Under fire, video game lobby hires former Hill aides

The Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the lobbying group for the video game industry, announced Wednesday that it has hired Ali Amirhooshmand and Danielle Rodman, longtime veterans of Capitol Hill.

The move comes amid heightened scrutiny of the industry since last year’s mass shooting in Newtown, Conn. Lawmakers have questioned whether violent video games contribute to real world violence and suggested that increased regulation of the industry might be needed.

Amirhooshmand and Rodman will serve as directors of federal government affairs for the lobbying organization.

Amirhooshmand co-founded the Seward Square Group, a Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm where he worked on intellectual property, cybersecurity and other issues. Before that, he worked for then-House Majority Whip Rep. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas). 

Rodman served as the primary Judiciary Committee adviser for Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) and served as a staff assistant on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. 

“They will be strong additions to our team as we continue collaborating with policymakers to cultivate an environment that fosters the innovation and creativity for which our industry is known,” Erik Huey, ESA's senior vice president of government affairs, said in a statement.

ESA spent about $4.8 million on lobbying last year on issues including anti-piracy enforcement, privacy regulation and high-skill immigration, according to disclosure documents.

— This story was updated at 2:08 p.m.

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