Tony Podesta steps down from lobbying firm

Editor: Draco Copper | Tactical Investor

Tony Podesta Is Out

Updated Oct 2023

Democratic power lobbyist Tony Podesta, the founder of the Podesta Group, is stepping down from the firm that bears his name after being investigated by special counsel Robert Mueller.

Podesta announced his decision during a firm-wide meeting Monday morning and is alerting clients of his impending departure.

Podesta’s decision to leave the firm came on the same day that former Donald Trump campaign aides Paul Manafort and Rick Gates were indicted on multiple charges, including money laundering, operating as federal agents of the Ukrainian government, failing to disclose overseas bank accounts and making false statements to federal authorities. Trump campaign foreign policy advisor George Papadopoulos pleaded guilty earlier this month for lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russian officials, according to court records.

The investigation into Podesta and his firm grew from investigators’ examination of Manafort’s finances. Manafort organized a PR campaign for a nonprofit called the European Centre for a Modern Ukraine. Podesta Group was one of several firms paid to work on the PR campaign to promote Ukraine in the U.S. Full Story.

Tony Podesta Steps Down Amid Investigation

Tony Podesta, a prominent figure in Democratic politics in Washington, has announced that he will be stepping aside from his lobbying firm, the Podesta Group, amid the special counsel’s investigation. Podesta, who founded and chaired the firm, announced at a staff meeting on the same day that charges were unsealed against former Trump campaign Chairman Paul Manafort and his aide Rick Gates. According to a person familiar with the announcement, a new firm with a new name will be formed to retain clients.

Prominent Democratic Figure Leaves Lobbying Firm Amid Special Counsel Probe

Podesta is also the brother of John Podesta, a longtime adviser to Hillary Clinton, her former campaign chairman, and a former adviser to President Barack Obama. In response to the investigation, the Podesta Group has fully cooperated with the special counsel’s office and taken all necessary steps to confirm compliance with the law.

The firm has filed appropriate public disclosures of its representation of the non-profit think tank ECFMU, which supported Ukraine’s admission to the EU. The ECFMU provided certification that it was not funded or directed by any government or political party. Any suggestion to the contrary is false, according to a statement from the Podesta Group. Full Story