Sunburn — The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics — 5.27.22

By Peter Schorsch

Good Friday morning.

Lobbying compensation reports for the first quarter are in, and Florida Politics has been parsing them so we can keep you in the loop on which firms are climbing up the quarterly rankings. A report on Power Five is coming soon. For now, here’s a peek at who made the Top 15 in Q1. More details on the clients these firms represent and some tidbits on their 2022 Legislative Session wins are available in Florida Politics’ full write-up.

— No. 6: Greenberg Traurig: The team at Greenberg Traurig represented more than 130 clients and earned an estimated $2.16 million in the first quarter. The bottom line of the firm’s legislative report shows the firm earned at least $1 million lobbying lawmakers. Greenberg Traurig’s executive branch report listed 131 clients and an estimated $930,000 in revenues, putting it near the top end of its stated range of $500,000 to $1 million. At the top end, the firm could have earned as much as $2.68 million overall in the last quarter.

— No. 7: Rubin, Turnbull & Associates: The firm led by Bill Rubin and Heather Turnbull represented more than 80 clients in Q1 and reported earning at least $1 million for legislative lobbying and an additional $1 million for executive branch lobbying. Using per-client ranges indicates Rubin Turnbull & Associates likely made a bit more — those figures show $2.14 million in receipts during the reporting period covering Jan. 1 through March 31. The firm’s median total represents a 15% quarter-over-quarter revenue increase.

— No. 8: Metz Husband & Daughton: The eight-member team at MHD earned nearly $1.7 million last quarter. The Q1 total was buoyed by a legislative compensation report that showed $1.16 million in earnings. Combined with an estimated $500,000 in executive branch pay, the firm earned $1.66 million last quarter. The firm’s median earnings estimate represents an increase from last quarter, when it earned an estimated $1.48 million.

— No. 9: The Advocacy Group at Cardenas Partners: The seven-person team led by Al Cardenas represented close to 100 clients during the Jan. 1 through March 31 reporting period, tallying $850,000 in pay in the Legislature and another $780,000 in the executive branch. TAG’s Q1 reports each landed in the $500,000 to $1 million bracket, meaning the firm earned no less than $1 million. At the top end, the firm may have earned as much as $2 million.

— No. 10: Corcoran Partners: Michael Corcoran and lobbyists Jacqueline Corcoran, Matt Blair, Helen Levine, Will Rodriguez and Andrea Tovar represented nearly 90 clients in Q1. Their efforts netted $1 million in legislative lobbying fees and $500,000 in executive branch lobbying fees. Corcoran Partners’ median earnings estimate for Q1 matches the firm’s average haul across the previous four quarters and puts it on pace for another Top-10 performance in 2022.

— Smith Bryan & Myers: Led by Matt Bryan, the team at SBM represented 85 clients in the Legislature, where they earned $865,000. Their 85 executive branch contracts provided another 635,000 for a median earnings estimate of $1.5 million. Based on that figure, the firm is on an upswing. Their $1.5 million Q1 total tops the $1.3 million they posted last quarter and the quarter prior.

— No. 12: Floridian Partners: The six-person team at Floridian Partners earned an estimated $1.29 million last quarter, new compensation reports show. The firm represented 75 clients in Q1, earning $845,000 in the Legislature and another $440,000 in the executive branch. Overall legislative earnings were between $500,000 and $1 million and executive earnings were in the $250,000 to $500,000 range. At the top end, Floridian Partners could have earned as much as $1.5 million.

— No. 13: Johnson & Blanton: Johnson & Blanton started 2022 with $1.22 million in lobbying earnings, new compensation reports show. Led by Jon Johnson and Travis Blanton, the firm’s Q1 reports included more than 80 clients and showed revenues of $755,000 in the Legislature and $465,000 in the executive branch. J&B reported overall earnings between $500,000 and $1 million in the Legislature and between $250,000 and $500,000 in the executive, meaning they as much as $1.5 million in Q1.

— No. 14: Rutledge Ecenia: Stephen Ecenia, Diana Ferguson, Jessica Janasiewicz, Richard Lindstrom, Corinne Mixon, Andrew Rutledge, Gary Rutledge and Gabriel Warren earned an estimated $870,000 across more than 60 clients in Q1. Legislative lobbying accounted for $635,000 of their overall rake. The firm’s executive branch lobbying report showed median earnings of $235,000. Overall, Rutledge Ecenia reported $500,000 to $1 million in legislative earnings and $100,000 to $250,000 in executive earnings. Based on those ranges, the firm earned no less than $600,000 and may have earned as much as $1.25 million.

— No. 15: Johnston & Stewart Government Strategies: The three-person team at Johnston & Stewart Government Strategies continued its revenue growth streak in the first quarter, notching an estimated $818,000 in lobbying pay. Legislative lobbying accounted for $568,000 of the median estimate, with the remaining $250,000 earned lobbying the executive branch. The overall ranges on the firm’s reports show a top end of $1.25 million. Meanwhile, its median earnings estimate represents a significant increase from its average quarterly rake last year, which measured in at about $677,000.

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Markel Trial Day 9: Defense tries stoking sympathies, Magbanua on the stand, resting its case — Before the jury arrived, defense attorney Tara Kawass stood before Judge Robert Wheeler, renewed all her team’s prior motions, and added a big one – a motion for acquittal.

Kawass argued that the State didn’t present sufficient evidence against Katherine Magbanua. Kawass cited an overturned murder conviction against Denise Williams in the death of her husband, alleging (incorrectly) that there was “more evidence in that case as it relates to principal for first-degree murder” than in this one.

“There’s zero evidence before this court,” Kawass said, that ties Magbanua to a conspiracy with any member of the Adelson family, adding, “The state’s own witness, Ms. (Wendi) Adelson, said her family had nothing to do with this.” Kawass then asked the court to acquit her client on all charges.

Assistant State Attorney Georgia Cappleman countered. She provided two significant differences between their case against Magbanua and the one against Williams, concluding “the court will find there is sufficient evidence” for all three charges to go to the jury.

Wheeler agreed with Cappleman, saying there was “sufficient evidence” proved by the State that Magbanua’s role in Dan Markel’s murder was premeditated and that the defendant “acted as a principal, and did some act to assist in the murder.”

So, the trial continued, and the jury was allowed in.

Read today’s complete rundown by clicking here.

— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —

Tweet, tweet:

—@QasimRashid: Do people realize Robb Elementary doubled its spend on school security since 2017? They had a fence. They had surveillance. They had officers on duty. They had shooter drill trainings. ALL OF IT FAILED. The problem is easy access to guns. It’s always been guns. ADDRESS THE GUNS

—@Kate_Riga24: The two Arizona Senators’ responses to doing something legislatively after the Texas shooting, per hill pool: Kyrsten Sinema (on reforming filibuster): “You know, I don’t think that D.C. solutions are realistic here.” Mark Kelly: “It’s fucking nuts to do nothing about this.”

Tweet, tweet:

—@EvanHill: A fourth grader who survived the shooting said officers assaulting the barricaded room told kids to call for help before they had incapacitated the gunman, which led to him shooting a kid who called for help

—@MLafferty1: If I’m not mistaken, the Pulse nightclub in Orlando had one entrance that was guarded by an armed police officer. And still, 49 people were murdered. Any other bright ideas?

—@AnthonyAdragna: Tester yesterday after Rick Scott objected to VA nominee: “I hope, Madam Chair, that the Senator of Florida doesn’t walk into Memorial Day services and talk about what a great friend he is of our veterans. Cause he is not.”

—@McKinleyLewis: This is a baseless & disgusting political attack. @SenSchumer could have called a vote on this nominee at any time in the last 16 MONTHS. He has failed to do so. @SenRickScott is a proud veteran & has done more for the millions of vets in Florida than I could ever list here.

—@MarcACaputo: I didn’t get independent labor lawyer Marc Edelman’s voice in this story, but he notes that the press should probably refer to (Rebekah) Jones as “an alleged whistleblower” now that the agency that preliminarily afforded her the title finds almost no evidence for her claims

—@JaxPeel: You know what’s totally legit? Random accounts that troll obscure #FlaPol staffers, but don’t follow a single state-level politician. Only a couple of infamous (Ron) DeSantis staffers and, like, Elon Musk. Yeah, totally not suspicious at all.