HEARD ON THE HILL
What we're hearing from people we trust on and around the Hill
NORTHERN WAVES: Our reporting about how new Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney chaired the board of Bloomberg LP is making waves up north. Days after our coverage, Canada’s National Post covered the Carney controversy. “‘What steps did he take’? Lawyers query Carney’s role at company beset by sexism allegations,” it wrote. The Washington Reporter asked Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) if she thinks that Carney should have pressed for the company to release the NDAs surrounding then-presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg, as she did in 2020, and did not hear back.
WON’T BACK DOWN: Rep. Pat Harrigan (R., N.C.) told the Reporter that he’s pressing on with his criticisms of GNC’s presence on military bases, tying the company to the Chinese Communist Party and saying that “GNC’s presence on our military bases raises serious questions about access, influence, and intent.” Harrigan is leading the Military Installation Retail Security Act in the House. The Reporter reviewed GNC’s campaign contributions and found that it has sent thousands of dollars to Democratic campaigns and liberal-aligned groups.
SHOTS FIRED: Ed Paltzik, one of President Trump’s attorneys, suggests that there’s more to come as the president feuds with CBS News, Paramount, and 60 Minutes. Even though top staffers at 60 Minutes are leaving amidst a $20 billion lawsuit, Paltzik suggests that Trump wants more action, in the wake of how the show selectively edited Vice President Kamala Harris’s interview in the final days of the 2024 election. “CBS and Paramount committed the worst kind of election interference and fraud in the closing days of the most important presidential election in history,” Paltzik told the Reporter.
CALM, COOL, COLLECTED: Rep. Gabe Evans’ (R., Colo.) team wasn’t phased by Rep. Greg Casar (D., Texas) hosting an event on Evans’ turf today. The staff told the Reporter that Casar’s presence could actually backfire. “Greg Casar is a Defund the Police activist who wants to see socialism and transgenderism take over America,” Evans spokeswoman Delanie Bomar said. “Any day with Greg Casar in Colorado’s 8th District is a day that helps re-elect Gabe Evans in 2026.”
HOGGING CASH: David Hogg, one of the Democratic Party’s top officials, is causing serious headaches for others in the top echelons of the Democratic Party with his plans to primary incumbent Democrats. Nevertheless, Hogg’s group has sent $100,000 Rep. Suzan DelBene’s (D., Wash.) way, and the DCCC chairwoman is tongue-tied in response. “Who is the real leader over there?” the NRCC’s Mike Marinella asked in response.