The Revolving Door has taken some interesting spins lately. For one, Mitch Glazier, chief counsel for the House Judiciary courts and intellectual property subcommittee, where he's been, obviously, closely involved in copyright protection and other intellectual property issues, is leaving next month for the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), which has IP concerns on the Hill.
He'll be senior vice president for government relations and legislative counsel--basically the group's top lobbyist--replacing Jennifer Bendall, who last month joined the in-house lobbying team of Joseph E. Seagram & Sons Inc.
As soon as it became known last week that Glazier would be signing on with RIAA, eyebrows and ire were raised among some musicians and their representatives, according to the Hollywood press. RIAA had succeeded--in November--in getting legislation through Congress that labeled recorded performances as "works for hire," which artists' reps said would benefit the recording industry at the expense of musicians. The measure, attached to another bill, came as a surprise to them.
But RIAA Chief Executive Hilary B. Rosen says there was no connection with Glazier's hiring, and indeed, she had no idea that there would be any job vacancy until Christmas time.
"It was a terrible maligning of this guy for no reason," Rosen said.
A Republican committee staff member came to Glazier's aid, calling the criticism "malicious. Anybody who's worked with Mitch knows he's fair."
Also defending Glazier was a spokesman for Rep. Howard L. Berman (D-Calif.), a member of the subcommittee. "It wasn't like Mitch or anyone slipped it in. It was totally examined by Howard and [subcommittee] Chairman [Howard] Coble [R-N.C.]," said Berman's aide, adding that the Democrat holds Glazier in "high esteem."
Glazier was stunned by the criticism. "It just baffles my brain. . . . First of all, I don't put anything in [legislation]. . . . If you run for office, you expect people are going to take knocks at you. But a staffer who does his job at the direction of his chairman?"
He said he had considered jobs with biotech companies, law firms and other ventures but settled on RIAA because "this is one of those frontline jobs with music hitting the Internet."
Separately, because of the musicians' concerns about the legislation, which Coble and Berman believe is a clarification of current practice, the lawmakers have agreed to hold hearings this spring on the issue.
Off the Hill, Together Again
It's a House Commerce Committee reunion.
The Republican lobbying firm of Lent & Scrivner and the lobby shop of Democrat Alan J. Roth are merging next month to form Lent Scrivner & Roth. New Yorker Norman F. Lent is the former ranking Republican on the House Commerce Committee and Michael S. Scrivner was his chief of staff, while Roth served as staff director and chief counsel to former chairman and now-ranking Democrat John D. Dingell (Mich.). The other partner in Lent's firm is his son, Norman F. Lent III, a former associate at the law firm of Dyer Ellis Joseph & Mills and former aide to Sen. Connie Mack (R-Fla.).
Among Lent & Scrivner's clients are Pfizer, the Tennessee Valley Authority and KeySpan Energy. Roth's clients include America Online, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association and the National Center for Tobacco-Free Kids.
The Republican and Democratic lobbyists decided they needed each other to give their clients ties to both parties.
"As each of us looked at the scene and down the road, the House of Representatives is going to be closely divided for a while," Roth said in an interview.
But Roth said the new venture is not focusing solely on lobbying the House Commerce Committee and that the lobbyists have clients with interests before House committees on appropriations, transportation, judiciary and other issues. "Clients are looking for someone who understands how the House works," he said.
Movement in the Lobbies
Scott H. Nishioki, executive director for federal relations for SBC Communications and the Pacific Telesis Group, joins GPC/O'Neill & Associates this week as vice president in the public affairs and strategic communications firm's D.C. office.
Previously, Nishioki was chief of staff to then-Rep. Richard Lehman (D-Calif.) and staff director for the House Banking subcommittee on consumer affairs and coinage from 1987 through 1993.
James Jochum, former counsel to the Senate Banking Committee, legislative director to Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) and assistant vice president of Brenton Banks in Iowa, has joined Andersen Consulting's government relations team. The team focuses on regulatory issues and is directed by Elizabeth Arky, former assistant trade representative for congressional affairs in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.
Virginia Hume, formerly a managing director of BSMG Worldwide, deputy press secretary at the Republican National Committee and deputy director of communications for Ellen Sauerbrey's Maryland gubernatorial campaign in 1994, has joined the public affairs shop of Quinn Gillespie & Associates as director of strategic communications.
