LegiStorm

Former Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-Colo.) is now a registered lobbyist.

Perlmutter made his official federal lobbying debut through Holland & Knight on behalf of Tricon Residential. Per a recent disclosure, Perlmutter is lobbying on housing policy for the Toronto-based real-estate group, which has rental propertes in the U.S. and Canada. Holland & Knight has represented Tricon Residential since January and added Perlmutter to the account as an official lobbyist this past quarter.

Perlmutter has been a partner in Holland & Knight's public policy and regulation group since retiring from office at the end of last term.

Former members are required to wait one year from the time they leave Congress before lobbying the House or Senate, per ethics rules, but are not prohibited from lobbying the executive branch before the one-year mark.

A former public relations manager for Amazon has returned to working in Congress.

Patrick Malone is now chief of staff for freshman Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.), whose staff could use some stability. Thanedar's staff turnover is more than 2.5 times the House average, according to LegiStorm data.

Malone has over a decade of experience in the Capitol, having earlier served as communications director to Reps. Jim Himes (D-Conn.) and Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.).

His tenure on the Hill isn't confined to just national politics. He served two terms on the Advisory Neighborhood Commission, representing an area to the northeast of the Capitol.

Rep. Maxine Waters' (D-Calif.) communications director has departed after less than three months on the job, following backlash over the former journalist’s alleged sympathies for dictators and human rights abusers.

Hermela Aregawi attracted the ire of some in the African diaspora for her denial of famine in the Ethiopian region of Tigray and her ties with supporters of the Eritrean government, long cited as one of the most repressive in the world. Her social media contains praise and fundraising appeals for BreakThrough News, which made headlines earlier this year for promoting Russian and Chinese government narratives. Aregawi frequently reposts content from BreakThrough News' Eugene Puryear, formerly of the Kremlin propaganda outlet Sputnik.

Aregawi is Ethiopian by birth and moved with her family to the U.S. when she was 7. She previously worked for CBS, Al Jazeera and Current TV.

When it comes to losing key staff, the office of Rep. Jonathan Jackson (D-Ill.) stands out.

Jackson leads the House in staff departures so far this year, according to a LegiStorm analysis. His office has a turnover rate more than four times the chamber's average.

Of the 13 full-time staffers who joined the freshman member's (D-Ill.) office from January through March, only three remain on his staff.

Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.), who is not seeking reelection next year, has the second highest turnover rate, more than triple the House average. Although retiring members are expected to have high turnover, Spartz led the House in turnover last year and has inspired a Politico report on her alleged mistreatment of staffers.

Reps. Brandon Williams (R-N.Y.), Jim Baird (R-Ind.) and Mary Peltola (D-Alaska) each have turnover roughly three times the average and round out the House's five worst staff-retention rates.

Two offices that have had a lot of focus on staffing issues this year are Reps. George Santos and Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), yet they have had a much easier time keeping staff. They have a turnover rate only 1.2 and 1.6 times the House, respectively.

On average, House Republicans and Democrats have experienced roughly equal turnover since January.

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.

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 a staff assistant or other lower-paid staffer. LegiStorm considers only full-time, non-temporary staff and excludes all interns and fellows.

One of Congress's top advocates for electric-vehicle adoption has lost her longest-serving staffer to Tesla.

Kevin Rambosk joined the electric-vehicle manufacturer's Washington team as a senior adviser on federal policy. He was most recently Debbie Dingell's (D-Mich.) deputy chief of staff.

Dingell, a former General Motors executive who now champions EV adoption, last month voiced concerns about Tesla's and other EV manufacturers' reliance on Chinese materials. Since then, House Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith (R-Mo.) has questioned Tesla's relationship with a Chinese battery manufacturer, reportedly "amid concerns U.S. electric vehicle subsidies were improperly flowing to foreign entities."

Rambosk had worked for Dingell since she took office in January 2015 and climbed the ladder from legislative aide to deputy chief. Before that, he worked for now-deceased Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), whose former seat the congresswoman now holds.