 |
BlackRock, the high-profile global investment firm, has hired Cornerstone Government Affairs for strategic counsel on asset management industry dynamics related to working with Congress.
Due to its past commitment to environmental and social issues, Larry Fink’s firm has been front and center in the anti-woke backlash.
Indiana on Aug. 21 issued a cease-and-desist order against BlackRock for alleged securities fraud tied to its ESG products. Secretary of State Diego Morales accused BlackRock of misleading investors about its efforts to push ESG goals.
Despite the Hoosier State tussle, BlackRock’s support for shareholder ESG issues is but a fraction of its 2021 peak.
It backed 20 of the 493 ESG proposals, or four percent of the total, put forward at annual meetings during the 12-month period ended June. That compares to 47 percent of the 2021 proposals.
Cornerstone's David Planning and Christopher Hodgson handle the BlackRock push.
Planning was president Donald Trump’s special assistant for legislative affairs, handling outreach to the Financial Services and Energy & Commerce Committees. He also also worked on relations with leadership of the Republican Party.
Hodgson was vice president Mike Pence’s special assistant for legislative affairs, and deputy floor directory for House Majority Whip Steve Scalise.
BlackRock has $10.6T in assets under management.
Anthropic, the artificial intelligence company banned by Defense Secretary Hegseth, has hired Ballard Partners for DC representation.
The Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development enrolls Venable for government relations services.
Coinbase has hired Checkmate Government Relations, which has close ties to the Trump administration, to handle matters related to digital assets as the Senate works on the Clarity Act.
Peter Thiel-backed Palantir Technologies has added Democratic firm Ferox Strategies to its DC lobbying line-up to handle data analytics and technology issues.
Former congressmen Joe Crowley (D-NY) and Jeff Denham (R-CA) have signed on to handle the “new” TikTok on issues related to internet technology and learning-enabled platforms.
