The Wolves of K Street Podcast

John Leganski had a behind-the-scenes view of the epic battle for House Speaker when he worked as a top aide to Kevin McCarthy.
In his new book, “Glory, Grief and the Gavel,” Leganski takes readers inside the tumultuous days that lead to McCarthy’s victory.
In this edition, Leganski tells us all about his book -- and what it takes to win the most arduous election in American politics.

Riva Levinson joins us to talk about the 10-year anniversary of her book, “Choosing the Hero.”
In our interview, Levinson tells us about her memorable start in Washington at the infamous lobbying firm Black, Manafort & Stone.
There she first met met Paul Manafort and Roger Stone – and she shares some stories you won’t want to miss…

Super PACs have given billionaires unprecedented control over U.S. elections.
A little over a decade ago, the wealthiest Americans contributed just 0.3 percent of the money in American elections.
Today, billionaires account for 20 percent of the money.
Harvard Professors and campaign-finance lawyer Larry Lessig joins us to talk about how to change that.
Lessig also says the Supreme Court’s infamous Citizens United decision did not create super PACs – but a different, little-known case that he is now trying to overturn.

Chris Jones joins us to talk about efforts by smaller companies to use antitrust policy in Washington to create more competitive markets.
Jones runs a lobbying firm and an industry association that are together working to advocate for people and companies on the wrong side of the erosion of antitrust laws, including independent grocery stores, community pharmacists, farmers, and small businesses.
He says that most lobbying firms will not take on these fights because the clients they want to land are the same dominant players whose market power is at issue.

Bloomberg reporter Ted Mann tells us how J.D. Vance’s efforts to enact new  railroad safety regulations shows how he is positioning himself for the 2028 presidential election.
Despite the opposition of most Republicans in Congress, Vance is trying to enact a sweeping package of regulations that he believes will make the railroad industry safer.
Why is Vance trying to impose new regulations on a major Republican friendly industry?
Ted Mann tells us.

Sam Neel is one of small group of Washington lawyers who business executives turn to for help when congressional investigators come calling.
Sam Neel talks with Luke and I about what to do when corporations find themselves in the crosshairs of congressional oversight investigation – something that many companies will face if Democrats win control of the U.S. House in the November elections.

An Easter Sunday tip.
A stakeout in Kalorama.
U.S. Marshals arrive.
Luke Mullins describes witnessing the armed raid of Jim Courtovich’s house.

Crypto companies have become major players in today’s elections.
The industry is re-writing the playbook for corporate influence in elections by using super PACS to spend tens of millions of dollars to help elect candidates they support – and defeat those they oppose.
We talk with star Bloomberg reporter Emily Birnbaum about the crypto industry’s strategy – and whether it is working.

“If you don’t approve this settlement, I will destroy you. I will destroy your job at the DOJ.”
That’s what a top Republican fixer told Donald Trump’s chief antitrust enforcer last year, according to an explosive recent story in The Wall Street Journal.
In this episode of The Wolves of K Street podcast, Luke and I talk with one of the authors of the story – Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Rebecca Ballhaus – about how corporate lobbyists are influencing the government’s merger-review process.

Geoff Embler joins us on The Wolves of K Street podcast to uncover the secretive world of opposition research.
Embler calls opposition researchers the ultimate “content creators” of political campaigns who are responsible for finding stories and developing narratives that define political opponents, business rivals and other adversaries.  
“Good opposition research is the mother’s milk of a successful election campaign,” Embler says.
In another analogy, Embler says the opposition research shop is like the “ammo factory” for a campaign, manufacturing the bullets that a campaign uses to blast opponents.