Drew Wilson
The two-man team at Capitol Alliance Group collected an estimated $435,000 in lobbying fees last quarter, according to newly filed compensation reports.
Jeff Sharkey and Taylor Patrick Biehl had 60 clients in the first quarter and took in an estimated $220,000 representing them in the Legislature and another $215,000 representing them in the executive branch.
Florida lobbyists report their earnings for each contract in ranges covering $10,000 increments up to $50,000, after which a firm must report the exact amount they received. Florida Politics uses the middle number of each range to estimate quarterly earnings.
Capitol Alliance Group’s legislative compensation reports show 11 clients paid $15,000 apiece last quarter, including well-known companies such as Quicken Loans and SpaceX.
Those companies fared well in the 2021 Legislative Session. The Legislature has passed bills (HB 121/HB 483) that make it easier for loan documents to be notarized online. Lawmakers also OK’d a bill (SB 1086) that would require Floridians to return any space debris they find to its rightful owners. The bill was a priority of SpaceX, which has been launching rockets from the Sunshine State with increasing frequency.
The rest of the clients on CAG’s legislative compensation paid the firm $5,000 apiece last quarter. Companies in that bracket include cannabis interests Americanna Laboratories, the Florida Hemp Association and the Medical Marijuana Business Association of Florida.
Capitol Alliance Group’s executive branch reports includes the same list of clients, most of which paid the same amount for help lobbying the Governor and Cabinet as they did for help in the Legislature.
Compensation reports also list overall compensation ranges for the quarter. Capitol Alliance Group’s report show the firm earned between $100,000 and $250,000 for legislative lobbying and between $100,000 and $250,000 for executive branch lobbying. If each of the firm’s contracts hit top dollar, the firm could have earned as much as $500,000.
The haul puts Capitol Alliance Group on track to meet or beat its 2020 total of $1.5 million.
Florida lobbyists and lobbying firms faced a May 15 deadline to turn in compensation reports covering Jan. 1 through March 31. Second-quarter compensation reports are due to the state on Aug. 14.
