Several lobbying firms with connections to President Biden experienced a sharp increase in cash during the first six months of 2021, with some raking in four times as much revenue over the same time period in 2020.
One firm cashing in on the Biden administration is headed by the brother of a senior White House official, and another bought a lobbying group owned by a top official from the presidential campaign. Two other firms are linked to lobbyists who worked under Biden when he served in previous offices.
The influx of cash to these firms "illustrates the extent to which lobbyists are engrained in the way things get done in Washington," Daniel Auble, a senior researcher at the Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks money in politics, told Fox News.
The most glaring instance of increased revenue through access lies with Washington, D.C.-based firm Ricchetti Inc. Jeff Ricchetti – the brother of Steve Ricchetti, Biden's former campaign chairman who now acts as a counselor in the White House – helms the firm.
Ricchetti Inc. hauled in $1.6 million in lobbying revenue during the first half of the year, a drastic increase from the $365,000 it had pulled in over the first half of 2020, lobbying disclosure forms show.
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"As soon as Biden became president, Jeff Ricchetti's company picked up several new clients, big corporations," Auble told Fox News. "Then, even just so far this year in the first six months of lobbying, they've made more money than any of the last 10 years."
"A lot of that is from the same clients they've had," Auble continued. "They just appear to be charging them more, which I think is a pretty good illustration of the value that the connections and Rolodex of insider access that some of these connected lobbyists have."
Jeffrey Peck, who worked under Biden at the Senate Judiciary Committee and was the treasurer of the Biden Foundation, deregistered as a lobbyist last year. His name, however, remains on the group's website as it continues influence peddling in Washington.
The Peck Madigan Jones lobbying shop, which rebranded as the Tiber Creek Group in April, has pulled in nearly $11.6 million during the first two quarters of 2021 - a $3.3 million increase over the same period last year, according to lobbying disclosure forms.
"Our firm’s success has never been due to one person or to one moment," Jonathon Jones, managing partner at Tiber Creek Group, told Fox News. "The increase in Tiber Creek Group’s revenue is due to the collective effort of all our lobbyists and the reputation of our firm, which has been in business for more than 30 years."
"During that time, Tiber Creek Group has consistently been a top revenue generating firm, increasing revenue virtually every year, since the firm’s inception, regardless of which party controlled Congress or the White House," Jones continued.
TheGroup DC has also seen a significant increase in its revenue. Sudafi Henry, who served as director of legislative affairs under Biden while he was vice president, is a partner with the firm.
During the first half of 2020, theGroup DC raked in nearly $1.6 million for lobbying services, lobbying disclosure forms show. So far this year, the firm has doubled its revenue over the same period to $3.1 million.
Other lobbying shops shifted to adapt to the Biden administration. Shortly after the 2020 elections, Capitol Counsel merged with a firm owned by Robert Diamond, who led Biden's New York campaign.
The move has earned Capitol Counsel $1 million more in lobbying revenue than at this point in 2020, according to lobbying disclosure forms.
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"These are things that happen to every administration, really," Auble told Fox News. "The last several presidents have made a point of shining a light on the fact they were trying to keep lobbyists out of their administration and to some extent failed – and we have these examples – illustrates how engrained lobbyists are in the policymaking of Washington."
"To some extent, their expertise is a service, but the fact that expertise is for sale to the highest bidder whether they're a corporate or ideological group, again, illustrates the extent to which lobbyists are engrained in the way things get done in Washington," he continued.
The first half of the year saw record-shattering lobbying spending as trillion-dollar plans came before Congress for the likes of COVID-19 relief and infrastructure packages.
Jeff Ricchetti could not be reached for comment. Capitol Counsel and theGroup DC did not respond to requests for comment.
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