Drew Wilson
Liberty Partners of Tallahassee finished the third quarter with an estimated $270,000 in lobbying revenues.
Firm president Jennifer Green and lobbyists Ethan Merchant, Timothy Parson and Adam Potts represented about 30 clients last quarter, netting $135,000 in the Legislature and another $135,000 in the executive branch.
Florida Politics estimates lobbying pay based on the middle number of the per-client ranges firms list on their compensation reports. Contracts are reported in $10,000 increments up to $50,000.
Liberty Partners’ legislative report included 29 clients, four of which paid an estimated $15,000 for the quarter. They included the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Kona Properties and the National Coalition for Public School Options.
The fourth $15,000 client was Expedia, a top travel booking company that is likely celebrating the continued recovery in Florida’s tourism sector — the Governor’s office announced this week that domestic travel is up 7% compared to 2019, with 31.2 million Americans coming to Florida in Q3. Meanwhile, 1.2 million traveled to Florida internationally in the same quarter.
Fifteen other clients showed up at the $5,000 level. They included telecom giant AT&T and the local governments for Defuniak Springs, Freeport and Milton.
Liberty Partners also represents several statewide associations, such as the Florida Assisted Living Association, Florida Attractions Association and the Florida Sheriffs Association — the firm represents the Walton County Sheriff’s Offices in addition.
The firm’s executive report listed the same clients and all paid the same amount for lobbying help on the other side of the Capitol complex.
Lobbying disclosure rules also require firms to disclose their overall earnings. Though the ranges are broad, they are an accurate measure of the earnings floor and ceiling. Both of Liberty Partners’ reports show between $100,000 and $250,000 in earnings, indicating the firm made at least $200,000 last quarter.
Using the top end of the firm’s per-client ranges, Liberty Partners could have earned as much as $460,000.
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 are due to the state on Feb. 14.
