LegiStorm

Are Democratic or Republican staffers more likely to pass through the revolving door on their way to congressional employment?

If you answered "Republicans," you're wrong. If you answered "Democrats," you're also wrong. Both parties are equally likely to hire ex-registered federal lobbyists, according to LegiStorm data.

Six percent of current Hill staffers are former lobbyists. That number, which excludes staffers working in district offices, holds consistent across both parties and chambers.

Congress currently employs 433 ex-lobbyists. Nearly three-fourths of those work for congressional committees, leaving 114 who work for personal offices only. Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) employs four ex-lobbyists, the highest of any personal Senate office, while Bill Posey (R-Fla.) has three, the most in the House.

How does Rep. Donald Milford Payne's (D-NJ) ex-legislative director like her new job? She's loving it.

Erika Northington starts this month as McDonald's federal manager of U.S. government relations. The fast-food behemoth spent more than $2.1 million on federal lobbying last year, mostly through its in-house team.

Before joining Payne's office in 2015, Northington worked as regulatory counsel in the Food and Drug Administration Center for Tobacco Products.

Sen. Chris Murphy's (D-Conn.) latest hire has returned to the Hill with two years of health lobbying experience.

Elizabeth Darnall joins Murphy as health policy adviser. She spent the last couple years as director of government relations at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, ranked as one of the country's best hospitals.

Darnall originally joined the Hill in 2010 and spent five years with Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) before moving to the the Health Resources and Services Administration, a part of the Department of Health and Human Services.

Just in time for Valentine's Day, Bumble has swiped right on a lobbyist.

Bumble Trading, developer of the popular dating app, recently disclosed that it hired Gaylord Hughey Jr. for an undisclosed amount of money. This is Bumble's first lobbying filing.

The Texas-based attorney (and major GOP bundler) is lobbying on issues related to "the criminalization of sending unsolicited lewd photos," according to a recent disclosure. Last October, lawmakers in the U.K., where Bumble is based, called for the criminalization of sending unsolicited nude photos. A month later,  two New York City Council members introduced a similar bill that would have criminalized unwanted lewd photos sent via Apple AirDrop.

Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) has dipped into K Street for his office's latest hire.

Catherine Edmonson comes from McAllister & Quinn, where she worked as director of federal affairs since 2017. Her lobbying clients inluded the Mayo Clinic medical center and the National Border Patrol Council labor union.

Edmonson joined Cuellar's office this month as deputy chief of staff and handles his defense, homeland security and agriculture portfolios.