Ogilvy Government Relations

{{#badges: Climate change |CoalSwarm}}Ogilvy Government Relations is a Washington DC-based lobbying firm formerly called the Federalist Group.

The firm was acquired by Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide for $60 million in 2005, and changed its name to Ogilvy Government Relations in early 2007. [1] According to O'Dwyer's PR Daily, the firm decided "to switch its name as the Democrats take control of Congress," adding that "the Republican PR lobbying firm" had "recently made inroads with Democrats as evidence by the December hire of Moses Mercado (former deputy executive director of the Democratic National Committee) and ex-Louisiana Congressman Chris John." [2]

Practice areas

The firm's practice areas are: [3]

• Legislative and Executive Advocacy
• Image and Relationship Building
• Crisis Management
• Grassroots Outreach - "Ogilvy PR serves Ogilvy Government Relations clients in formulating effective grassroots efforts, using a variety of disciplines including advocacy advertising, direct mail, coalition building, media outreach and online communications."

Clients

• Icahn Associates Corporation, on "financial matters that come before Congress," reported O'Dwyer's PR Daily in January 2007. "Icahn, most notably, spearheaded last year's drive to break up the Time Warner media conglomerate." [4]
• Sithe Global Power, to promote "a controversial $3B coal-fired power plant proposed for Desert Rock on Navaho land in New Mexico," along with a proposed "$1.3B coal-fired plant in Toquop," Nevada. [5]
• Major oil industry players, including Chevron, the American Petroleum Institute, and the Association of International Automobile Manufacturers. [6]

Working for Ameren

The major U.S. power utility, Ameren spent $160,000 on Ogilvy Government Relations in 2008 and 40,000 so far in 2009. The registered lobbyists were Chris Giblin, Drew Maloney, Julie Dammann, Wayne Berman, and John Green.

Personnel

The firm lists the following staff on its website (accessed February 19, 2007); biographical information from an Ogilvy press release: [7] [8]

• James Jay Baker
• Wayne Berman - former political appointee under President George Herbert Walker Bush
• Julie Dammann
• Chris Giblin
• John Green - former executive director of the New Republican Majority Fund
• G. Stewart Hall - founder and managing director; former legislative director to U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL)
• Thomas R. Hebert - former Deputy Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment at the USDA during the Clinton administration
• Chris John - former U.S. Representative (D-LA)
• Chris Lamond
• Drew Maloney - former legislative director for the Majority Whip during the Republican control of the House
• Moses C. Mercado - former deputy executive director at the Democratic National Committee
• Nancy Mason
• Andrew M. Rosenberg - previously worked with the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee with Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA)
• Gordon M. Taylor - former chief of staff to Rep. Chris John
• Elena G. Tompkins

Contact information

Ogilvy Government Relations
1331 H Street, NW 12th Floor
Washington, DC 20005

Phone: 202.842.5077
Fax: 202.842.5010
Website: http://www.ogilvygr.com

SourceWatch resources

• Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide
• WPP

External links

• "Federalist Group Guides Virgin America," O'Dwyer's PR Daily (sub req'd), September 8, 2006. The airline Virgin America (VA) "faces opposition from Continental Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and the Air Line Pilots Assn. They question whether VA will be an American-controlled entity as required by the Dept. of Transportation."
• "Federalist Group Re-brands," O'Dwyer's PR Daily (sub req'd), January 4, 2007.
• "Icahn Hires Ogilvy's Federalist Group," O'Dwyer's PR Daily (sub req'd), January 15, 2007.
• Press release, "Federalist Group Announces Name Change to Ogilvy Government Relations: Leading Government Affairs Firm to Co-locate with Foremost Communications Firm, Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide ," Ogilvy via PR Newswire, February 15, 2007.