Bottom Line

By The Hill Staff - 10/04/10 07:22 PM ET

• DEFENSE. Northrop Grumman Corp., a major defense contractor, has hired Patton Boggs to lobby on “homeland security, cybersecurity, health IT,” according to lobbying disclosure records. Stephen McHale, a former acting general counsel for the Treasury Department, and Julie Black, a former aide to Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.), are working on the account.

• EDUCATION. Empire Education Group, a cosmetology education provider, has hired Capitol Legislative Strategies to lobby on tax issues related to cosmetology schools and education issues related to proprietary education. Charles Mellody, a former aide for the House Ways and Means Committee, is working on the account.

• FINANCIAL SERVICES. Veritec Solutions has hired Williams and Jensen to lobby on “general issues affecting the payday industry,” according to lobbying disclosure records. Eric Stewart, a former chief of staff at the Commerce Department, and Joel Oswald, a former Senate Banking Committee aide, are registered to lobby for the company.

GAMING. GTECH Corp., a lottery service company, has hired Walton Chalmers II to lobby on Internet gambling legislation.

• HEALTHCARE. The Glover Park Group has been hired by SHC Inc., a company that provides in-home patient care for senior citizens. The firm is doing a “congressional outreach and public awareness campaign on the 36-month rule change of ownership provision for home health agencies,” according to lobbying disclosure records. Joel Johnson, a former senior Clinton White House aide, and Melanie Nathanson, once a senior health policy adviser to ex-Sen. Bob Graham (D-Fla.), are registered to lobby for the company.

Foundation Medicine Inc., a cancer diagnostics company, has hired Holland & Knight to lobby on legislation and regulations dealing with genetic tests. Michael Werner, a former policy adviser to the Senate Democratic Policy Committee, is registered to lobby for the company.

• TRANSPORTATION. The National Air Carrier Association has hired Cassidy & Associates to lobby on the Transportation Department’s “regulatory initiatives impacting non-scheduled air service providers,” according to lobbying disclosure records.

• TELECOMMUNICATIONS. Comcast Corp. has hired Capitol Hill Strategies to lobby on the proposed Comcast-NBC merger. Charles Brain, a former senior Clinton White House aide and deputy chief of staff to Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), as well as Paul Bock, former chief of staff to Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.), are working on the account.