Ryan Ray
The solo practice run by lobbyist Alan Suskey may not have a big office on Adams Street, but it does make a good deal of money. According to recently filed state records, Suskey Consulting took in an estimated $150,000 between April and June alone.
The greatest contributions to Suskey’s highly efficient payroll came from Save Our Society from Drugs based in St. Petersburg. The group employed Suskey’s services to the tune of between $10,000 and $19,999 for representation via executive and legislative lobbying, up to nearly $40,000 all told.
While none of Suskey’s other 13 executive clients or 15 legislative clients forked over quite that much, a steady stream of major clients included Arbor Properties, Sparton Corp., Seychelles Organics, and the City of Madeira Beach in Pinellas County.
Between Gulf Power Co. and Eclipse Energy Systems, Suskey has also accumulated a significant portfolio in energy and utilities.
Suskey maintains relationships with “prime contractor” firms for three clients, but has successfully avoided staff meetings and conference calls since he hung out his own shingle in 2014 after two years with former House Speaker Dean Cannon‘s Capitol Insight shop. He and that firm coordinate in their representation of Worldwide Interactive Network, an education firm specializing in workforce readiness.
Although by law lobbying firms must file quarterly compensation reports, reports show only firms’ total compensation in general ranges, making it difficult to get exact totals spent on lobbying the state executive and legislative branches.
For example, ranges reported by firms start between $1 and $9,999, $10,000 and $19,999 and so on, increasing in increments. Exact numbers for individual clients are listed only when they pay $50,000 or more.
