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Leonardo DRS, the US arm of Italy’s top defense, aerospace and security contractor, has hired Trump-connected Ballard Partners for military procurement matters.
Brian Ballard, a Republican fundraiser who chaired the Trump Victory organization in Florida, heads the lobbying team that includes Daniel McFaul, who was campaign manager for ex-Florida Republican Congressman and now “Morning Joe” Trump critic Joe Scarborough.
Earlier this month, Leonardo DRS replaced Northrop Grumman as incumbent on a $65M contract from the US Navy and Japan for radars designed to detect low-flying cruise missiles. If all contract options are exercised, the pact's value could increase to $265M.
Leonardo DRS is pitching the Air Force to build its next-generation trainer aircraft. The planes would be manufactured at Alabama’s Moton Field, which is where the Tuskegee Airmen trained before being deployed to Italy during WWII. The T-100 engines would be built in Arizona and its flight simulators made in Florida.
The Leonardo Company, which changed its name from Finmeccanica in 2016, builds training aircraft for air forces in Italy, Singapore, Poland and Israel.
Knob Petroleum, which is based in Panama City, has retained Ballard Partners to explore opportunities in Venezuela.
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck has signed to represent Eastern Air Holdings, which operates deportation flights for Immigration & Customs Enforcement.
Ballard Partners has lined up Australia’s Energy Transition Minerals company, an explorer and developer of rare earths minerals opportunities. It touts its Greenland property as having the potential to become the biggest rare earths producer in the western world.
Abbvie has retained Trump-connected Winston-Salem-based Checkmate Government Relations for healthcare matters and issues related to the life sciences sector.
Netflix has retained Bloom Strategic Counsel for regulatory matters regarding its proposed $83B merger with Warner Bros. Discovery.
