 | |
| Company type | Private company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Lobbying |
| Founded | 1984 |
| Headquarters | New Britain, CT, United States |
Key people | Jay Malcynsky and Brian Gaffney |
| Products | State lobbying, Federal lobbying, and public relations |
| Website | http://www.gbact.com/GB/ |
Gaffney, Bennett and Associates is a law firm that specializes in lobbying headquartered in New Britain, Connecticut. They are the largest lobbying firm in the state of Connecticut.
Gaffney, Bennett and Associates was founded in the mid 1980s by Jay Malcynsky [1] and Brian Gaffney in New Britain, Connecticut. [2] The firm has been heavily involved with representing big companies seeking state aid or tax breaks to expand their presence in Connecticut. [2]
In the late 1990s the firm represented the New England Patriots in negotiations with the State of Connecticut to move the Patriots to Hartford. [2]
In 2009 Gaffney, Bennett and Associates made twice as much as the second largest lobbying firm. [3] In 2011 they made over $4.7 million from lobbying services, again more than twice as much as the second largest lobbying firm. [2]
In 2012 Vernon Mayor George F. Apel ended the town contract with Gaffney, Bennett and Associates which the town had on retainer since 2009. [4]
In 2015 Gaffney, Bennett and Associates revenue was three times that of the second largest lobbying company in the state. [5]
In 2002 Gaffney, Bennett and Associates launched a PR Services arm called Gaffney Bennett Public Relations (GBPR) to handle corporate positioning, media relations, crisis communications, brand management, and cause-related marketing for existing and new clients. [6] GBPR has offices in Connecticut and New York City. [7] In 2011 GBPR launched a line of a la carte PR services called "the Press Release Shop." [8] In 2019 GBPR hired North Carolina–based Ted Novin to split his time between their New York office and clients in North Carolina. Novin had previously been a spokesperson for the National Rifle Association of America and the National Shooting Sports Foundation. [9]
Lobbying is a form of advocacy, which lawfully attempts to directly influence legislators or government officials, such as regulatory agencies or judiciary. Lobbying involves direct, face-to-face contact and is carried out by various entities, including individuals acting as voters, constituents, or private citizens, corporations pursuing their business interests, nonprofits and NGOs through advocacy groups to achieve their missions, and legislators or government officials influencing each other in legislative affairs.
Michael Scanlon is a former communications director for Rep. Tom DeLay, lobbyist, and public relations executive who has pleaded guilty to corruption charges related to the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal. He is currently assisting in the investigation of his former partners Abramoff, Grover Norquist and Ralph Reed by separate state and federal grand jury investigations related to the defrauding of American Indian tribes and corruption of public officials.
Capitol Campaign Strategies was an American public relations firm run by Michael Scanlon, Tom DeLay's former press secretary, which Scanlon used in coordination with Jack Abramoff to redirect about $40 million in lobbying contributions from Indian tribes to Scanlon, Abramoff, and their associates, as well as funding bribes to Republican politicians such as Bob Ney. Scanlon and Abramoff have pleaded guilty for their activities. After Abramoff left Preston Gates and went to Greenberg Traurig in January 2001, Scanlon formed Capitol Campaign Strategies. Its official location was 611 Pennsylvania Avenue SE in Washington, D.C., which is a maildrop. Scanlon also formed the dummy organizations American International Center and Atlantic Research Analysis aka Atlantic Research & Analysis, used to receive and distribute CCS money.
The Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) is a professional body in the United Kingdom for public relations practitioners. Founded as the Institute for Public Relations in 1948, CIPR was awarded Chartered status by the Privy Council of the United Kingdom in 2005 and added "Chartered" to its name. As of late 2012, CIPR had 10,095 members. The association provides training and education, publishes a code of conduct and hosts awards and events. It is governed by a board of directors led by a president who is elected each year.
Lobbying in the United States is paid activity in which special interest groups hire well-connected professional advocates, often lawyers, to argue for specific legislation in decision-making bodies such as the United States Congress. It is often perceived negatively by journalists and the American public; critics consider it to be a form of bribery, influence peddling, and/or extortion. Lobbying is subject to complex rules which, if not followed, can lead to penalties including jail. Lobbying has been interpreted by court rulings as free speech protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Since the 1970s, the numbers of lobbyists and the size of lobbying budgets has grown and become the focus of criticism of American governance.
Robertson Airport, also known as Robertson Field, is a public use airport in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It is owned by the town of Plainville and is located two nautical miles (4 km) north of its central business district. It is included in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2017–2021, in which it is categorized as a local reliever airport facility.
Bell Pottinger Private was a British multinational public relations, reputation management and marketing company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. On 12 September 2017 it went into administration (bankruptcy) as a consequence of a scandal caused by its activities in South Africa.
The Podesta Group was a lobbying and public affairs firm based in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1988 by brothers John and Tony Podesta and has previously been known as Podesta Associates, podesta.com and PodestaMattoon. John Podesta left the firm in 1993, and Tony Podesta left the firm on October 30, 2017, after finding out about increased scrutiny of the firm. It has essentially ceased to exist since then. The firm reorganized in January 2007 after chairman Tony Podesta split with former business partner Dan Mattoon.
Stephen Richard Wojdak was an American politician who was a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and a prominent lobbyist in Pennsylvania, where he was the President and CEO of S. R. Wojdak & Associates.
Christopher Bravacos is an American communications consultant and lobbyist in Pennsylvania. He is the President and CEO of Bravo Group, a communications and lobbying firm.
S.R. Wojdak & Associates, LP, commonly known as Wojdak Government Relations, is a lobbying firm based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The Materials Innovation and Recycling Authority, formerly the Connecticut Resources Recovery Authority (1973-2014), is a quasi-public agency that provides single-stream recycling and trash disposal for Connecticut cities and towns. It owns a trash-to-energy plant in Hartford, oversees another in Preston, and financed the development of others in Bridgeport and Wallingford.
Qorvis is an international Washington, D.C.–based public relations, advertising, media relations and crisis communications firm. It was acquired by the Publicis Groupe in January 2014, and became Qorvis/MSLGroup.On December 31, 2022, Qorvis was sold by Publicis to a group led by long-time Qorvis executive Matt J. Lauer.
Day Pitney LLP is an American law firm with more than 300 attorneys spread across thirteen offices in six states and the District of Columbia.
BGR Group is a lobbying and communications firm based in Washington, D.C., with offices in London, Beijing and Austin, Texas. Founded in 1991 by former White House aides Ed Rogers and Haley Barbour, the firm was joined by Lanny Griffith to form Barbour Griffith & Rogers. In 2019, BGR was recognized by both The Hill and Bloomberg as a "Top Performing Lobbying Firm".
Matthew Delis Ritter is an American attorney and politician. He currently serves as the Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives for the Democratic Party and the 1st District.
The Tomasso Group is a family-run conglomerate focused on the construction and real estate industries based in New Britain, Connecticut.
George A. Tomasso was an American businessman. His strategy of consistent low bidding forced change on the construction industry in Connecticut. The director of the Connecticut Construction Industries Association said of him "It's a remarkable thing. Never before has someone affected the industry like this."
William A. Tomasso, also known as Billy or Bill, is an American construction executive. Tomasso along with the Peter N. Ellef, chief of staff to state governor John G. Rowland, pled guilty on charges related to fast-tracking state contracts to Tomasso's firm in 2006.