Raskin’s Judiciary Committee moves: Rep. Jamie Raskin (Md.), the ranking Democrat, is making key minority staff changes on the House Judiciary Committee.
Julie Tagen, Raskin’s highly respected personal office chief of staff and the minority staff director at the Judiciary panel, is retiring. Tagen worked on John Kerry’s presidential campaign and then at the DNC, as well as serving as former Rep. Alan Grayson’s (D-Fla.) top aide. Tagen has been Raskin’s chief of staff since he first came to Congress in 2017. Tagen also served as the Democratic staff director on the Oversight Committee under Raskin.
“Julie Tagen, my trusted chief and staff director, has decided to retire in September after two decades of stellar public service on Capitol Hill,” Raskin said in a note announcing her departure, noting Tagen had been with him through Covid-19, Jan. 6, impeachment and more.
Arthur Ewenczyk, currently minority general counsel on Judiciary, will succeed Tagen as minority staff director. Ewenczyk served as a Democratic counsel on the Oversight Committee under Raskin and former Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.). Ewenczyk did a long stint in the Justice Department before coming to Capitol Hill.
Lauren Doney will become deputy staff director, while handling member engagement and services. Doney is a longtime Raskin aide, in addition to also being a former Grayson staffer.
Downtown Download. Nvidia, the chip giant, has hired Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck to lobby on AI and “[i]ssues related to international trade in the semiconductor industry.”
The Campaign. Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears is airing a TV ad knocking Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) and touting her own ties to GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who she hopes to succeed.
The 30-second spot features two pictures of Earle-Sears and Youngkin while linking Spanberger to former President Joe Biden and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Sears is spending roughly $200,000 on the buy, per AdImpact. The election to replace Youngkin, who can’t run for a consecutive term, is Nov. 4.