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Andrew Garrahan represents and counsels clients at the intersection of law and politics. He guides them through both regulatory compliance issues and government investigations on matters including state and federal campaign finance, ethics, lobbying, and corruption.
Mr. Garrahan’s prior career in political fundraising gives him a unique perspective on the challenges faced by his clients, which include corporations, candidates, government officials, political and nonprofit organizations, and private individuals.
Mr. Garrahan also represents corporate and individual clients in all manner of state and federal investigations.
- Advises a major pharmaceutical company on state campaign finance, lobbying, and pay-to-play matters.
- Represents a consulting firm in an investigation by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform (OGR).
- Represents officers of a corporation in a federal criminal campaign finance investigation and related Federal Election Commission (FEC) enforcement.
- Counsels several corporations, nonprofits, and individuals on California ballot measure and campaign finance activity.
- Successfully guided a trade association through an audit by the New York Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE).
- Achieved a dismissal of an investigation of a nonprofit organization by the Department of Justice, National Security Division’s Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) Unit, and a determination that the organization was not a foreign agent.
- Advises representatives of a foreign corporation on federal corruption allegations and related civil matters.
- Represents a Fortune 100 company in investigations by the Department of Justice and Department of State under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).
- Advised an international organization in an investigation by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC).
- Represented a Fortune 100 manufacturer in responding to a subpoena in a political corruption investigation by the Department of Justice.
- Advised a federal Super PAC on compliance with the Federal Election Campaign Act and related FEC regulations.
- Represented a pharmaceutical corporation in investigations by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform (OGR) and Senate Special Committee on Aging.
- Counseled an individual through an investigation by the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.
- Audited the political law compliance practices of a major natural resources corporation, proposed new compliance policies, and assisted with their implementation.
- Represented a government contractor in a fast-paced, highly sensitive federal investigation into its security practices.
Memberships and Affiliations
- California Political Attorneys Association
- American Bar Association
- Virginia Bar Association
- Alexandria Bar Association
- Trust for the George Washington Memorial Parkway, Board of Trustees (2016)
Previous Experience
- City of Waynesboro, Virginia, Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney, Intern (2012-2013)
- U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, Alexandria Office, Intern (2011)
- Virginians for Wagner for Lt. Governor, Finance Director (2008-2009)
- Friends of Mark Warner, Deputy Finance Director (2007-2008)
- Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Finance (2005-2007)
January 22, 2018, Global Policy Watch
As sexual abuse, assault, harassment, and other misconduct have dominated national headlines, state capitols and lobbyists have not escaped scrutiny. Amidst a spate of allegations and member resignations, some state legislatures and ethics commissions are taking action. While a variety of measures are being considered, including tightening gift rules, it is ...
January 19, 2018, Inside Political Law
As sexual abuse, assault, harassment, and other misconduct have dominated national headlines, state capitols and lobbyists have not escaped scrutiny. Amidst a spate of allegations and member resignations, some state legislatures and ethics commissions are taking action. While a variety of measures are being considered, including tightening gift rules, it is ...
October 9, 2017, Global Policy Watch
On Saturday, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed the California DISCLOSE Act, AB249, into law. We posted a detailed analysis of the law when it passed the legislature, but the key points bear repeating as it will be of interest to anyone who gives or spends money in California elections. The law requires that some form...… Continue Reading
October 9, 2017, Inside Political Law
On Saturday, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed the California DISCLOSE Act, AB249, into law. We posted a detailed analysis of the law when it passed the legislature, but the key points bear repeating as it will be of interest to anyone who gives or spends money in California elections. The law requires that some form...… Continue Reading The post California ...
October 6, 2017, Inside Political Law
The City of St. Petersburg, Florida yesterday passed an ordinance designed to take the question of “Super PACs” to the Supreme Court for the first time. The ordinance, which we discussed in detail earlier this year, imposes a $5,000 limit on contributions to groups that raise money for or make independent expenditures or electioneering communications...… ...
September 18, 2017, Inside Political Law
Over the weekend, the California legislature passed AB249, the California DISCLOSE Act, a controversial set of campaign finance disclosure rules that have been years in the making. The law now awaits Gov. Jerry Brown’s approval. The law’s proponents have argued that it is necessary in order to provide voters with complete information about the sponsors...… ...
August 7, 2017, Inside Political Law
Corporate legal and compliance departments are usually well aware of the laws regulating lobbying the federal government. Recent news reports, however, indicate that companies have more trouble with state and local lobbying laws. A few features of state and local lobbying make it a tricky blind spot. This increases the risk of failing to properly...… Continue ...
August 7, 2017, Covington Alert
Corporate legal and compliance departments are usually well aware of the laws regulating lobbying the federal government. Recent news reports, however, indicate that companies have more trouble with state and local lobbying laws.
July 3, 2017, Global Policy Watch
The U.S. House Committee on Appropriations is considering a major change to the way trade associations are allowed to raise money into their political action committees (PACs). Currently, if a trade association wants to solicit money from its member companies’ employees, it must first get advance approval from the company, and each company can authorize...… ...
July 3, 2017, Inside Political Law
The U.S. House Committee on Appropriations is considering a major change to the way trade associations are allowed to raise money into their political action committees (PACs). Currently, if a trade association wants to solicit money from its member companies’ employees, it must first get advance approval from the company, and each company can authorize...… ...
June 27, 2017, Global Policy Watch
The new chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Representative Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), outlined his plans for the Committee last week. As we expected, Mr. Gowdy said that he would pursue more methodical investigations. Noting that hearings are “an inefficient way to gather facts,” Mr. Gowdy said that the Committee would pursue...… ...
June 27, 2017, Inside Political Law
The new chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Representative Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), outlined his plans for the Committee last week. As we expected, Mr. Gowdy said that he would pursue more methodical investigations. Noting that hearings are “an inefficient way to gather facts,” Mr. Gowdy said that the Committee would pursue...… ...
June 26, 2017, Global Policy Watch
Last summer there was much ado about the two parallel efforts of a “Dream Team” of attorneys to “end Super PACs.” Their goal was to get the Supreme Court to overturn the decision of the D.C. Circuit in SpeechNow v. FEC, and similar decisions in other circuits, which led to the creation of Super PACs....… Continue Reading
June 26, 2017, Inside Political Law
Last summer there was much ado about the two parallel efforts of a “Dream Team” of attorneys to “end Super PACs.” Their goal was to get the Supreme Court to overturn the decision of the D.C. Circuit in SpeechNow v. FEC, and similar decisions in other circuits, which led to the creation of Super PACs....… Continue Reading The post Efforts to End Super PACs ...
Grassley Defends Congressional Oversight; House Democrats Turn to Statutory Oversight Authority
June 19, 2017, Global Policy Watch
The Trump administration’s efforts to curtail congressional oversight of executive branch agencies by individual Members of Congress, including ranking Democratic Members of Committees, ran into significant opposition from an unlikely source: Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the Republican Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Sen. Grassley’s strong ...
Grassley Defends Congressional Oversight; House Democrats Turn to Statutory Oversight Authority
June 19, 2017, Inside Political Law
The Trump administration’s efforts to curtail congressional oversight of executive branch agencies by individual Members of Congress, including ranking Democratic Members of Committees, ran into significant opposition from an unlikely source: Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the Republican Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Sen. Grassley’s strong ...
May 19, 2017, Global Policy Watch
With the announcement by Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) that he plans to resign from Congress on June 30, it appears increasingly likely that Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) will become the next Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, the House’s powerful watchdog committee that has very broad investigative jurisdiction. Although a final...… ...
May 19, 2017, Inside Political Law
With the announcement by Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) that he plans to resign from Congress on June 30, it appears increasingly likely that Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) will become the next Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, the House’s powerful watchdog committee that has very broad investigative jurisdiction. Although a final...… ...
January 4, 2017, Global Policy Watch
The start of 2017 brings two changes to the federal Office of Government Ethics (“OGE”) rules for executive branch officers and employees. First, important changes to the executive branch gift rules went into effect this week. We detailed those changes in this alert. Second, OGE’s overhaul of the Executive Branch Ethics Program regulations (5 C.F.R....… ...
November 17, 2016, Global Policy Watch
Over the next nine weeks, the Trump Presidential Transition team will formulate policy and staffing recommendations for the new administration. This alert gives a broad overview of the Transition and the laws that regulate interactions with Transition team members on issues related to appointments and policy recommendations. Persons interested in this topic may ...
November 17, 2016, Covington Alert
With Election Day 2016 in the books, the political world turns to the transition of power and the January 20, 2017 Inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence. With the swearing in of the new President and Vice President will come the traditional balls, parties, and receptions. The inauguration and related events are costly, ...
November 15, 2016, Covington Alert
Over the next nine weeks, the Trump Presidential Transition team will formulate policy and staffing recommendations for the new administration. This alert gives a broad overview of the Transition and the laws that regulate interactions with Transition team members on issues related to appointments and policy recommendations. Persons interested in this topic may ...
August 25, 2016, Covington Advisory
This month, the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), an obscure, almost 80-year old, statute has rocketed to national headlines. FARA, a sweeping federal criminal statute, requires certain individuals and companies acting on behalf of foreign principals to register with the Department of Justice and file regular detailed reports of their activities. As we ...
August 15, 2016, Global Policy Watch
Companies are increasingly hiring out of the federal workforce, only to find that their new hires are restricted by “revolving door” rules that prohibit their participation in certain matters – sometimes for a limited time, sometimes permanently. New rules issued recently by the U.S. Office of Government Ethics (“OGE”) serve as a reminder that, even...… Continue ...
August 15, 2016, Covington Advisory
Companies are increasingly hiring out of the federal workforce, only to find that their new hires are restricted by “revolving door” rules that prohibit their participation in certain matters—sometimes for a limited time, sometimes permanently. New rules issued recently by the U.S. Office of Government Ethics (“OGE”) serve as a reminder that, even before hiring ...
Practices
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Regulatory and Public Policy
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Election and Political Law
- Corporate and Trade Association Political Activity
- Corporate Political Disclosure
- FEC Advice and Enforcement
- Foreign Agents Registration Act
- Government Affairs Compliance Reviews
- Lobbying and Campaign Finance Internal Investigations
- Lobbying Disclosure Act Compliance
- Pay-to-Play Law Advice
- State and Local Enforcement
- Super PACs
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Public Policy
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Election and Political Law
- Litigation and Investigations