LegiStorm

Fast-fashion behemoth SHEIN has hired its first Washington lobbyists.

Hobart Hallaway & Quayle Ventures and Akin Gump are representing the company's U.S.-based SHEIN Technology group, according to a pair of disclosures filed yesterday.

Both lobbying firms are working for the company on unspecified "legislative and regulatory issues impacting the apparel industry and e-retailers, including trade and tax related matters," as well as the company's "presence, operating footprint, and economic impact in the United States." Hobart Hallaway & Quayle's lobbying team includes Rep.-turned-firm partner Ben Quayle (R-Ariz.), son of former Vice President Dan Quayle (R).

This is the first time that SHEIN has disclosed any federal lobbying work. The Chinese fast-fashion e-commerce company was valued at $100 billion earlier this year and is reportedly planning to create its first U.S. distribution centers to reduce shipping times to American consumers.

A former Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) staffer has moved to a dark-money-funded environmental group.

Camila Thorndike started this month as director of policy programs at Rewiring America, a nonprofit aimed at mitigating climate change through decarbonization. Rewiring America is a project of the Windward Fund, a left-wing environmental funding group that's a part of the Arabella Advisors dark-money network.

Thorndike was mostly recently a legislative assistant handling Sanders' energy and environment portfolio. Her work for the senator focused mainly on the Build Back Better Act and the Inflation Reduction Act.

Of the funds that the House's personal offices pay to outside vendors, millions go to the federal government each year, according to a LegiStorm review.

In the first half of this year, member offices disclosed over $52.6 million in expenses to outside vendors. Federal government agencies received more than $8.4 million, or 16 percent.

Of that, the U.S. Postal Service received over $7.6 million for members' franked mailings to constituents. The U.S. General Services Administration made nearly $600,000, mainly for renting out federal buildings for congressional district offices. The Department of Homeland Security, Government Publishing Office and Architect of the Capitol also received payments from member offices.

Personal-office spending directed to other areas of the federal government has consistently grown each election year since at least 2016, when LegiStorm's complete data on vendor expenses begins.

Rep. Byron Donalds' (R-Fla.) chief of staff has left for Ernst & Young.

Tyler Haymore is now assistant director of legislative and regulatory policy in EY's public-policy office. One of the world's biggest professional-services companies and a Big Four accounting firm, EY last week reported its highest year of growth in almost 20 years.

Haymore had served as Donalds' top staffer since the congressman took office at the beginning of this term. He previously worked for Rep. Ted Budd (R-N.C.), whose office he joined as a legislative correspondent before quickly moving up the ladder to chief.

House Democrats are having a harder time retaining staff than Republicans are.

Compared to Republicans, House Democrats averaged 11% higher staff turnover in the first half of 2022, according to LegiStorm data.

LegiStorm's staff turnover index is salary-weighted, meaning that the departure of a higher-paid staffer, such as a chief of staff, will count proportionately more than staff assistant or other lower-paid staffer. LegiStorm considers only full-time, non-temporary staff and excludes all interns and fellows.

Including representatives leaving Congress at the end of the term, Democrats made up six of the top 10 member offices with the highest turnover rates. But the worst staff retention so far the year belongs to Republican Rep. Victoria Spartz (Ind.), whose alleged mistreatment of staff earned a Politico piece a few months ago.

Other top spots for representatives not leaving office go to Reps. Dan Meuser (R-Pa.), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas), Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) and Alma Adams (D-N.C.). Retiring members are expected to have high turnover.

High turnover doesn't necessarily indicate that an individual member is difficult to work for. But over time, consistently poor staff retention can result in lower productivity and effectiveness and may indicate a workplace that staffers wish to avoid.

The 2022 MRA increase was intended to help the House attract and retain staffers. Its effect on staff turnover will become clearer once the House publishes its final 2022 salary data in late February of next year.