With David Beavers and Daniel Lippman

TRIBES SUE OVER CORONAVIRUS RELIEF: “Six Native American tribes are suing the Trump administration over plans to give for-profit Alaska Native corporations access to an $8 billion coronavirus aid fund earmarked for tribal governments,” POLITICO’s Adam Cancryn and I report. “The lawsuit filed Friday morning argues that the Treasury Department’s decision risks diverting billions of dollars away from hard-hit tribes and toward Alaska Native corporations — some of which represent the largest businesses in the state. ‘The Secretary’s designation and treatment of these private corporations as Tribal governments reduces the funds available for allocation and distribution,’ the complaint alleges, adding that many tribes are in “dire need” of the funding amid the coronavirus crisis.”

— The lawsuit comes amid an uproar over the role of Tara Sweeney, an Interior Department official involved in deciding how to distribute aid to the tribes who’s also a former lobbyist for an Alaska Native corporation. “Tara Sweeney is diverting funds for tribal governments during coronavirus to for-profit Alaska Native Corporations,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer tweeted on Thursday. “Sweeney used to be an exec for an ANC, and she wants to profit!” Sweeney shot back on Thursday, calling Schumer’s tweet “an ignorant and despicably low attack that could not be further from the truth.”

— Harold Frazier, the association’s chairman and the head of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, called for Sweeney to be fired in a letter to Interior Secretary David Bernhardt and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Tuesday, which was obtained by POLITICO. “She has lost the confidence of Indian tribes,” Frazier wrote. “Charged with a large public trust, she unfairly sought to divert emergency Tribal Government resources to state-chartered, for-profit corporations owned by Alaska Native shareholders, including her and her family.” In an interview on Thursday, Kevin Allis, the chief executive of the National Congress of American Indians, didn’t go that far but said Sweeney should’ve recused herself from the matter. “It just doesn’t look good,” he said. “Right or wrong, it doesn’t look good.”

— An Interior Department spokesperson said in a statement that Sweeney “is committed to supporting all American Indians and Alaska Natives, and to suggest she has personal motives or that she is attempting to divert funds away from American Indians is completely false.”

Good afternoon, and welcome to PI.Tips: [email protected]. Twitter: @theodoricmeyer.

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TRAVEL LOBBY PUSHES FOR MORE HELP: Dozens of representatives of both parties sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy on Thursday pushing for one of the U.S. Travel Association’s top priorities: making coronavirus relief funds available to destination marketing organizations such as Visit Philadelphia and Visit California. The organizations are often set up as trade groups and can’t apply for small business loans under current rules. To ensure they “can continue to do their crucial work of driving domestic travel and tourism, we urge you to include them as eligible entities for federal support in programs like the” small business loans, the lawmakers write.

PETERSON GETS SOME HELP FROM THE SUGAR LOBBY: Rep. Collin Peterson (D-Minn.), who’s chairman of the House Agriculture Committee and represents a rural district that President Donald Trump won by a big margin in 2016, is getting some help from the sugar industry as he fights to win a 16th term, POLITICO’s Liz Crampton reports. “A PAC bankrolled by the sugar lobby that is backing only Peterson this election cycle, Committee for Stronger Rural Communities, spent just over $112,000 during the first quarter and has about $250,000 on hand.”

— “American Crystal Sugar is the PAC’s biggest donor, contributing $150,000 in early January, followed by the International Union of Operating Engineers, which gave $50,000 in February. Most of the PAC’s expenses have been on digital and video advertising: almost $103,000. Early ads running on local Minnesota radiowaves and online tout Peterson’s support of gun rights and efforts to lower prescription drug costs, as well as his local farming background.”

Jobs Report

— Wells Fargo has hired Brian Smith as head of government relations and public policy. He’ll start next month. He’s currently the top lobbyist for Regions Financial Corporation. He’ll replace David Moskowitz, who’s retiring after 27 years at the bank.

— Booster Fuels has hired Jordan Valdés as head of public affairs. She was previously a senior director at APCO Worldwide.

New Joint Fundraisers

Problem Solver Republicans (Reps. Don Bacon, Brian Fitzpatrick, Mike Gallagher, Anthony Gonzalez, Jaime Herrera Beutler, Bill Johnson, Dusty Johnson, Dave Joyce, Tom Reed, Bryan Steil and Van Taylor, No Labels Problem Solvers Political Action Committee (No Labels Problem Solvers PAC)
Shaheen McGrath Victory Fund (Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, Amy McGrath for Senate, Inc.)

New PACs

Not Me Us (Hybrid PAC)
Occupy Freedom PAC (PAC)

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New Lobbying REGISTRATIONS

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld: Liberty Tire Recycling, LLC
American Conservation Coalition, Inc.: American Conservation Coalition, Inc.
American Defense International, Inc.: Grand Valley Manufacturing
Arent Fox LLP: Altiostar Networks, Inc.
Arent Fox LLP: National Parking Association
Atlas Crossing LLC: Hill East Group, LLC on behalf of FaceFirst, Inc.
Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz /The Daschle Group: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America, Inc.
Ballard Partners: Audacious Inquiry
Ballard Partners: Skyport North American
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP: Park Hotels & Resorts, Inc.
Capitol Counsel, LLC: Virginia Tourism Corporation
Capitol Tax Partners, LLP: Square, Inc.
CGCN Group, LLC (formerly known as Clark Geduldig Cranford & Nielsen, LLC): Hamzat TSDF Inc.
Copyright Alliance: Copyright Alliance
Cornerstone Government Affairs, Inc.: Adobe Inc.
Cornerstone Government Affairs, Inc.: The Washington Center
Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies: Estate Debt Coalition
Croke Fairchild Morgan & Beres LLC: National Rural Electric Cooperative Association
Davidoff Hutcher & Citron, LLP: Amesite Inc
Davidoff Hutcher & Citron, LLP: SCO Family of Services
DLA Piper LLP (US): AmeriHealth Caritas
DLA Piper LLP (US): Liteye Systems, Inc.
DLA Piper LLP (US): REVERT Health, Inc.
Efrus Federal Advisors LLC: Veritas Technologies
Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP: Bluebird Strategies (on behalf of Thermo Fisher Scientific)
Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP: Boston Children’s Hospital
Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP: Citizens for a Secure and Safe America
Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP: City of Terre Haute
Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP: Coalition for Pediatric Medical Research
Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP: Collaborative for Effective Prescription Opioid Policies
Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP: COPD Foundation
Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP: Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation
Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP: Global Down Syndrome Foundation
Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP: Indiana State University
Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP: National Steel Bridge Alliance
Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP: Novavax
Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP: Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy
Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP: Sargento Foods Inc.
Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP: Solidarity HealthShare
Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP: Spectrum Health
Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP: USAgainstAlzheimer’s
Foley & Lardner, LLP: Exact Sciences
Foley & Lardner, LLP: LivaNova USA
FS Vector LLC: Allstate
FS Vector LLC: Aon Service Corporation
FS Vector LLC: Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (AICPA)
FS Vector LLC: Bank Policy Institute
FS Vector LLC: Citizens Bank, N.A.
FS Vector LLC: Investment Company Institute
FS Vector LLC: Square, Inc.
FS Vector LLC: The Pew Charitable Trusts
Greenberg Traurig, LLP: American Optometric Association
Greenberg Traurig, LLP: Flying Food Group, LLC
Health Policy Source, Inc.: Femwell Group Health, Inc.
Health Policy Source, Inc.: Vancouver Clinic
Hill East Group, LLC: Facefirst, Inc.
Holland & Knight LLP: Associated Press
Holland & Knight LLP: Bloomberg, L.P.
Holland & Knight LLP: Dow Jones & Company
Holland & Knight LLP: Market News International
Holland & Knight LLP: Wiley College
K&L Gates LLP: Compass Group USA, Inc.
Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP: Biz2Credit Inc.
King & Spalding LLP: Ventec Life Systems
Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP: National Mining Association
LNE Group: U.S. Capitol Historical Society
Mehlman Castagnetti Rosen & Thomas, Inc.: Behavioral Health Group
Mehlman Castagnetti Rosen & Thomas, Inc.: Genalyte
Natural Resource Results LLC: World Wildlife Fund
O’Brien, Gentry & Scott, LLC: Hendrick Motorsports Performance Group, LLC
Patriot Strategies, Inc.: Christian Healthcare Ministries
Polsinelli PC: GT Medical Technologies, Inc.
Porterfield, Fettig & Sears, LLC: Caliber Collision Center
Richard F. Hohlt: E*Trade Financial Corporation
Smith Dawson & Andrews: National Able Network
Squire Patton Boggs: American Shrimp Processors Association
The Doerrer Group LLC: Oshkosh Corporation
TheGROUP DC, LLC: 3M Company
Thorn Run Partners: General Atomics, Electromagnetic Systems, Inc.
Thorn Run Partners: Independent Restaurant Coalition
Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP: Myia Labs, Inc.

New Lobbying Terminations

American Defense International, Inc.: Parler, LLC
Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP: American Association of Orthodontists
BGR Government Affairs: Dorchester Group Limited
Brown Pruitt Wambsganss Dean Forman & Moore, PC: Select Energy Services
Capitol Tax Partners, LLP: Abbott Laboratories
Capitol Tax Partners, LLP: Lazard Group, LLC
Cavarocchi Ruscio Dennis Associates, L.L.C.: National Association of Epilepsy Centers
Cavarocchi Ruscio Dennis Associates, L.L.C.: National Hemophilia Foundation
Cavarocchi Ruscio Dennis Associates, L.L.C.: Susan G. Komen
Cavarocchi Ruscio Dennis Associates, L.L.C.: The Hemophilia Alliance
CGCN Group, LLC (formerly known as Clark Geduldig Cranford & Nielsen, LLC): Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.
CGCN Group, LLC (formerly known as Clark Geduldig Cranford & Nielsen, LLC): Permian Strategic Partnership
CGCN Group, LLC (formerly known as Clark Geduldig Cranford & Nielsen, LLC): Total System Services, Inc.
Efrus Federal Advisors LLC: Iron Mountain
Faegre Baker Daniels Consulting: Bluebird Strategies (on behalf of Thermo Fisher Scientific)
Faegre Baker Daniels Consulting: Boston Children’s Hospital
Faegre Baker Daniels Consulting: Cincinnati Children’S Hospital Medical Center
Faegre Baker Daniels Consulting: Citizens for a Secure and Safe America
Faegre Baker Daniels Consulting: City of Terre Haute
Faegre Baker Daniels Consulting: Coalition for Pediatric Medical Research
Faegre Baker Daniels Consulting: Collaborative for Effective Prescription Opioid Policies
Faegre Baker Daniels Consulting: COPD Foundation
Faegre Baker Daniels Consulting: Global Down Syndrome Foundation
Faegre Baker Daniels Consulting: Indiana State University
Faegre Baker Daniels Consulting: National Steel Bridge Alliance
Faegre Baker Daniels Consulting: Novavax
Faegre Baker Daniels Consulting: Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy
Faegre Baker Daniels Consulting: Sargento Foods Inc.
Faegre Baker Daniels Consulting: Solidarity HealthShare
Faegre Baker Daniels Consulting: Spectrum Health
Faegre Baker Daniels Consulting: The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation
Faegre Baker Daniels Consulting: UsAgainst Alzheimer’s
Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP: Verdant Power
Hodgkins Consulting, LLC: Science Applications International Corporation
Holland & Knight LLP: American College of Emergency Physicians
Holland & Knight LLP: Eaze Solutions, Inc.
Jim Massie & Partners, LLC: S. H. Bell Company
Jim Massie & Partners, LLC: StarKist Corporation
K&L Gates LLP: American Railcar Industries, Inc.
K&L Gates LLP: Ford Motor Company
K&L Gates LLP: Indian Wells Valley Economic Development Corp.
Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP: Freepoint Commodities LLC
King & Spalding LLP: Ipsco Tubulars, Inc. (dba TMK IPSCO)
LNE Group: Pragmatic Institute
Maynard Cooper Gale PC: Globe Life Inc F/K/A Torchmark Corporation
McDermott+Consulting LLC: CVS Health
Mercury Public Affairs, LLC: Lockheed Martin Corporation
Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough: Liberty Latin America Ltd.
Patriot Strategies, Inc.: Alliance of Health Care Sharing Ministries
Poblete Tamargo, LLP: Mr. Walid Habboo and family
PRASAM: Physical Optics Corporation
Richard F. Hohlt: Pinnacle West Capital Corporation
Squire Patton Boggs: Crowell & Moring LLP on behalf of KGL Investment Company, KSCC
Strategies 360: City of Boise
Strategies 360: EMulate Therapeutics
Strategies 360: Recon Dynamics
The Conafay Group, LLC: Lysovant Sciences Inc.
The Conafay Group, LLC: Xeris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
The Glover Park Group LLC: Population Institute
The Glover Park Group LLC: Related EB-5 Regional Center Holdings, LLC (On behalf of Manhattan Tower)
The Glover Park Group LLC: SK Siltron Co. Ltd.
The Glover Park Group LLC: Wiggin and Dana LLP (On Behalf of XPO Logistics, Inc.)
The Keelen Group, LLC: Knight Point Systems
The Livingston Group, L.L.C.: Adobe Systems Incorporated
The Livingston Group, L.L.C.: Chateau de Notre Dame
The Livingston Group, L.L.C.: New World Strategies (for Harmonia Holdings Group LLC)
The Livingston Group, L.L.C.: U.S. Chamber of Commerce
The Washington Tax & Public Policy Group (formerly The Washington Tax Group): AMT Refund Coalition
U.S.-Sudan Business Council: U.S.-Sudan Business Council
Van Scoyoc Associates: Distributed Solutions Inc
Van Scoyoc Associates: Goal Structured Solutions, Inc.
Van Scoyoc Associates: University of Notre Dame
Van Scoyoc Associates: University of Saint Francis

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