The Hill reports that White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett attended a reception sponsored by a new group called Business Forward.
Some lobbyists said Jarrett’s appearance was a huge selling point for the new group.
“If I am a company and if I see these folks are delivering Valerie Jarrett, I am signing up because there are few people in town who can deliver her right now,” a Democratic lobbyist said.
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Several lobbyists said the association is targeting the tech industry in particular. AT&T, Google, Microsoft, Cisco, Pfizer and Time Warner were named as potential recruits.
[Executive Director Jim] Doyle said the association is seeking a 501(c)(6) tax status, which is for trade groups, from the IRS.
“We are going to focus on events and policy briefings. We do not expect to lobby,” Doyle said.