Lobbyists with Key White House Access See Revenue Surge Amid Trade Disputes
It was the first day back at work for Congress after the summer recess, and two blocks away from the White House, a stream of sharply dressed guests were stepping out from black Suburbans and striding toward a street-level doorway on 15th Street NW.
The entrance was inconspicuous, save for the umbrellaed valet stand out front and the darkened, hemispherical camera mounted at eye level by the door. The building’s plaque was half-hidden by a shrub, but cursive lettering across the forest-green doormat spelled out a name: Ned’s Club, Washington D.C.
This private members’ club − a newcomer among the city’s many exclusive institutions − has become the buzziest watering hole for lobbyists, politicians and White House staffers to foster just those ties, according to insiders. The Globe and Mail is not identifying the sources because they were not authorized to discuss matters of the club.
Personal connections have always mattered in the lobbying world. But as global interests have sought to influence policy set by U.S. President Donald Trump, connections at the executive level now count more than ever, industry sources told The Globe.
There has been lots to lobby over since last year, when Mr. Trump imposed tariffs on most countries. In the first two quarters of 2026, a record 17,000 clients spent a total of US$2.6-billion lobbying the U.S. federal government, according to data from Open Secrets, a non-profit tracking public disclosures.
“When Trump starts throwing around the ‘tariff’ word, we start getting phone calls,” said Hunter Morgen, a trade lobbyist and partner at Ballard Partners, currently D.C.’s highest-earning lobbying firm.
Of the 10 per cent of lobbying disclosures related to trade, at least 400 refer to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, and more name Canada directly. Ballard, known for its close ties with the White House, has received “a lot of outreach” from Canadian firms, Mr. Morgen said.
When it comes to trade-related lobbying in particular, “it’s more of an art than a science,” which involves leveraging connections across the White House and the offices of the U.S. Trade Representative, the Department of Commerce and the Treasury, he said. “You have to massage a couple different levers.”
Historically, several sources told The Globe, lobbyists would spread their efforts around Congress, through branches implementing regulations, and with the executive branch. But with Congress in a gridlock and Mr. Trump issuing major decisions through executive orders, the key to influence has become access to those inside the President’s inner circle of power brokers.
Ballard Partners has benefited from longstanding ties between the President and the firm’s founder, Brian Ballard, a major Republican fundraiser, whose connection dates to the pair’s time working together in Florida before Mr. Trump was first elected president.
“The traditional D.C. insider lobbyist class didn’t really have any connections to Trump or his orbit. Brian did,” Mr. Morgen said. “He came up here right after and started Ballard D.C., and the rest is history.”
Mr. Morgen himself served as a special assistant to the President during his first term, among a series of senior government roles. Former attorney-general Pam Bondi and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles count among Ballard’s alumni, though Mr. Morgen describes the firm as bipartisan. Ballard made record profits last year and has reported income of more than US$60.4-million so far in 2026.
Other major firms have cashed in on the trade chaos, too. Among the top firms lobbying on that topic is Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, with US$35-million in overall earnings this year. Its employees include Kelly Ann Shaw, a former trade adviser to Mr. Trump, who joined the firm last May.
Invariant LLC is another heavy hitter, with US$24-million in earnings so far in 2026. It was founded by lawyer Heather Podesta, who previously supported and advised the Democratic Party, though the now bipartisan firm has recently been adding to its base of employees with Republican ties. Its offices are located just a few doors away from Ned’s Club.
And Checkmate Government Relations has built a reputation around lobbying on tariff issues. Its managing partner, Ches McDowell, has described having a close friendship with one of the President’s sons, Donald Trump Jr.
Who are the firms lobbying trade issues on behalf of Canadian-based companies and associations this year? On the list are several of D.C.’s highest-earning firms, including Akin Gump (hired by the Canadian Steel Producers Association), BGR Group (Canadian National Railway) and Mehlman Consulting (Canadian Pacific Kansas City).
Over the past six months, a group of notable Canadian organizations – the Canadian Steel Producers Association, the Business Council of Canada, Canadian National Railway, Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd., Hydro-Québec, Canadian Solar, Apotex Inc., Magna International Inc. and Nutrien Inc. – collectively spent US$3.6-million to lobby government, according to data from Open Secrets.
The true spending levels could be higher, said Mark Faber, an adjunct lecturer in public policy at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. U.S. lobbyists are only required to register and report lobbying activities when they make up more than 20 per cent of their time.
“If you don’t want to disclose, you just spend 19.9 per cent of your time doing direct lobbying,” he said.
While Canadian companies often hire D.C.-based firms, about 90 per cent of U.S. federal government lobbying is actually done in-house, Mr. Faber said. It’s a proportion he attributes in part to a perception by industry that company representatives are accounted more credibility by government. But that’s not always true, as for-hire firms often employ former senior government officials who “know how the sausage gets made” and have the contacts to be able to “open doors,” he said.
The flow of cash to the lobbying sector has also been heavily criticized − especially as firms have taken on contentious clients, such as companies with histories of human-rights violations or individuals who broke the law, including many who participated in the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol.
That profit is accruing to the detriment of everyday Americans, argues Advancing American Freedom, a conservative advocacy organization founded by former vice-president Mike Pence.
“While big businesses have the resources to pay K Street to lobby for tariff carve-outs, families and small businesses are left to pay the full tariff tax, distorting the free-enterprise system that makes America great,” the AAF said in a July lobbying report.
On 15th Street NW, the sun had started to set over Ned’s Club, casting its Art Deco mosaics and classical detailing into shadow. It was a busy night, and three men stood apart outside the door, all murmuring into cellphones.
It’s an expensive way to spend a night: There’s a $5,000 initiation fee for aspiring members and an additional $5,000 in annual dues.
But for the potential connections inside, insiders told The Globe, the cost is worth it.
This article was first reported by The Globe and Mail
