Drew Wilson
The Pittman Law Group brought in more than $1 million in lobbying fees last year, according to newly filed compensation reports.
The duo of Sean Pittman and Jasmyne Henderson juggled more than two dozen legislative lobbying contracts, with 11 of those clients also tasking the firm with lobbying the Governor and Cabinet.
The 2019 total was achieved almost exclusively through legislative work — the firm reported no more than $10,000 in executive branch income for the year.
Pittman’s four quarterly legislative lobbying compensation reports, however, add up to $1.08 million.
Lobbying firms report their pay in ranges covering $10,000 increments. Florida Politics uses the middle number of each range to estimate total revenue.
Firms also disclose overall pay on a quarterly basis, though each bracket covers a much wider range. The sum of Pittman Law Group’s reports show receipts could have topped $1.5 million if the firm earned top dollar from all contracts. The reports indicate no less than $700,000 in pay for the year.
Leading the way for Pittman and Henderson was Trulieve, the foremost medical marijuana company in the Sunshine State. It chipped in an estimated $110,000 last year — more than 10% of the firm’s projected rake.
Three other clients hit the six-figure mark: Ride-sharing company Uber, the Leon County Sheriff’s Office and sugar company Florida Crystals.
A number of recognizable businesses and organizations peppered their reports. The state’s largest utility provider, Florida Power & Light, was one of a half-dozen contracts that netted the duo $60,000 for the year. Telecom giant AT&T was also in that set.
Walmart paid $35,000 to retain Pittman’s services, as did the Florida Health Care Association.
The bottom half of the client sheet was dedicated to local government clientele.
City government contracts included Belle Glade, Gretna, Mangonia Park, Port Orange, Orlando, Royal Palm Beach and Tallahassee. Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties also made the list.
Northwest Florida State College provided Pittman Law Group with its only paid executive lobbying contract in 2019, paying an estimated $5,000.
Florida lobbyists and lobbying firms faced a Feb. 14 deadline to file compensation reports for the period covering Oct. 1 through Dec. 31. Compensation reports for the first quarter of 2020 are due to the state in mid-April.
