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These 80 Executives, Lobbyists, Corporate Lawyers and Consultants Are Doing Donald Trump’s Bidding

By Alan Zibel

As recently as this spring, President Donald Trump proclaimed that he is “not beholden to any political or financial interest.” His final campaign ad pledged that a Trump administration would replace the “failed and corrupt” political establishment,.

The trouble is, Trump has directly contradicted these promises, according to a report issued by Public Citizen. Trump has packed his administration with corporate executives, corporate lawyers, corporate lobbyists and corporate consultants. A look at 115 sub-Cabinet officials nominated or announced by the White House (excluding ambassadors) reveals extensive ties to corporate America.

Of the White House’s nominees for these jobs, 80 people, or nearly 70 percent of sub-Cabinet officials, had a clear corporate connection, having worked in a corporate job or done corporate legal work or corporate consulting. The remaining 35 had no direct corporate ties, though many are nevertheless ideologically committed to a deregulatory agenda that would benefit powerful corporate interests at consumers’ expense.

In the Trump administration, auto industry lobbyists are setting transportation policy, Boeing has a top perch at the Department of Defense, Wall Street is in control of financial policy and regulatory agencies, and corporate defense lawyers staff the key positions in the Justice Department. In Washington, D.C., personnel is policy, and the occupation of key government positions by corporate insiders ensures corporate cronyism will worsen.

The report  shows that Trump’s nominees represent a who’s who of major lobbying firms, law firms and corporate titans. They include:

● 29 current or former executives at companies including Boeing Co., Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, Invesco Ltd., Exelon and Bear Stearns. Many of these companies have cultivated ties to the administration, including Boeing, which gave $1 million to pay for Trump’s inauguration.

● 26 corporate lawyers from major firms including Kirkland & Ellis, Dechert, Sullivan & Cromwell, Jones Day and Mayer Brown. Filling top Justice Department posts are a lawyer who represented the tobacco industry, a lawyer who fought federal regulations for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and a lawyer who represented BP in the Gulf disaster.

● 15 current or former registered lobbyists from lobbying firms including Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, King & Spalding and Ogilvy Government Relations as well as several registered lobbyists who have worked directly for corporate interests.

● 10 corporate consultants who did work for companies including Lockheed Martin and Hewlett-Packard, including a former congresswoman who has faced ethical questions over her work helping Lockheed keep a key nuclear weapons laboratory contract.

AgencyNameTitleJob CategoryCompany/Firm
Central Intelligence AgencyCourtney Simmons ElwoodGeneral counselLawyerKellogg, Hansen
CommerceMira Radielovic RicardelUnder Secretary for Export AdministrationExecutiveBoeing
CommerceElizabeth Erin WalshDirector general for the United States and Foreign Commercial Service and assistant secretary for global marketsExecutiveGoldman Sachs, Cisco Systems,
CommerceDavid J. RedlAssistant secretary for communications and informationLobbyistCTIA - The Wireless Association
CommerceMichael PlattAssistant secretary for legislative and intergovernmental affairsLobbyistRecording Industry Association of America, Microsoft
CommerceKaren Dunn KelleyUndersecretary for economic affairsExecutiveInvesco Ltd
CommerceGilbert KaplanUndersecretary for international tradeLobbyistKing & Spalding
CommerceRichard AshoohAssistant secretary for export enforcementLobbyistBAE Systems, Lockheed Martin
Commodity Futures Trading CommissionChristopher GiancarloChairmanExecutiveGFI Group Inc., Fenics Software
Commodity Futures Trading CommissionBrian D. QuintenzCommissionerExecutiveSaeculum Capital Management, Rose International, Hill-Townsend Capital, Merrill Lynch
Commodity Futures Trading CommissionDawn DeBerry StumpCommissionerLobbyistStump Strategic
DefenseOwen WestAssistant Secretary of Defense, Special Operations and Low Intensity ConflictExecutiveGoldman Sachs
DefenseKenneth RapuanoAssistant Secretary for Homeland Defense and Global SecurityExecutiveANSER Corporation
DefenseJohn Gibson: Deputy Chief Management OfficerExecutiveXCOR Aerospace, Looking Glass Investments, Beechcraft
DefenseKari A. BingenPrincipal deputy undersecretary for intelligenceExecutiveAerospace Corporation
DefenseLucian NiemeyerAssistant secretary of the Navy for energy, installations, and environmentConsultantThe Niemeyer Group LLC
DefenseCharles Douglas StimsonGeneral Counsel of the Department of the NavyExecutiveHeritage Foundation,Marsh & McLennan
DefenseRichard V. SpencerSecretary of the NavyExecutiveFall Creek Management, LLC. Intercontinental Exchange Inc
DefenseRyan Dean NewmanGeneral counsel of the ArmyLawyerJones Day
DefenseRyan McCarthyUndersecretary of the ArmyExecutiveLockheed Martin
DefenseDavid G. EhrhartGeneral counsel of the Air ForceExecutiveLockheed Martin
DefenseHeather WilsonSecretary of the Air ForceConsultantSolo consultant; Lockheed Martin was client. Former congresswoman faced ethical scandal over nuclear lab contract
DefenseRobert R. HoodAssistant secretary for legislative affairsExecutiveCH2M
DefenseDavid NorquistUndersecretary/comptrollerExecutiveKearney & Co
DefenseDavid TrachtenbergPrincipal deputy undersecretary for policyConsultantCACI International Inc
DefensePatrick ShanahanDeputy secretaryExecutiveBoeing
EducationCarlos G. MuñizGeneral counselLawyerMcGuireWoods LLP
EducationPeter Louis OppenheimAssistant Secretary for Legislation and Congressional AffairsLobbyistCarmen Group
EnergyDan R. BrouilletteDeputy secretaryLobbyistUSAA, Ford
EnergyDavid S. JonasGeneral counselLawyerFluet Huber + Hoang
Environmental Protection AgencySusan BodineAssistant administrator for enforcement and compliance assuranceLawyerBarnes & Thornburg LLP
Executive Office of the PresidentGregory DoudChief Agricultural NegotiatorLobbyistCommodity Markets Council, National Cattlemen's Beef Association
Executive office of the PresidentJeffrey GerrishDeputy U.S. trade representative, (rank of ambassador)LawyerSkadden, Arps
Federal Communications CommissionAjit Pai (Reappointment)CommissionerLawyerVerizon
Health and Human ServicesMatthew BassettAssistant secretary for legislationExecutivemyNexus, Davita Inc
Health and Human ServicesStephen T. ParenteAssistant secretary for planning and evaluationConsultantUniversity of Minn/Health Systems Innovation Network
Health and Human ServicesSeema VermaAdministrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid ServicesConsultantSolo consultant; Hewlett-Packard was client
Health and Human ServicesScott GottliebCommissioner, Food and Drug AdministrationExecutiveNew Enterprise Associates
Health and Human ServicesBrett GiroirAssistant secretary for healthExecutiveViraCyte, LLC
Health and Human ServicesRobert CharrowGeneral CounselLobbyistGreenberg Traurig, Intrexon Corp.
Health and Human ServicesEric HarganDeputy secretaryLawyerGreenberg Traurig
Homeland SecurityJohn Marshall MitnickGeneral counselLawyerRaytheon
Homeland SecurityBrock LongAdministrator, Federal Emergency Management AgencyConsultantHagerty Consulting, former director of Alabama emergency management agency
Homeland SecurityLee Francis CissnaDirector, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration ServicesLawyerKaufman & Canoles, Steptoe & Johnson, Kirkpatrick & Lockhart
Homeland SecurityDavid P. PekoskeAssistant Secretary of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration.ExecutivePAE, A-T Solutions
Homeland SecurityElaine C. DukeDeputy secretaryConsultantDuke & Associates
Housing and Urban DevelopmentJ. Paul Compton Jr.General counselLawyerBradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP
Housing and Urban DevelopmentNeal J. RackleffAssistant secretary for community planning and developmentLawyerLocke Lord LLP
InteriorDavid BernhardtDeputy secretaryLobbyistBrownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck
JusticeSteven EngelAssistant attorney general for the Office of the Legal CounselLawyerDechert LLP
JusticeJeffrey Bossert ClarkAssistant Attorney General, Environment and Natural ResourcesLawyerKirkland & Ellis LLP
JusticeBrian Allen BenczkowskiAssistant Attorney General, Criminal DivisionLawyerKirkland & Ellis LLP
JusticeChristopher A. WrayDirector, Federal Bureau of InvestigationLawyerKing & Spalding LLP
JusticeMakan DelrahimAssistant attorney general for the antitrust divisionLobbyistBrownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck
JusticeRachel L. BrandAssociate attorney generalLawyerU.S. Chamber of Commerce, WilmerHale
JusticeNoel J. FranciscoSolicitor generalLawyerJones Day
JusticeBeth Ann WilliamsAssistant attorney generalLawyerKirkland & Ellis LLP
National Transportation Safety BoardRobert L. Sumwalt III (Reappointment)Board memberExecutiveSpent 23 years as US Airways pilot, manager at SCANA
Nuclear Regulatory CommissionAnnie CaputoCommissionerExecutiveExelon
Nuclear Regulatory CommissionDavid WrightCommissionerConsultantSelf; clients unclear
Occupational Safety and Health Review CommissionHeather L. MacDougall (Reappointment)Commission memberLobbyistHR Policy Association
Occupational Safety and Health Review CommissionJames J. SullivanCommission memberLobbyistJMS Consulting
Overseas Private Investment CorporationRay WashburnePresidentExecutiveCharter Holdings, M Crowd Restaurant Group
Overseas Private Investment CorporationDavid Steele BohigianExecutive Vice PresidentExecutivePluribus Ventures, Bridgewater Associates, Jefferson Partners, Idealab
Securities and Exchange CommissionJay ClaytonChairmanLawyerSullivan & Cromwell
Small Business AdministrationAlthea CoetzeeDeputy administratorExecutiveAbbott Labs
StateJohn J. SullivanDeputy secretary/Deputy Secretary for Management and ResourcesLawyerMayer Brown
StateEric UelandUndersecretary for managementLobbyistThe Duberstein Group
TransportationDerek KanUndersecretary of transportation for policyExecutiveLyft
TransportationSteven Gill BradburyGeneral CounselLawyerDechert LLP
TransportationJeffrey A. RosenDeputy secretaryLawyerKirkland & Ellis LLP
TreasuryAndrew "Drew" K. MaloneyAssistant Secretary (Deputy Under Secretary) for Legislative AffairsLobbyistHess Corp., Ogilvy Government Relations
TreasuryDavid J. KautterAssistant secretary for tax policyConsultantRSM US, Ernst & Young
TreasuryMarshall BillingsleaAssistant secretary for terrorist financingConsultantDeloitte
TreasuryJoseph OttingComptroller of the CurrencyExecutiveFormer CEO, OneWest Bank
TreasurySigal MandelkerUnder secretary for terrorism and financial intelligenceLawyerProskauer Rose
TreasuryDavid MalpassUndersecretary for international affairsExecutiveBear Stearns
TreasuryBrent James McIntoshGeneral counselLawyerSullivan & Cromwell
TreasuryHeath P. TarbertAssistant secretary for international markets and developmentLawyerAllen & Overy LLP
Veterans AffairsBrooks D. TuckerAssistant secretary for congressional and legislative affairsExecutiveDeutsche Bank, First Union Securities, Merrill Lynch