FTI Consulting has acquired Washington lobbying and government affairs shop C2 Group to bolster its public affairs offering.

 C2, led by former George W. Bush aide Jon Cline and tax lobbyist Tom Crawford, added 12 staffers to FTI in the capital. The firm said it had nearly $7M in 2012 lobbying revenue, but terms of the deal were not disclosed. Its clients include Comcast, AXA, 7-Eleven, PepsiCo and Yum!Brands. 

 Ed Reilly, global CEO of FTI's strategic communications operation, said clients "more and more" require direct advocacy for legislative and regulatory goals.

 Crawford of C2 said gridlock in D.C. has pushed lobbying firms to move toward PR and public affairs. "With the gridlock we see, there's not a lot of legislating that's happening," he told the Washington Post. "A lot of lobbying firms have decided we need to be in the communications space."

 FTI, which is based on K Street in D.C., said C2 will work under its own name during a transition period and will remain in its 7th Street headquarters. Jackson Dunn heads Americas public affairs at FTI.