James L. Pitts of the lobbying firm DC Navigators has been involved with Republican politics since 1980, when he worked for consultant Lee Atwater on Ronald Reagan's presidential campaign.[1] After eight years of advance work for Reagan, he worked on the 1988 Bush campaign and afterward took a position as director of political affairs for Dan Quayle.[2] After Bill Clinton took office in 1993, Pitt joined Quayle alum Bill Kristol to create the Project For the Republican Future, which soon evolved into the Weekly Standard magazine.[3]
As a lobbyist, he has focused on energy and financial services and has been so successful that in 2003 The Hill named him among Washington's top association lobbyists for his work fighting off consumer privacy regulations as executive director of the Financial Services Coordinating Council.[4] "I am a poster child for [the idea that] Washington is based upon relationships and who you know," Pitts said at the time.[5] During that effort, he targeted McCain as a senator who might introduce an amendment to the 2002 Privacy Act that would have eased the regulatory burden on his clients.[6] McCain "gives a great meeting," Pitts said. "He either genuinely [cares] or acts like he cares about what you bring the client in for. He always asks, 'what can I do,' or will tell you 'I can't help.'"[7] McCain later did offer an amendment to the Privacy Act "to mitigate the bills impact, which did not pass."[8]
Recent Pitts clients include AIG, AT&T, Qualcomm and a number of Indian tribes seeking to open casinos.[9] In 2006 he admitted that his job would get a lot harder if Democrats took control of Congress and McCain lost the chairmanship.[10]
For a complete look at James Pitts' lobbying activities, please visit the non-partisan Center For Responsive Politics' money-in-politics database.
[1] Jennifer Gordon, "GOP Insider Leads Way In War on Privacy Curbs," The American Banker, March 15, 2001.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.
[4] "Star rainmakers." The Hill, March 26, 2003.
[5] Gordon, March 15, 2001.
[6] "New Coalition Forms To Fight Hollings Privacy Proposal," National Journal's Congress Daily, May 6, 2002.
[7] Anna Palmer, "McCain Defies Business, Attracts Lobbyists," Roll Call, February 5, 2008.
[8] "Senate Committees Moving on Privacy Bills," CBA Reports, June 2002.
[9] U.S. Secretary of the Senate Lobbying Disclosure Database, accessed May 13, 2008.
[10] Roxana Tiron and Jeffrey Young, "Some GOP Lobby Shops Hold Fast as Nov. 7 Looms," The Hill, October 25, 2006.