Apple Hires Top NFL Lobbyist Cynthia Hogan to Head Washington Office

[MacRumors]

Apple has hired Cynthia Hogan, a top lobbyist for the National Football League, as vice president for public policy and government affairs for the Americas, reports Politico. She will head the company's Washington D.C. office starting April 29 and report to Apple's environmental, policy, and social initiatives chief Lisa Jackson.

"Cynthia's intellect and judgment have consistently distinguished her as a uniquely talented professional and we're lucky to have her join the team at Apple," Jackson said in a statement.

Hogan, who previously served as Counsel to the Vice President of the United States, Joe Biden, under President Barack Obama, is a key hire for Apple as it battles the U.S. government and law enforcement about the intersection of encryption and national security.

That ongoing debate reached a peak this year when the U.S. Justice Department demanded a court force Apple to assist the FBI with unlocking an iPhone used by San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook in an act of terrorism last year. The Justice Department ultimately dropped the case in late March after the FBI discovered its own method of entry into the password-protected device, but Apple still faces similar lawsuits concerning encryption in other U.S. states, including New York and Massachusetts.

Apple spent a record $4.4 million last year to lobby privacy, cybersecurity, patent reform and other issues, according to the report.

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Article Link: Apple Hires Top NFL Lobbyist Cynthia Hogan to Head Washington Office

 

[haxrnick]

Cool.

 

[yaxomoxay]

Apple spent a record $4.4 million last year to lobby privacy, cybersecurity, patent reform and other issues, according to the report.

$4.4M ain't enough to lobby even stuff that is 100% common sense.

 

[Danoc]

She will have hard time with Donald Trump if he is elected, because the Donald cannot be bought!

 

[macs4nw]

She's seems to have the needed qualifications, and then some, so that's all that matters.
Interesting hire nonetheless.

 

[FieldingMellish]

Why not an African American?

 

[rdowns]

She will have hard time with Donald Trump if he is elected, because the Donald cannot be bought!

Yeah, they guy who basically stole 9/11 small business funds can't be bought.

 

[Bubba Satori]

Why not an African American?

Why not a Vietnamese?

 

[jimbobb24]

Apple is way underspending on lobbying. In the current environment with all the money going through DC that number should be closer to 1 billion. The pain you can avoid and the money you can win dwarves the cost of playing the game Obama has pushed to the extreme. Only fools don't lobby like crazy.

 

[thermodynamic]

$4.4M ain't enough to lobby even stuff that is 100% common sense.

Lobbying tends to involve special privileges, otherwise they wouldn't do it. There's more going on...

Plus, it's the NFL. "Nonprofit" my donkey, I doubt she worked tirelessly to stand up for the truth and to rescind that b.s. status and re-register as for-profit because that's far in tune with common sense...
[doublepost=1460659210][/doublepost]

Apple is way underspending on lobbying. In the current environment with all the money going through DC that number should be closer to 1 billion. The pain you can avoid and the money you can win dwarves the cost of playing the game Obama has pushed to the extreme. Only fools don't lobby like crazy.

The "free market" keeps telling us government involvement is bad, so many companies can get out of government too? Or do companies want it both ways, which seems to be what's going on. It's been wanting to offshore every last job for years before starting its croc tear gripes, so why would it resort to those gripes now? Seems more like a song and dance pony and bread and circus show for the rubes.
[doublepost=1460659281][/doublepost]

Why not a Vietnamese?

Because that would offend Vietnam vets, who fought against communism, right? Or are they pigeonholed to do textiles the same way China is pigeonholed for basic manufacturing (even of counterfeit items our military buys, source: CSPAN), or India for IT because no Swede nor Spaniard knows how to do it right or for less...

 

[yaxomoxay]

Plus, it's the NFL. "Nonprofit" my donkey, I doubt she worked tirelessly to stand up for the truth and to rescind that b.s. status and re-register as for-profit because that's far in tune with common sense...

They did in 2015, and only the HQ offices, which is a minor part of the multi$B business, was "non-profit"

 

[Mums]

What the hell is happening to Apple? It's like popculturization or something. What disgusting mediocrity all around. Not Apple any more.
[doublepost=1460660475][/doublepost]

Why not an African American?

Why not a White male?

 

[69Mustang]

Why not an African American?

Because the got a woman. I mean, how many quotas do you want them to fill? It's bad enough her husband has to eat take out cuz she ain't in the kitchen. Sheesh.

Why not a Vietnamese?

Why not hit a grand slam? A mixed race Vietnamese - African American transsexual quadriplegic.

/Mellish reads quote

/head explodes

 

[Analog Kid]

She will have hard time with Donald Trump if he is elected, because the Donald cannot be bought!

Oh, I don't know. It looks like they could find common ground over how hard it is to get small hands around a regulation football...