A lobbyist for Pfizer and long-time GOP political operative, Jeff Miller, is an important ally for House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). Miller once funneled dark money from the Koch brothers network to California in what was called “largest anonymous donation in California campaign history.” “A lot of people like to think that they’re close to Kevin. There are very few people who actually talk to him about stuff or that that he reaches out to proactively on stuff…Obviously, Jeff is a very key and central figure of that group,” a former McCarthy aide said.
“Everyone else is a distant second,” GOP lobbyist Sam Gedulig added.
Miller worked as an advisor to former California Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger (R), and Rick Perry’s 2016 campaign manager. Miller is also the former Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the California Republican Party.
“I don’t think…[Kevin McCarthy] would be as successfully of a fundraiser as he is without Jeff’s help,” Gedulig said. “[Even Kevin] would acknowledge that.”
John Stipicevic, McCarthy’s former deputy chief of staff, who some Republican lobbyists have described as “the second closest McCarthy insider on K Street,” testified to the proximity of the relationship between the two.
“Jeff has always had Kevin’s ear. They grew up together in the world of politics in D.C.,” Stipicevic said.
Political analysts fear that the relationship is such that Pfizer has Rep. McCarthy on a proverbial leash.
“Pfizer owns Miller. Miller owns McCarthy. Marjorie is there supporting ALL of it. It’s disgusting,” geopolitical talk show host Stew Peters said on Tuesday.
Pfizer owns Miller.
Miller runs McCarthy.
Marjorie is there supporting ALL of it.
It's disgusting. pic.twitter.com/CO7eAWmg1p
— Stew Peters (@realstewpeters) December 20, 2022
“This is not the first time Kevin McCarthy’s money man and best friend Jeff Miller has been under investigation for corruption. Miller was caught in 2012 funneling millions of dark money from donors into California. Did he do that again with SBF & FTX?” investigative journalist Laura Loomer said.
Jeff Miller is also registered to lobby for Oracle Corporation, a worldwide high-technology corporation based in the neoliberal hub of Austin, Texas.
JEFF MILLER, top ally and close friend of Kevin McCarthy, has registered to lobby for oracle. https://t.co/Uu7H2rUg4Z
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) December 16, 2022
Miller, with a contribution of $11.600, is McCarthy’s largest legal, on the record individual donor.
In June 2021, McCarthy revealed himself to be Miller is a registered lobbyist for Amazon and Apple and that Amazon Web Services paid MIller’s firm over $400,000 while Apple has paid over $600,000 to Miller’s firm from 2019 to 2021.
TUCKER: This week, members from both parties announced they supported anti-trust legislation that could break up Big Tech…
But KEVIN MCCARTHY opposes it. Why? One possible explanation is his top outside adviser — Jeff Miller, a lobbyist for Apple & Amazon. pic.twitter.com/Yzo0IqrK6c
— August Takala (@RudyTakala) June 19, 2021
“Congressional sources” told Tucker Carlson that Miller called multiple GOP congressmen and asked them not to support the anti-trust legislation, the Ending Platform Monopolies Act, which threatened to splinter the Big Tech monopoly.
In 2012, Miller worked with GOP political operative and campaign strategist, Anthony Russo, and rich conservative donors from Orange County to covertly attack the political powers behind labor unions.
The operatives fought hikes in the state sales tax and attempted to block unions from using membership payroll deductions for campaign spending.
“We knew there wouldn’t be many groups willing to go out and put their names on issue advocacy in this fight,” Miller told investigators after the fact.
“This was the largest anonymous donation in California campaign history,” California Fair Political Practices Commission Chairwoman Ann Ravel told Congress at the time. “This entire chain of transactions, routed through multiple nonprofits, occurred within three days and without disclosure….These tactics have no apparent purpose other than to conceal the sources of funds.”
In order to maintain a level of secrecy, Miller and Russo worked with the conservative Virginia-based nonprofit, Americans for Job Security (AJS), a branch of the Koch brothers’ network.
“A lot of corporations in the state Chamber (of Commerce) wouldn’t let the Chamber do issue advocacy like that, right? Because large public corporations don’t want retribution from their union members,” Miller said.
However, after wire transfers of $4 million and $11 million by the American Future Fund and the California Small Business Action Committee from Americans for Responsible Leadership, a final $10 million wire transfer caused a whistle blower from the watchdog group Common Cause to trigger a state investigation and the jig was up.
McCarthy’s right-hand man, Miller, and his accomplice at the time, Russo, were turned into witnesses for the state and in exchange for immunity from prosecution, the two exposed out-of-state money channels which connected to the Koch network.
Miller is now a lobbyist for Pfizer after his hiring in April 2019 and the CEO of Miller Strategies ask assigned to lobby on “issues related to cyber security and technology” for Amazon Web Services in July 2019.
“Matt Gaetz calls [McCarthy] the LeBron James of special interests,” investigative journalist Laura Loomer said. “I’d say that Kevin McCarthy is actually a traitor — a Benedict Arnold of the Beltway. He wishes he was a king though.”
.@mattgaetz calls @gopleader the @KingJames of special interests.
I’d say that Kevin McCarthy is actually a traitor — a Benedict Arnold of the Beltway.
He wishes he was king though…
— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) December 13, 2022