Drew Wilson
The Mayernick Group earned an estimated $635,000 in lobbying fees in the third quarter, nearly matching the sum it collected in the prior reporting period.
The July through September reports show the firm represented more than 50 clients, earning at least $500,000 lobbying the Legislature and up to $100,000 more lobbying the Governor and Cabinet.
Lobbying firms are required to report their pay in ranges for each client rather than exact amounts. Florida Politics tallies the middle number of those ranges to estimate quarterly compensation.
Lobbyists and lobbying firms must also report overall pay ranges at the bottom of their compensation reports.
According to that line of the disclosures, The Mayernick Group’s true earnings may have been higher — though median figures show $495,000 in legislative earnings, the firm’s compensation report indicates it earned no less than $500,000 in the chamber.
If each client paid top dollar, the firm could have tallied $670,000 in receipts on that half of the ledger. The firm also reported at least $50,000 in executive branch earnings, with a top end of $100,000.
The team, which includes Tracy Mayernick, Frank Mayernick, Rob Johnson and Katie Smith, showed 51 clients on their legislative compensation report. Five of those principals split the top spot with $25,000 in payments each — Alkermes, Citrus Health Network, Eldorado Resorts, the Florida State University Foundation and HCA Healthcare.
Following the anchors were nearly two-dozen clients at the $15,000 level. The cadre hailed from a diverse set of industries. Bestbet Jacksonville represented the gaming sector; utilities made a showing via Florida Power & Light, and U.S. Sugar held the torch for agriculture.
The Mayernick Group’s executive branch report featured the same cast of clients, though most were listed in the $5,000 pay range. The lone exception was FFT Partners, which was marked down at the $15,000 level.
The firm’s third-quarter haul is a touch below the $675,000 reported in Q2, though the firm’s new reports have a higher ceiling. All told, The Mayernick Group could have earned $770,000 in the third quarter.
Florida lobbyists and lobbying firms faced a Nov. 14 deadline to file compensation reports for the period covering July 1 through Sept. 30. Compensation reports for the fourth quarter of 2020 are due to the state in mid-February.
