LegiStorm

Two years into the pandemic, congressional Republicans are holding fewer town halls than Democrats. But they're far more likely to brave constituents - and perhaps the virus - in person.

Democrats have held 54 percent of this year's 862 town halls, according to LegiStorm data. Only one-fourth of Democrats' 469 town halls have been in person, with the party instead opting for telephone, Facebook, Zoom and other online formats.

Republicans, meanwhile, have hosted two-thirds of their 393 town halls in person - many without any apparent COVID-19 precautions.

Before the pandemic, virtual town halls were the exception, not the norm. In the same time period in 2019, Democrats held 93 percent of their town halls in person. Republicans held 82 percent in person. Since then, members have experienced an increase in the number of physical threats against them. Many have hired security.

Both parties are still holding fewer town halls overall. Compared to the same period in 2019, Democrats have held 28 percent fewer town halls. Republicans have held 18 percent fewer.

Turkey's authoritarian President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has enlisted his Connecticut-based cousin to drum up U.S. support for Erdogan's party in coming elections, according to new Department of Justice disclosures.

Halil Mutlu, who is a physician, is helping Turkey's Justice and Development Party (AKP) to carry out "political, social and cultural activities" for Turkish nationals living in the U.S., in hopes of winning their votes. The filings say that Mutlu will also disseminate party materials and work with "U.S. politicians, government organizations, non-profit organizations, etc."

Turkey will hold its next presidential election in 2023. Turkish expats, especially those living in the U.S., were reportedly instrumental in Erdogan's 2018 election.

Mutlu is the sole member of the party's U.S. representation. He engages directly with Erdogan and is not being paid for the work, according to the disclosures.

Interest groups are making up for lost time, spending on private congressional travel at the highest election-year rate since 2014.

Private groups have already spent more than $1.9 million to court members and staff so far this year, according to LegiStorm data. By this time in 2018 and 2016, they'd spent a respective $1.7 million and $1.8 million on private travel.

That makes this the highest election-year spending since 2014, when sponsors had dropped almost $2.7 million by this point in the year. Privately sponsored travel is typically much lower in election years.

Congressional travel halted as the pandemic hit in March 2020 and began to rebound in 2021.

The American Israel Education Foundation, a perennial top spender on such trips, has particularly compensated for any influence it may have lost during the pandemic's early years. A sister organization to the powerful American Israel Public Affairs Committee lobbying group, AIEF spent more than $1.2 million on 45 representatives and seven staffers in February - almost two-thirds of all money spent on private trips this year.

The interest group spent an average of more than $24,000 per member and $14,000 per staffer to fly the group to Tel Aviv, Israel, where they each stayed for five to eight days and attended an educational seminar on U.S.-Israel relations and the Arab-Israeli conflict. Representatives in attendance included House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).

Other sponsors are taking a similar approach, opting to send members and staff on a smaller number of more expensive trips compared to years past. In addition to the AIEF travel, Congress has accepted 391 trips at an average cost of $1,800. At this point in 2018, sponsors averaged $1,400 each across 1,203 trips.

Ex-Rep. Devin Nunes's (R-Calif.) final chief of staff has joined Big Tobacco.

Jilian Souza joined Altria this month as a senior director for federal government affairs. Altria, one of the world's biggest tobacco producers, disclosed spending more than $12.3 million on federal lobbying through a subsidiary in the last year.

Souza joined Nunes's office as a staff assistant in 2014 and worked her way up to chief of staff, a position she held when Nunes resigned from Congress in January to lead the Trump Media & Technology Group.

Rep. Alma Adams' (D-N.C.) chief of staff has made his first move to K Street.

John Christie started yesterday as senior vice president at the Smith-Free Group. The bipartisan lobbying group counts MasterCard, Intuit, Kroger and Sony Pictures among its big-name clients.

Christie spent the five years with Adams' office, working his way up from legislative assistant to chief of staff. He's also worked for Rep. Norma Torres (D-Calif.).