Close confidants of President-elect Trump are establishing a new government relations and political consulting firm in Washington, D.C., the Washington Examiner has learned.
Corey Lewandowski, Trump’s first campaign manager, who remains closely connected to the president-elect, and Barry Bennett, who advised Trump’s campaign early on after leaving Ben Carson’s 2016 operation, are advertised on the website as the principals behind “Avenue Strategies.” Sources tell the Examiner that Lewandowski and Bennett have been making the rounds in Washington to drum up business for a new firm by that name.
Bennett confirmed to the Examiner on Wednesday that the firm is launching this week. He said that he and Lewandowski plan to be “supportive of the Trump agenda” and offer “a little bit of everything” in terms of political consulting and government affairs services. Bennett said he expects to register as a lobbyist but doesn’t know if Lewandowski will.
The Avenue Strategies website describes Lewandowski’s and Bennett’s close ties to Trump in sections detailing their professional histories.
The Avenue Strategies website describes Lewandowski’s and Bennett’s close ties to Trump in sections detailing their professional histories.
Lewandowski and Bennett are launching their firm just as Republicans close to Trump are vowing to reduce the influence of lobbyists and consultants. That is something that Trump also promised. Through much of the campaign, he criticized Washington’s culture of political professionals making money based on their ties to prominent politicians.
“Draining the swamp is not just about lobbying and politicians, it’s also about consultants,” KellyAnne Conway, a GOP pollster who ran Trump’s campaign, said during an interview on “The Laura Ingraham Show” radio program on Tuesday.
Per the firm’s website, avenuestrategies.com, Lewandowski and Bennett plan to be consultants. The website advertises Avenue Strategies as a “full service government affairs and political consulting firm” that “provides client-tailored strategy and guidance carefully designed to help our clients navigate our government.” The firm has set up shop half a block from the White House, at 1717 Pennsylvania Avenue, Northwest.
The biographies of the two principals emphasize their closeness to Trump and, presumably, their ability to get clients priorities in front of the president.
“Mr. Lewandowski previously served as the Chief Political Adviser and Campaign Manager to Donald J. Trump for President, Inc.,” the website reads. “In those roles, he oversaw all aspects of a historic presidential campaign where Donald J. Trump won 38 Republican primaries and caucuses and received more votes than any presidential candidate in the history of the Republican Party. Through Mr. Lewandowski’s leadership, Mr. Trump secured the Republican nomination for President of the United States while only spending a fraction of the money his competitors spent over the same period of time.”
“Barry has been active in Conservative politics for 30 years,” the website also reads, regarding Bennett. “Barry recently served as Senior Advisor to the Trump Campaign. Earlier this cycle he managed the campaign of Dr. Ben Carson for President. During his tenure Dr. Carson raised a GOP record $60 million dollars and built a social media following of Dr. Carson of more than 5 million followers on Facebook alone.”
