Somaliland Signs Lobbying and Communications Contract With GLOVER PARK GROUP

By BYRON TAU & ANNA PALMER With Tarini Parti

SOMALILAND SIGNS WITH GLOVER PARK GROUP: The Ministry of Presidential Affairs of the Republic of Somaliland has signed a lobbying and communications contract with Glover Park Group, according to a new filing with the Department of Justice. Somaliland is a self-declared, unrecognized state — officially, it is an autonomous region of Somalia. The region's quasi-independent status dates from the beginning of the Somali Civil War, when former president Siad Barre began massacring citizens of the region. Somaliland declared independence in 1991 amid the collapse of the Somali government, but it has not been recognized by any foreign states or international organizations.

Glover Park Group will work on government relations and public relations services on behalf of Somaliland — presumably on a campaign designed to gain international recognition of the region's self-asserted sovereign status. Somaliland is paying Glover Park Group $22,500 per month — a relative bargain in the international sovereign space where retaining a top-tier lobbying and PR firm can run as high as $90,000 per month.

ENERGY DRINK HIRING SPREE CONTINUES: Rockstar Inc. is the latest energy drink-maker to hire up a lobbying firm, Senate lobbying disclosures show. Podesta Group’s Tony Podesta, Nora Connors, Claudia James, Israel Klein, David Marin, Sean McLaughlin, David Morgenstern, Elizabeth Morra and Stephen Northrup will be lobbying on behalf of Rockstar on “legislation and oversight regarding energy drinks.”

Energy drink companies have been on a hiring spree this year with lawmakers showing an interest in energy drink marketing. Red Bull hired Heather Podesta + Partners and Olsson Frank Weeda Terman Matz; Monster Energy hired Covington & Burling and the Podesta Group while the makers of 5-Hour Energy hired Quinn Gillespie & Associates.

Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) sent letters last month to the National Collegiate Athletic Association and National Federation of State High School Associations about energy drink marketing at high school and college sporting events, saying “many of the claims made by energy drink companies lack sufficient scientific evidence.”

GOOD TUESDAY AFTERNOON, where it’s the 31st anniversary of the groundbreaking of the Vietnam War Memorial. The design of the memorial was approved on March 11, 1982, and groundbreaking occurred on March 26. The memorial wasn’t dedicated, however, until 1993. Send your lobbying and campaign finance news, gossip, tips, scoops and favorite spots on the National Mall to btau@politico.com or apalmer@politico.com. And follow us on Twitter at @ByronTau and @apalmerdc. Tarini is at tparti@politico.com or on Twitter at @tparti. And get your instant fix of breaking lobbying and campaign finance news by clicking here and following @PoliticoPI.

LIVESTRONG INCREASES LOBBYING PRESENCE: The Livestrong Foundation has registered to lobby on a number of different issues, according to Senate lobbying disclosures. Cameron Krier will be lobbying for the nonprofit on health care reform, tobacco control, sequestration, funding for cancer research, prevention and survivorship initiatives, insurance coverage and reforms, and global health funding and programs for noncommunicable diseases, including cancer.

Krier was recently appointed as director of government relations following Lance Armstrong’s resignation from the board. Armstrong, the face of the cancer charity, admitted earlier this year to systematically doping throughout his career. Podesta Group lobbied on behalf of the foundation in 2012, when it spent $160,000 on its federal lobbying efforts.

FOREST LANDOWNERS FORM SUPER PAC: Forest Landowners Association, which represents private landowners, has registered to form a super PAC, according to federal reports. Scott Jones, CEO of the group, will serve as treasurer for the super PAC. FLA already has a political action committee, which gave more than $9,000 in contributions to campaigns in 2012. The group did not spend any money on lobbying in 2012, but it spent nearly $50,000 in 2011. Washington Resource Association has previously lobbied on its behalf.

WIDMEYER HIRES JERRI ANN HENRY: Widmeyer Communications has hired Jerri Ann Henry as a digital media expert and digital account lead on the higher education and public affairs team. Henry has previously worked as digital director at JDA Frontline and Ed Gillespie Strategies. She also worked at  the Hawthorn Group. “It's a priority at Widmeyer to provide our clients with integrated communications expertise that is rooted in forward-thinking digital strategy," said Widmeyer's senior vice president Christine Messina-Boyer in a statement.