New bipartisan hires at a prominent boutique lobbying shop show that experience working across ideological divides still matters on K Street.
The Klein/Johnson Group, whose clients include Oracle America Inc. and CVS Health, is adding a pair of new lobbyists, including one from the Trump administration and another with Democratic ties.
Bradley F. Hayes, who joins the firm as a principal, is the latest administration official to decamp for K Street in President Donald Trump’s second term. Klein/Johnson is also adding a senior Democrat to its roster with Zephranie Buetow, most recently chief of staff to Sen.
The twin hires, shared first with Bloomberg Government, illustrate that in Washington’s lobbying corridor, bipartisanship is still in demand, even as partisan tensions flare in the nation’s capital. The firm, on track for its biggest federal lobbying revenue year so far, launched in 2017 with bipartisan founders
“It’s a fantastic opportunity to help bring our level of experience to clients,” Hayes said, as clients work to navigate the executive branch and Capitol Hill.
Working Both Sides
Hayes and Buetow, though they hail from opposite sides of the political aisle, have similar resumes with senior roles on Capitol Hill and in the executive branch.
Hayes most recently was assistant secretary for congressional affairs at the Department of Homeland Security and also worked in the first Trump term, including at the Office of Management and Budget. He previously was a top legislative aide to Sen.
Hayes isn’t alone in moving to K Street from Trump’s second stint in office after less than a year.
Other departures include Harrison Fields, a White House press aide who went to the CGCN Group; Trent Morse, a deputy assistant to the president in the Office of Presidential Personnel, started his own Morse Strategies and partnered with Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck; and Ballard Partners’ pickups: Micah Ketchel, former senior adviser at the National Security Council, and Thomas Boodry, senior director for legislative affairs at the National Security Council.
Buetow worked on the Hill as the top legislative aide to Sen.
“Both Zephranie and Bradley have worked across the ideological bands of their respective parties,” said Klein, who worked for Senate Minority Leader
Growing Firm
The firm has grown this year, disclosing about $5 million in federal revenue under the Lobbying Disclosure Act for dozens of clients that include
“Izzy and Matt have stellar reputations and have built a stellar team,” Buetow said. “In my experience, working in the administration and on the Hill, these relationships are incredibly important. You can still get things done, even in this environment.”
Tuberville said, in a statement from the firm, that Hayes, his first legislative director in the Senate, had “approached the job in a strategic and thoughtful manner, and helped build a legislative team that accomplished much for the state of Alabama.”
Peters said, in the statement, that Buetow’s “ability to navigate the ideological diversity of the Senate, while building productive relationships on both sides of the aisle, has made her a strong, proven leader.”
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