying disclosures</a><ul style="list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px;"><li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-11" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#Annual_reported_lobbying_expenditures" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">4.1.1Annual reported lobbying expenditures</a></li></ul></li></ul></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-12" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#References" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">5References</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-13" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#External_links" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">6External links</a></li></ul></div><h2 style="margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; overflow: hidden; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); font-weight: normal; font-family: " linux="Linux" libertine="Libertine" georgia="Georgia" times="Times" serif="serif" line-height="line-height" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">History[</h2><h3 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 1.6; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Founding and early history[</h3>The concept for a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trade_association" title="Trade association" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">trade association</a> for the private equity industry originated in 2006, as the private equity market reached the peak of its <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Private_equity_in_the_21st_century" class="mw-redirect" title="Private equity in the 21st century" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">mid-2000s buyout boom</a> and it became the subject of increased criticism and government scrutiny.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-Yerak_Dec_06-2" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[2]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-Birnbaum_Dec_06-3" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[3]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-4" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[4]</a> That year, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Private_equity_firms" class="mw-redirect" title="Private equity firms" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">private equity firms</a> were involved in around 28% of acquisitions by dollar value, compared to 3% in 2001.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-Birnbaum_Dec_06-3" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[3]</a> In late 2006, the Private Equity Council (PEC) was formed as the industry's principal lobbying organization.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-Nolan_Dec_06-5" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[5]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-MacFadyen_Oct_06-6" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[6]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-Bizjournal-7" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[7]</a> The trade association was officially launched in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington,D.C." title="Washington, D.C." style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Washington, D.C.</a>, in February 2007.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-8" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[8]</a><div class="thumb tright" style="clear: right; float: right; margin: 0.5em 0px 1.3em 1.4em; width: auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div class="thumbinner" style="min-width: 100px; border: 1px solid rgb(200, 204, 209); padding: 3px; background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); text-align: center; overflow: hidden; width: 127px;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:PE_Council_logo.png" class="image" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;"><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e8/PE_Council_logo.png/125px-PE_Council_logo.png" decoding="async" width="125" height="119" class="thumbimage" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e8/PE_Council_logo.png 1.5x" data-file-width="141" data-file-height="134" style="border: 1px solid rgb(200, 204, 209); vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" /></a><div class="thumbcaption" style="border: 0px; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 3px; text-align: left;"><div class="magnify" style="float: right; margin-left: 3px; margin-right: 0px;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:PE_Council_logo.png" class="internal" title="Enlarge" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: url(" w="w" resources="resources" src="src" mediawiki.skinning="mediawiki.skinning" images="images" magnify-clip-ltr.svg="magnify-clip-ltr.svg" e="e" display="display" block="block" text-indent="text-indent" px="px" white-space="white-space" nowrap="nowrap" overflow="overflow" hidden="hidden" width="width" height="height" user-select="user-select" none="none" /></div><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:PE_Council_logo.png" class="internal" title="Enlarge" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: url(" w="w" resources="resources" src="src" mediawiki.skinning="mediawiki.skinning" images="images" magnify-clip-ltr.svg="magnify-clip-ltr.svg" e="e" display="display" block="block" text-indent="text-indent" px="px" white-space="white-space" nowrap="nowrap" overflow="overflow" hidden="hidden" width="width" height="height" user-select="user-select" none="none">The original Private Equity Council logo in use from the formation of the organization through September 2010</a></div></div></div><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:PE_Council_logo.png" class="internal" title="Enlarge" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: url(" w="w" resources="resources" src="src" mediawiki.skinning="mediawiki.skinning" images="images" magnify-clip-ltr.svg="magnify-clip-ltr.svg" e="e" display="display" block="block" text-indent="text-indent" px="px" white-space="white-space" nowrap="nowrap" overflow="overflow" hidden="hidden" width="width" height="height" user-select="user-select" none="none">The AIC provides research on issues including the impact of private equity on job creation and </a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pension_fund" title="Pension fund" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">pension funds</a>' returns<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-Fugazy_Mar_07-9" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[9]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-MacFadyen_Oct_06-6" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[6]</a> in order to educate business leaders, policymakers, the media, and labor organizations about the private equity industry.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-PEI_Feb_07-10" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[10]</a> In addition to its research and communications endeavors, the Council's mission also includes <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advocacy_groups" class="mw-redirect" title="Advocacy groups" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">advocacy</a> on behalf of private equity firms and the growth capital investment industry.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-Alder_Dec_06-11" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[11]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-12" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[12]</a><h3 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 1.6; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Expansion and renaming[</h3>In 2010, the PEC expanded its membership to include a broader selection of private equity industry stakeholders.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-PEM_Apr_10-13" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[13]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-PEI_Sep_10-14" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[14]</a> In September 2010, eighteen new members were added, including <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle-market_company" title="Middle-market company" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">middle-market</a> private equity firms and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Growth_capital" title="Growth capital" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">growth capital</a> investment firms.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-PEI_Sep_10-14" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[14]</a> Following this expansion, the PEC changed its name to the Private Equity Growth Capital Council (PEGCC) to reflect a broader membership.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-Lattman_Sep_10-15" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[15]</a> According to the Council, in addition to the name change it created a committee called the "Growth Capital Committee" to focus specifically on issues related to middle and small market firms.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-16" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[16]</a> In 2016, the PEGCC changed its name to the American Investment Council to "reflect the increased diversity of PE firms and growing focus of the industry."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-17" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[17]</a><h3 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 1.6; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Member firms[</h3>The AIC's members include some of the largest private equity firms globally, along with an Associate Member class of advisory and law firms that have a private equity practice.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-PEM_Apr_10-13" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[13]</a> A full list of members can be found on the AIC's website.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-18" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[18]</a><h2 style="margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; overflow: hidden; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); font-weight: normal; font-family: " linux="Linux" libertine="Libertine" georgia="Georgia" times="Times" serif="serif" line-height="line-height" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">Activities[</h2>Since its launch in 2007, the AIC has spent over $11 million on lobbying.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-US_Senate_lobbyist_disclosure-19" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[19]</a> It also commissions and publicizes research favorable to the private equity industry.In addition to its research and lobbying activities, the trade association has developed best practice guidelines. In 2009, it developed a set of "guidelines for responsible investment", which were adopted by its members, covering such issues as health, safety, labor, governance,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-MacFadyen_Feb_09-20" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[20]</a> transparency for stakeholders and respect for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights" title="Human rights" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">human rights</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-PEC_Feb_10-21" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[21]</a> The guidelines were produced in accordance with the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations" title="United Nations" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">United Nations</a>' <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principles_for_Responsible_Investment" title="Principles for Responsible Investment" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Principles for Responsible Investment</a> (PRI), from discussions between AIC members and a group of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institutional_investor" title="Institutional investor" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">institutional investors</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-PEC_Feb_10-21" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[21]</a> The guidelines focus on transparency of private equity transactions and ensuring compliance with all applicable laws, both in the United States and overseas, and encourage adding value to members' <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portfolio_company" title="Portfolio company" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">portfolio companies</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-PEC_Feb_10-21" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[21]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-MacFadyen_Feb_09-20" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[20]</a> The AIC received positive feedback on its guidelines from PRI executive director James Gifford, and the chief investment officers of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CalPERS" title="CalPERS" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">California Public Employees Retirement Systems</a> (CalPERS)<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-PEC_Feb_10-21" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[21]</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CalSTRS" title="CalSTRS" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">California State Teachers' Retirement System</a> (CalSTRS), but the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Service_Employees_International_Union" title="Service Employees International Union" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Service Employees International Union</a> (SEIU) remained critical of the industry, arguing that outside regulation was needed rather than internal guidelines.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-MacFadyen_Feb_09-20" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[20]</a>In 2016, the AIC, in partnership with the National Association of Investment Companies, launched The Private Equity Women’s Initiative. The initiative promotes the recruitment and retention of women in private equity industry. Through this initiative, AIC membership promotes <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.investmentcouncil.org/industry-resources/private-equity-womens-initiative/" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: url(" w="w" resources="resources" src="src" mediawiki.skinning="mediawiki.skinning" images="images" external-ltr.svg="external-ltr.svg" right="right" center="center" no-repeat="no-repeat" padding-right="padding-right" px="px">Guidelines</a> and <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.investmentcouncil.org/app/uploads/womens-initiative-best-practice-2.pdf" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: url(" upload.wikimedia.org="upload.wikimedia.org" wikipedia="wikipedia" commons="commons" icons-mini-file_acrobat.gif="Icons-mini-file_acrobat.gif" right="right" center="center" no-repeat="no-repeat" padding-right="padding-right" px="px">Best Practices</a> for better gender parity in private equity.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-22" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[22]</a><h2 style="margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; overflow: hidden; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); font-weight: normal; font-family: " linux="Linux" libertine="Libertine" georgia="Georgia" times="Times" serif="serif" line-height="line-height" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">Studies and reports[</h2>The AIC releases quarterly and annual reports that highlight fundraising and investment trends, measure PE performance, and analyze top states and districts for investments. These reports share the impact that private equity has across the country.<h3 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 1.6; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Top States and Districts Report[</h3>In 2011, the AIC released its first Top States and Districts report, a ranking of the top 20 states and Congressional districts receiving the most private equity investment and that have the most private equity-backed companies. The report features an interactive map on the AIC's website that allows visitors to find out information about private equity investment in every state, including data about <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pension_fund" title="Pension fund" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">pension funds</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-23" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[23]</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomson_Reuters" title="Thomson Reuters" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Thomson Reuters</a> and propriety data collected by the AIC provide data for the report.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-24" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[24]</a><h3 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 1.6; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Other reports[</h3>In early 2007 the private equity industry was criticized by the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Service_Employees_International_Union" title="Service Employees International Union" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Service Employees International Union</a> (SEIU), which argued that the industry put employees at risk of job loss and had a negative impact on job creation.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-25" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[25]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-26" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[26]</a> In response to this criticism, the AIC commissioned a number of studies and reports. In September 2007, an AIC report detailed three case studies of private equity owned companies that became more competitive and increased employment following their <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buyout" title="Buyout" style="background: none; text-decoration-line: none;">buyout</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-PEI_Sep_07-27" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[27]</a> The following January, a study for the Council by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_J.Shapiro" title="Robert J. Shapiro" style="background: none; text-decoration-line: none;">Robert J. Shapiro</a> and economist Nam Pham found that 76% of companies owned by eight private equity firms reported an increase in jobs.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-28" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[28]</a> The study observed "significantly greater job gains" in private equity transactions compared with the overall market.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-PEI_Jan_08-29" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[29]</a> In 2010 an AIC report found that <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portfolio_company" title="Portfolio company" style="background: none; text-decoration-line: none;">portfolio companies</a> outperform publicly owned companies by 7% over three years and 11% over five years, countering claims that private equity has a negative impact operational improvement.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-Hedgeweek-30" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[30]</a>Other reports commissioned by the Council include a plan to improve the U.S. economy, produced by economists <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Neil_Baily" title="Martin Neil Baily" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Martin Neil Baily</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Slaughter" class="mw-redirect" title="Matthew Slaughter" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Matthew Slaughter</a>,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-31" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[31]</a> and a report estimating the total employment by private equity owned companies to be 11 million people. Pensions & Investments magazine stated that this was the first time that employment by the industry had been quantified.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-32" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[32]</a><h2 style="margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; overflow: hidden; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); font-weight: normal; font-family: " linux="Linux" libertine="Libertine" georgia="Georgia" times="Times" serif="serif" line-height="line-height" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">Legislation and regulation[</h2>The AIC has advocated before Congress in support of the private equity industry on numerous occasions. In 2009, the then-president of the PEC, Douglas Lowenstein, testified before the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_Financial_Services_Committee" class="mw-redirect" title="House Financial Services Committee" style="background: none; text-decoration-line: none;">House Financial Services Committee</a> (HFSC) in support of legislation requiring private equity and hedge funds to register with the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Securities_and_Exchange_Commission" class="mw-redirect" title="Securities and Exchange Commission" style="background: none; text-decoration-line: none;">Securities and Exchange Commission</a> (SEC).<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-Phillips_Nov_09-33" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[33]</a> He stated that the PEC supported registration under the proposed <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodd%E2%80%93Frank_Wall_Street_Reform_and_Consumer_Protection_Act" title="Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act" style="background: none; text-decoration-line: none;">Private Fund Investment Advisers Registration Act</a> because its members perceived the law as an important component of protection for investors against <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systemic_risk" title="Systemic risk" style="background: none; text-decoration-line: none;">systemic risk</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-34" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[34]</a> While supporting registration, Lowenstein raised concerns regarding cost for smaller firms.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-Schor_Jul_09-35" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[35]</a>The AIC has testified before Congress on the industry's role in the economy. In 2007, Lowenstein testified before the HFSC on the impact of private equity on employment and companies.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-36" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[36]</a> In 2009, its chairman Mark Tresnowski testified before the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_Committee_on_Banking,Housing,and_Urban_Affairs" title="United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Senate Banking Subcommittee</a> on the potential role of private equity in the recovery of the U.S. economy.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-Schor_Jul_09-35" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[35]</a>The AIC's initial lobbying efforts were focused on opposing proposed legislation to increase taxation of private equity managers' fees.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-37" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[37]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-38" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[38]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-Schor_Apr_09-39" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[39]</a> The AIC supported keeping the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carried_interest" title="Carried interest" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">carried interest</a> tax on managers' fees at the 15 percent capital gains rate,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-Lattman_Aug_11-40" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[40]</a> rather than increasing it to the earned income rate.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-Schor_Apr_09-39" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[39]</a> The proposed legislation was rejected but similar proposals were raised in 2009 and 2011, and the AIC continued to oppose them.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-41" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[41]</a><h3 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 1.6; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Lobbying disclosures[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=American_Investment_Council&action=edit&section=10" title="Edit section: Lobbying disclosures" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">edit</a>]</h3>As required by the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobbying_Disclosure_Act_of_1995" title="Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honest_Leadership_and_Open_Government_Act" title="Honest Leadership and Open Government Act" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007</a>, the Council is a registered lobbying organization and files quarterly reports concerning these activities, including the amount of money spent specifically on lobbying.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Investment_Council#cite_note-US_Senate_lobbyist_disclosure-19" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[19]</a><h4 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 1.6; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Annual reported lobbying expenditures[</h4><ul style="list-style-image: url(" w="w" skins="skins" vector="Vector" resources="resources" common="common" images="images" bullet-icon.svg="bullet-icon.svg" d4515="d4515" margin="margin" em="em" px="px" padding="padding" color="color" rgb="rgb" font-size="font-size" background-color="background-color"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">2007: $1,720,000</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">2008: $3,360,000</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">2009: $3,590,000</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">2010: $2,430,000</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">2011: $2,220,000</li></ul><h2 style="margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; overflow: hidden; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); font-weight: normal; font-family: " linux="Linux" libertine="Libertine" georgia="Georgia" times="Times" serif="serif" line-height="line-height" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">References</h2></div><div>...</div><div></div><div><div>=</div><div>MIKE  sommers aIC coc api next era client</div><div><div><section class="login" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><section class="excerpt" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><p style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 1em 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">---<p style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 1em 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">PEOPLE<p style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 1em 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">White House energy aide lands on K Street<p style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 1em 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Robin Bravender, E&E News reporter<p style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 1em 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<p style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 1em 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Climatewire: Thursday, November 29, 2018<p style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 1em 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">A veteran White House energy and environment official has left the administration for a lobbying gig.<p style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 1em 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<p style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 1em 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Aaron Szabo, who worked on climate and energy policies in the Trump and Obama administrations, started this week at CGCN Group.<p style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 1em 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<p style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 1em 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">He'll be lobbying primarily on energy issues, according to CGCN spokesman Ken Spain. The group's clients include the American Petroleum Institute, Duke Energy Corp., TransCanada Corp., the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, Devon Energy Corp., and NextEra Energy Inc.<p style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 1em 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Former White House aide Aaron Szabo. CGCN Group<p style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 1em 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<p style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 1em 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">"Aaron is one of the most experienced energy policy experts in D.C.," said Steve Clark, founder of CGCN. "We are proud to welcome him to the team after a decade of working on some of the biggest energy and environmental issues for both the Obama and Trump administrations."<p style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 1em 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Szabo was a career staffer in the White House from 2014 until he stepped down last week, according to his LinkedIn profile. He worked in the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs from 2014 until 2017, when he became an attorney at the Council on Environmental Quality.<p style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 1em 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">His exit is "a big loss for the administration," said George David Banks, a former Trump White House official who focused on international energy policy. "He's an A player and he did a phenomenal job in helping promote the president's regulatory rollback policies."<p style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 1em 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Szabo worked closely in the White House with Mike Catanzaro, Trump's top domestic energy official who returned to CGCN in April, according to Banks.<p style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 1em 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<p style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 1em 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">"I tried to poach him and move him over to international because he's that good, and Mike put an end to that," joked Banks, who left the White House in February.<p style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 1em 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<p style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 1em 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Szabo worked on the Obama administration's climate rules before he helped to overhaul them under Trump.<p style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 1em 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">For example, he worked on Obama's Clean Power Plan before he assisted with the Trump team's proposed replacement, named the Affordable Clean Energy rule. He also worked on methane regulations for both administrations.<p style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 1em 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Prior to his time at the White House, Szabo spent nearly seven years as an analyst at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.<p style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 1em 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<p style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 1em 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">CGCN's energy team includes Jay Cranford, a former policy adviser to House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), and Mike Freeman, a former lawyer for the House Natural Resources Committee. Rosemarie Calabro Tully, former spokeswoman for the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee's top Democrat, Maria Cantwell of Washington, joined CGCN earlier this year.</section></section></div>=</div><div>
</div><div>---<div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/mike-catanzaro" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">https://www.desmogblog.com/mike-catanzaro</a></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">update</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div>April 2018Catanzaro stepped down from his position as a special assistant to the president for domestic energy and environmental policy, <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/energy/trumps-top-domestic-energy-adviser-leaving-white-house" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">The Washington Examiner reported</a>. <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/mike-catanzaro#s53" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">[53</a>]“In just a short time on the job, I realized Mike was an integral member of the [National Economic Council] team and played an important role in crafting domestic energy and environmental policy,” said Larry Kudlow, the National Economic Council director. “His expertise and dedication to the Trump administration’s energy independence priorities was greatly valued and he will be missed. We thank him for his leadership and we wish him well on his future endeavors.” <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/mike-catanzaro#s53" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">[53</a>]Francis Brooke CAT? will be replaced by Francis Broooke, an aide to Vice President Mike Pence. The Examiner noted that Catanzaro had been instrumental in starting the process to appeal the Obama administrations Clean Power Plan and Waters of the United States rules during his time working for the Trump administration. <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/mike-catanzaro#s53" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">[53</a>]<a href="https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060079387" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: none;">E&E News reported</a> that Catanzaro had been among those who opposed Scott Pruitt's “red team, blue team” climate change debate, making his departure increase the likelihood of such a debate occurring in the future. <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/mike-catanzaro#s54" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">[54]</a><blockquote style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 1.5em 30px;">It's now up in the air again,” said<a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/myron-ebell" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;"> Myron Ebell </a>of the <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/competitive-enterprise-institute" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">Competitive Enterprise Institute</a>. <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/mike-catanzaro#s54" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">[54]</a></blockquote>April 2017Just weeks before becoming Donald Trump's White House energy adviser, Catanzaro was <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/2017/04/25/trump-mike-catanzaro-lobbying-keystone-xl" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">paid by TransCanada to lobby for the Keystone XL pipeline</a>, DeSmog reported.<a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/mike-catanzaro#S51" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;"> [51]</a>Lobbying for <a href="http://www.cgcn.com/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">CGCN Group</a>, disclosure forms reviewed by DeSmog revealed that a team of lobbyists including <a href="http://disclosures.house.gov/ld/ldxmlrelease/2017/Q1/300870253.xml" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">Catanzaro advocated for</a> “Policy issues and executive branch approval of the Keystone pipeline.” TransCanada paid Catanzaro and the CGCN team $90,000 for their work during the first quarter of 2017.<a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/mike-catanzaro#s52" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;"> [52] </a>During the first quarter of 2017 before taking the Trump administration job, Catanzaro also lobbied on behalf of oil and gas industry companies such as <a href="http://disclosures.house.gov/ld/ldxmlrelease/2017/Q1/300871648.xml" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">Encana</a>, <a href="http://disclosures.house.gov/ld/ldxmlrelease/2017/1A/300869732.xml" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">Devon Energy</a>, and <a href="http://disclosures.house.gov/ld/ldxmlrelease/2017/Q1/300870006.xml" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">Noble </a><a href="http://disclosures.house.gov/ld/ldxmlrelease/2017/Q1/300870006.xml" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">Energy</a>, and <a href="http://disclosures.house.gov/ld/ldxmlrelease/2017/1A/300869752.xml" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers</a>according to lobbying disclosures. <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/mike-catanzaro#S51" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">[51]</a>...</div></div><div>=</div><div>
</div>Just weeks before being hired as President <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/donald-trump" target="blank">Donald Trump</a>'s top White House energy adviser, <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/mike-catanzaro" target="blank">Mike Catanzaro</a> was paid by <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/5420" target="blank">TransCanada</a> to advocate for the <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/5857" target="blank">Keystone XL pipeline</a>.Lobbying for his old employer, <a href="http://www.cgcn.com/" target="blank">CGCN Group</a>, disclosure forms reviewed by DeSmog reveal that a team of lobbyists including <a href="http://disclosures.house.gov/ld/ldxmlrelease/2017/Q1/300870253.xml" target="blank">Catanzaro advocated for</a> “Policy issues and executive branch approval of the Keystone pipeline.” TransCanada paid Catanzaro and the CGCN team $90,000 for their work during the first quarter of 2017. The Trump administration <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/23/politics/keystone-xl-pipeline-trump-approve" target="blank">recently gave the Canadian energy company the green light</a> to build the long-contested cross-border pipeline, which will carry <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/2632" target="blank">tar sands</a> from Alberta, Canada, to Cushing, Oklahoma.During the first quarter of 2017 before taking the Trump administration job, Catanzaro also lobbied on behalf of oil and gas industry companies such as <a href="http://disclosures.house.gov/ld/ldxmlrelease/2017/Q1/300871648.xml" target="blank">Encana</a>, <a href="http://disclosures.house.gov/ld/ldxmlrelease/2017/1A/300869732.xml" target="blank">Devon Energy</a>, <a href="http://disclosures.house.gov/ld/ldxmlrelease/2017/Q1/300870006.xml" target="blank">Noble </a><a href="http://disclosures.house.gov/ld/ldxmlrelease/2017/Q1/300870006.xml" target="blank">Energy</a>, and <a href="http://american%20fuel%20and%20petrochemical%20manufacturers/" target="blank">American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers </a><a href="http://american%20fuel%20and%20petrochemical%20manufacturers/" target="blank">(AFPM)</a>. Catanzaro, as The New York Times reported, is now <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/15/us/politics/trump-appointees-potential-conflicts.html?r=0" target="blank">working on many of the same issues</a> for the federal government which were the subject of his lobbying efforts at CGCN Group]grx]
In the lobbyist update section of the disclosure form, CGCN describes Catanzaro as someone “who is no longer expected to act as a lobbyist for the client,” signifying he would soon be departing to work in the Trump White House. Many of the same individuals who in the past have passed through the Republican government-industry revolving door, as <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/2017/02/20/keystone-xl-lobbying-jay-cranford-gop-congressional-staffer" target="blank">previously reported</a> by DeSmog, are now replacing their Democratic Party counterparts who lobbied for Keystone XL during the Obama era.Joining Catanzaro in lobbying for Keystone XL at CGCN were his colleagues Steve Clark, Gary Lytle, Sam Geduldig, Mike Nielsen, Jay Cranford, Doug Schwartz, John Stipicevic, Amy Wren, Juliane Sullivan, and Katie Mitchell. That list includes <a href="http://www.cgcn.com/our-team/" target="blank">eight out of 14 lobbyists</a> employed by the firm.All of them except for Lytle and Clark, the lobbying disclosure form points out, formerly worked for Republican Party congressional members. Wren and Cranford formerly worked for the George W. Bush administration. Stipicevic departed from his job working for House Republican Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy.Meanwhile, Alex Oehler, another former GOP congressional staffer, now <a href="http://disclosures.house.gov/ld/ldxmlrelease/2017/Q1/300871012.xml" target="blank">lobbies in-house for TransCanada</a> and also advocates for Keystone XL.“Catanzaro’s appointment as a key Trump administration energy and climate adviser so soon after he served as a fossil fuel lobbyist is an outrageous conflict of interest,” said Tyson Slocum, energy program director for Public Citizen, a progressive consumer rights nonprofit. “Far from draining the swamp, Trump’s promotion of an inside-the-Beltway lobbyist to run national energy policy smacks of special interest giveaways for well-connected corporations.”</div><div>==</div></div></div>