Michael Sullivan is an Alabama native who at one time was called Mountain Brooke's "Most Eligible Bachelor." Reporters have noted the Amazon advertisements supporting a minimum wage increase have flooded not only email newsletters and online publications, but also podcasts, Twitter, and newspapers like The New York Times. [3] The position had been made subject to the Senate confirmation process and Sullivan was the first nominee to be sent to the Senate. Michael Sullivan is an Alabama native who at one time was called Mountain Brooke's "Most Eligible Bachelor." Most of his lobbying activity came out of his practice in Montgomery, Alabama. Previously, she worked in Baton Rouge for The Advocate as an investigative state government reporter. (Indeed, Facebook spent $11.6 B in marketing in just 2020.[49]). Theres a long history in the United States of great undercover journalism. The commission could stamp Sullivan a lobbyist and hem in his political activities, but first, its members want to know the sources of the money that props up his nonprofit corporation. [28] Reviving Competition, Part 1: Proposals to Address Gatekeeper Power and Lower Barriers to Entry Online, House Committee on the Judiciary (February 25, 2021), https://judiciary.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=4382 (see video recording starting at 1:37:48). | Justin Sullivan/Getty Images. [36] Press Release, NYS Attorney General, Attorney General James Files Lawsuit Against Amazon for Failing to Protect Workers During COVID-19 Pandemic (February 17, 2021), https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2021/attorney-general-james-files-lawsuit-against-amazon-failing-protect-workers. Sullivan first disclosed in late July that the June meeting happened, saying that Bonnen offered his advocacy group, Empower Texans, media credentials on the House floor if the group targeted 10 Republican members of the Texas House. If you are in need of enterprise level search, please consider signing up for a Bizapedia Pro Search account as described on this page. In November 2020, Public Citizen joined 32 groups in a letter urging President Biden to reject Big Tech appointments to his cabinet. Since Public Citizen published the 2018 report, the four Big Tech corporations have faced greater legal and regulatory challenges than ever before. [7][8], He prosecuted airport workers arrested at Logan Airport as part of "Operation Tarmac" accused of lying about their nationality on job applications. Build your own tools, design your own mashups or simply display a widget of information based on our comprehensive resources. OpenSecrets is the nation's top resource for clear and unbiased information. Rebekah is a Louisiana transplant living in Austin, Texas where she covers state government and the Texas Legislature. In addition, all pages on Bizapedia will be This website is shared by Public Citizen Inc. and Public Citizen Foundation. Sullivan declined to comment for this story, as he has for every request for an interview from The Dallas Morning News for at least 19 months. There are 4900+ professionals named "Michael Sullivan", who use LinkedIn to exchange information, ideas, and opportunities. We are told women want to be treated as complete and utter equals, but we cant tell risque locker room jokes, for fear of sexual harassment lawsuits, he wrote in 1995 22 years before the #MeToo movement would rankle conservative pundits. Dallas Cowboys want another playmaker on offense. This is an update of that report, based on data provided by theCenter for Responsive Politics. Ill put your guys on the floor next session.. His first job was with the Las Vegas Sun newspaper where he worked as a reporter under the direction of former Nevada Governor Mike OCallaghan. [1][2] He attended Boston College High School and Boston College, and went onto Suffolk University Law School. Roughly nine minutes into the recording, after discussing Sullivans recent trip to Europe, Bonnen tells Sullivan hes trying to win in 2020 in November., Is there any way that for 2020 we sort of say lets not spend millions of dollars fighting in primaries when we need to spend millions of dollars trying to win in November, Bonnen says. Most of his lobbying activity came out of his practice in Montgomery, Alabama called The Lobbyist Group. He sent emails to lawmakers telling them to support or reject bills. The 64-minute recording of Sullivan's June meeting with Bonnen and another top House Republican, then-GOP caucus chair Dustin Burrows, was posted on Sullivan's website and the website of WBAP, a talk radio station in Dallas on which Sullivan appeared Tuesday morning. [1] Angela Moscaritolo, What Does Big Tech Know About You? [20], Lastly, Amazon has hired two Trump confidantes since 2017, Jeff Miller and Brian Ballard, both of whom Public Citizen has exposed as key lobbyists for business interests at large throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.[21]. Sullivans disdain for reporters from local and national outlets has deepened over the years. She also later worked for then-Vice President Biden as counsel. In fact, Amazon spent about 30% more than the next biggest spender, Comcast (Table 2). But as Figure 8 illustrates, there is variance in giving across committees. As Washington prepares to pump $39 billion in federal subsidies into new microchip plants, the chip lobby is pressuring the Biden administration to relax environmental review requirements or risk ceding the semiconductor supply chain to China. Sullivan, who is the publisher of Texas Scorecard, a hardline conservative blog, had registered as a lobbyist from 2001 to 2009 but did not in 2010 and 2011. Sullivan set his sights on journalism early, writing provocative political commentary for Texas A&M's student newspaper before going on to work for small newspapers in Denison and Brazosport. [3], Representing the town of Abington, he was elected as a Republican state representative in 1990. For years, he and the group operated below the radar. "[9], Within a few weeks of taking office, Sullivan organized a health-care fraud unit in his district and nearly tripled the number of prosecutors assigned to medical cases, prosecuting companies such as TAP Pharmaceuticals as well as smaller facilities and individual providers. After the group was denied access for the 2019 legislative session because of ties to a lobbying organization, it sued the House Administration Committees chairman over it, arguing the rejection was unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination.. Politicians in the United States have events, they have weekend retreats, you have to write a check and then youre invited and participate. [15], Sullivan was a keynote speaker and special guest at the 2007 Great Lakes Summit on Gun Violence conference. Google is a significant outlier in the trend of Big Techs spending growth, as its spending has declined in recent years. Filing Jurisdiction, Entity Type, Registered Agent, File Number, Filing Status, and Business Category. Opensecrets.org is the go-to site for this data trustworthy, accessible and well-presented. Public Citizen advocates Medicare for All, stronger oversight of dangerous doctors and safe clinical trials. The recording largely aligned with Sullivan's initial description of that June 12 meeting and with what certain Republicans who listened to the audio before it was public had described. The climate crisis is the challenge of our time. At the same time he refuses to release his exclusive recording of his meeting with Bonnen. At least one journalist testified during the Ethics Commission hearing in favor of Empower Texans. Additionally, he has been a registered lobbyist in Carson City for more than two decades. In just eight years, their spending grew to $118 million. 750 9th Street, N.W., Suite 750 Bonnen could also be heard speaking disparagingly about multiple Democrats, calling one House member vile and suggesting that anothers wifes gonna be really pissed when she learns hes gay.. He was voted "Legislator of the Year" by the Massachusetts Municipal Organization in 1994. Real quick, you need to hear what I want to do for you.. Chad Hasty, a conservative radio host in Lubbock who covers Texas politics, saidSullivan is merely trying to balance the scales. While logged in and authenticated, you will not be asked to solve any complicated Recaptcha V2 challenges. According to the Boston Phoenix, "every US attorney prosecuting Operation Tarmac cases [] either reduced or dropped the charges" except for Sullivan, who wrote, "Ignoring the alleged criminal activity of illegal immigrants sends the wrong message to the rest of the world. Big Techs lobbying corps jumped along with the sectors overall increased expenditures. Sparks added that the battle could last a long time and cost the people of Texas a lot of money.. Having a media credential doesnt make you a journalist or not. Sullivan was defeated in the primary by Gabriel E. Gomez who garnered 93,632, or 51% of the votes. From the years of 2018-2020, Amazon, The four Big Tech companies recruited more lobbyists into their army, increasing its ranks by, Big Tech PACs, lobbyists, and employees contributed. [7] All of these companies havekilled, rather than fostered innovation.[8]. Even as the White House pushes for an advantage in the tech race with China, an exemption for federally funded chip projects would run counter to Bidens recent rollback of Trump-era rules that sought to limit the ability of federal agencies to conduct environmental reviews. Sales, Account Management and P&L responsibility of all . In addition to writing news stories, Sullivan had a weekly opinion column at The Facts in whichhe flexed some right-wing muscle. Raised in Southern Nevada, Mr. Sullivan attended the University of Nevada, Reno and graduated with a degree in journalism. 2023 Celebrity Net Worth / All Rights Reserved. Mr. Sullivan has managed campaigns and provided government affairs services in Nevada since 1990. Associate Bolles & Pritchard, 19831990. State Rep. Chris Turner, a Grand Prairie Democrat who serves as chair of the caucus, had perhaps the most notable statement, saying that, for him personally, the revelations are incompatible with Mr. Bonnen serving another term as Speaker., State Rep. James Talarico, D-Round Rock, who Bonnen discussed recruiting a GOP challenger against, said the Speaker has lost his way and that Texas deserves leaders who will put people over politics.. We reiterate these calls to President Biden to shut the revolving door from government in and out of Big Tech once more. It just gives you access to the floor, he said. [12] Karl Evers-Hillstrom, Most Expensive Ever: 2020 Election Cost $14.4 Billion, OpenSecrets (February 11, 2021), https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2021/02/2020-cycle-cost-14p4-billion-doubling-16. [4] Jeremy B. Merrill, Google Has Been Allowing Advertisers to Exclude Nonbinary People from Seeing JobAds, Markup (February 11, 2021), https://themarkup.org/google-the-giant/2021/02/11/google-has-been-allowing-advertisers-to-exclude-nonbinary-people-from-seeing-job-ads. Throughout the 2020 election cycle, Big Tech spent 5.2% more on lobbying and campaign contributions combined than it did in the 2018 cycle. In 2020, Amazon and Facebook spent, During the 2020 election cycle, Big Tech spent, Amazon and Facebook drove most of this growth. [17] Revolving Door Employment History section, Jay Carney, OpenSecrets, https://www.opensecrets.org/revolving/rev_summary.php?id=78737. Now Big Tech has pervasively infiltrated Washington, and dominated spending in nearly every category of possible influence. Cash and Hunt both said his politics never clouded his reporting. Simonton is a former fashion model and feminist whose civil disobedience in the '80s was geared toward ending sexual assault against women. The lobbyist works for Company X who wants to promote using gerbils in wheels for energy. [29] Speaking to the insidious but covert impacts of undisclosed conflicts of interest, Rep. Jones concluded his line of questioning by stating, Secret corporate funding has undermined our democracy., This funding, of course, is also not new to corporate strategy in Washington. But in 2010, he stopped. View the profiles of professionals named "Michael Sullivan" on LinkedIn. [4] He stepped down in 1995 after being named District Attorney for Plymouth County. Bush nominated Sullivan to be permanent director in 2007, but the nomination was blocked by a Senate hold placed by Senators David Vitter (R-Louisiana), Michael Crapo (R-Idaho) and Larry E. Craig (R-Idaho). [49] H. Tankovska, Annual Global Marketing and Sales Costs of Facebook from 2010 to 2020, Statista (February 5, 2021), https://www.statista.com/statistics/506867/facebook-marketing-spending. Oct. 15, 2019 Before he secured his presidential election victory, President Biden hired Cynthia Hogan, who was then working as vice president for public policy and government affairs at Apple. With the Bizapedia Pro Search service you will get unlimited searches via our various search forms, His work as U.S. Attorney largely focused on national security and health-care fraud. By most measures, Empower Texans has had a successful election season, helping unseat Republicans deemed too moderate and promoting tea party candidates. [42] The bill was, however, endorsed by Amazon, Microsoft, and other tech trade industry groups. [18] Person of Interest section, Jay Carney, Revolving Door Project https://therevolvingdoorproject.org/person-of-interest/jay-carney-2. [35]), Meanwhile, Amazon has come under fire for unsafe working conditions under COVID,[36] tamping down on worker efforts to unionize[37] (by spying on workers,[38] illegally interrogating and threatening them,[39] and retaliating against those who organize[40]), and exhausting their workers with unreasonable, inhumane expectations for productivity and efficiency. [3] Among his initiatives was a budget amendment to have the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority charge municipalities for sewage management by volume instead of population, which moved much of the cost burden away from outlying towns and toward Boston. [43] Cat Zakrzewski, Virginia Is Poised to Pass a State Privacy Law, Washington Post (February 11, 2021), https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/02/11/technology-202-virginia-is-poised-pass-state-privacy-law. The notion that a journalist has no bias is a myth and a lie, he wrote, adding that reporters are also so self-absorbed they think everyone is blind to their practices and ideology.. Exxon had been divesting from its Washington operation throughout the decade past, but reached a new low in 2020. Juris Doctor, Suffolk University, 1983. On Tuesday, after Sullivan's recording was released, Bonnen said in a statement that he had repeatedly called for the audio to be made public "because it will be immediately clear that no laws were broken." Las Vegas, NV 89148 A native of the HolbrookAbington region, Sullivan served earlier in his career as the Plymouth County District Attorney, and as a Republican member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Not because the checks are big, but because the way the political process works. [19] Cecilia Kang & Kenneth P. Vogel, Tech Giants Amass a Lobbying Army for an Epic Washington Battle, N. Y. Ruth Marcus, columnist, The Washington Post. As a minimum measure, corporations should be required to disclose their political spending, as a petition pending consideration at the Securities and Exchange Commission requests. [19], The monopolists revolving-door roster extends far beyond Jay Carney and Brian Huseman. To protect our site, we cannot process your request right now. The Ethics Commission in 2014 unanimously agreed he was a lobbyist and assessed a $10,000 fine that he is still contesting in court. United States attorney District Massachusetts United States Department Justice, Boston, 20012009, acting director Bureau Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives) Washington, 20062009. Who is available? Facebook and Amazons ascent was rapid. Michael P. O'Leary Named CEO and President of National Association of Former editor Donna Hunt hired Sullivan on the heels of his college graduation at the Denison Herald, the local newspaper nearSherman where he attended high school. michael sullivan the lobbyist group If youre a lobbyist who gave us money, I might talk to you., Mick Mulvaney, former U.S. Representative. That is a two-year, three-year process, said Hartl likely small comfort for the chip lobby, whose members are hoping to receive the subsidies within the next year. This foundation of spending continues to increase as a whole, though at differing rates. [44], On the antitrust side, the Arizona House of Representatives recently passed a bill that would help reduce the dominance and power of Apple and Google in their respective app stores. JOIN THE MOVEMENT In addition to its own in-house lobbyists, the group has Invariant, Urban Swirski & Associates, Prime Policy Group and Capitol . Mr. Sullivan will oversee local government public affairs for The Ferraro Group. Recruiting former congressional staffers, FTC officials, and other government officials to lobby their former colleagues, bosses and agencies is central to Big Techs political influence strategy. Chief Sales Officer (CSO) & President of Commercial Markets. I know I respect people like David Duke, Martin Luther King Jr., Ann Simonton and Rush Limbaugh. "If I still have the same 10 moderate Republicans who don't want to help on anything, I'm still unable to do what you and I would want done," Bonnen told Sullivan about 11 minutes into the conversation. 20005. The Texas Ethics Commission and Empower Texans President Michael Quinn Sullivan clashed. For industries to receive a categorical exclusion from NEPA, they must show that the class of actions under review (in this case, chipmaking) do not individually or cumulatively have a significant effect on the human environment. But Hartl said that even if the Commerce Department wanted to grant that exclusion, theyd first have to kick off a rulemaking process.