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Caught Our Eye items are posted daily. LegiStorm Pro subscribers have access to all posts a few hours before other users, and are also able to search the full Caught Our Eye archive. Log in as a LegiStorm Pro user or learn more about subscribing.

Former state sen. joins conservative immigration group

Posted by Heavyn Lester on Sept. 17, 2024

Former state Sen. Michael Hough (R-Md.) is heading to NumbersUSA Action.

Hough most recently served as Rep. Alex Mooney's (R-W.Va.) chief of staff. Before working on the Hill, he served in the Maryland legislature from 2011 to 2023, first as a representative and later as a senator.

Hough will hold the position of director of federal government relations for NumbersUSA Action. The group's official website states that it advocates for "a balanced immigration system that welcomes the spouses and minor children of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents, is responsive to acute refugee crises, attracts those with extraordinary ability and talents, addresses temporary labor shortages, and protects the most vulnerable." 

Some representatives are burning through their budgets

Posted by Heavyn Lester on Sept. 16, 2024

A handful of members of the House have already spent most of their annual budget in the first half of this year, while the average House member has spent only 40% of their budget.

Rep. Alex Mooney (R-W.Va.) has spent 62% of his budget, the highest amount spent by any member. He is followed by Reps. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich), Danny Davis (D-Ill.), Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.), Tony Gonzales (R-Texas), William Timmons (R-S.C.), Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.), Laurel Lee (R-Fla.), Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.) and Kat Cammack (R-Fla.), who have each already spent between 52-58% of their budget 

Although the largest portion of a member's representational allowance is spent on personnel compensation, 81% on average, and the majority of members that rank in the top ten for spending have spent the most on this, the top two spenders have spent the majority of their allowance on printing and reproduction and franked mail.

Mooney has concentrated 33% of his spending on printing and reproduction and 18% has gone toward franked mail, while only 33% spent was on personnel compensation. Similarly, 27% of Thanedar's spending has gone toward personnel compensation, while a staggering 55% has gone toward printing and reproduction and 3.3% toward franked mail. The average representative has only spent 4.5% of their budget on printing and reproduction and 2.1% of it on franked mail.

Burlison hires foul-mouthed comms specialist

Posted by Andy Gottlieb on Sept. 13, 2024

Rep. Eric Burlison's (R-Mo.) newest press staffer hasn't always been so careful with his words.

Nate Lucas is now a communications specialist for the freshman congressman. Lucas previously worked as a sports radio host in Missouri. He was suspended from on-air duties in 2020 after reportedly calling then-Sen. Kamala Harris a "whore" during his program. 

Former president Donald Trump and his campaign have generated particular criticism in recent weeks for crude and misogynistic posts about the Democratic nominee. 

Lobbyist returns to Senate as chief of staff

Posted by Heavyn Lester on Sept. 12, 2024

After five years in the private sector, Pat Hayes is returning to his roots to serve as Sen. John Hickenlooper's (D-Colo.) chief of staff.

Hayes was most recently a partner at the lobbying firm Kountoupes Denham Carr & Reid LLC. During his three and a half years at the firm, Hayes lobbied on behalf of numerous big-name clients, including Airbnb, T-Mobile and Best Buy.

Hayes gained over ten years of experience on the Hill before entering the private sector as senior vice president for government affairs at Altice USA Inc. in 2019. He held various positions in the offices of former Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) and Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), working his way up from Bayh's staff assistant to eventually become Manchin's chief of staff. 

Financial disclosures missing from four reps

Posted by Heavyn Lester on Sept. 9, 2024

Nearly a month after the extended financial disclosure deadline, two Democratic and two Republican members of the House of Representatives have still not filed their reports.

Disclosures are due May 15 and members can request up to a 90-day extension. 

The vast majority of the over 250 members who requested an extension for filing their annual disclosure submitted one by the Aug. 13 deadline.

However, Reps. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), John Rose (R-Tenn.), Pat Ryan (D-N.Y.) and Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) have yet to submit their annual disclosures.

Six additional members - Reps. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), Greg Landsman (D-Ohio), Wiley Nickel (D-N.C.), Matt Gunderson (R-Calif.), John Moolenaar (R-Mich.) and John James (R-Mich.) - were also late on meeting the Aug. 13 deadline. However, they have since submitted their disclosures, with the majority filing a day late.

Members face a $200 fine for filing their report more than 30 days past the extension deadline, according to House and Senate ethics rules. 

 

About Caught Our Eye

We spend a large part of our days looking at data. Documents often come in by the dozens and hundreds. And while most are boring - how interesting can staring at a phone directory or salary records be, for example? - we find daily reasons for interest, amusement or even concern packed in the documents. So we are launching a new running feature that we call "Caught our Eye."

Longer than tweets but shorter than most blog posts, Caught our Eye items will bring back the interest in reviewing documents and researching people. Some items might bring hard, breaking news. Others will raise eyebrows and lead some into further inquiry. Others might be good for a joke or two around the water cooler. All will enlighten about the people or workings of Capitol Hill.

Caught our Eye items will be published each morning for LegiStorm Pro subscribers. Non-Pro site users will be able to receive the news items a few hours later. In addition to having immediate access to the news, LegiStorm Pro users will have a handy way to search and browse all past items.