The advocacy network backed by billionaire industrialist brothers Charles and David Koch has added a PR firm to its roster of conservative outreach and policy efforts.
In Pursuit Of is the name of the new entity that will be run by Koch’s anchor advocacy group Freedom Partners. The for-profit agency will provide services to outside clients such as political candidates, companies and non-profits, and will also supply communications work for the various arms of Koch’s vast political network. According to a December 7 NBC News report, the firm plans to focus on corporate tax reform, regulation reduction and replacing the Affordable Care Act.
 James Davis |
James Davis, Freedom Partners' executive VP of marketing and communications, has been tapped to lead In Pursuit Of and will hold the title of president. Davis, who was chief
spokesman and communications director for the 2012 Republican National Convention, was formerly an associate at M&A PR giant Brunswick Group.
In 2009, the Kochs funded the launch of a similar private offering, political data and analytics firm i360. That firm, which was founded by former John McCain chief technology officer Michael Palmer, collects data on all 250 million U.S. adults for the purpose of creating predictive modeling for political campaigns.
The news of In Pursuit Of’s formation comes amid a restructuring effort involving Koch's political operations that were announced earlier this year. Those measures resulted in several organizations being consolidated under the Americans for Prosperity umbrella and a scaling back of its work with several consulting firms, fundraising entities and conservative advocacy groups. In December the Kochs also announced that it would be laying off 81 employees across its network as part of this reorganization.
The Koch’s network of donors and advocacy groups, which was once referred to by The New York Times as “an almost shadow version of the Republican Party,” largely avoided the 2016 presidential campaign after butting heads with Donald Trump several times during the race. Koch’s affiliated advocacy group still managed to contribute about $250 million in a bid to help elect down-ballot Republicans.
Husch Blackwell Strategies has added FleishmanHillard alum Michael Slatin as a principal in its public affairs group.
Rory Cooper, a veteran Republican operative and policy specialist, has joined Teneo’s Washington office as senior managing director in its strategy & communications practice.
Brian Fallon, who served as national press secretary for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential run, is signing on next month as Vice President’s Kamala Harris’ campaign communications director.
TikTok is nothing more than a Chinese propaganda tool that poses “a grave threat to America’s national security and, in particular, impressionable children and young adults,” say two Congressmen who want the platform registered as a foreign agent.
Public Strategies Washington has added Abbie Sorrendino, a former aide to now Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
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