Bonum Certa Men Certa

Lists of Microsoft- and Gates-Hired Lobbyists in the United States of America

Summary: Getting down to pertinent details and names of Microsoft lobbyists (including those working for the Gates family)

MICROSOFT'S MASSIVE lobbying framework is a subject that was explored here before. It is important to realise that Microsoft need not lobby directly and many lobbyists are not registered, therefore the estimates are too modest.



The study of this matter is particular relevant these days because Microsoft spends endless amounts of money and effort trying to defeat competition like Google using lobbyists. At the same time, based on last week's news, Microsoft's patent troll Nathan Myhrvold is funding lobbyists who in turn fight for software patents.

An article in CongressDaily's AM Edition on Friday notes that Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., is an opponent of legislation intended to rework how patents are granted and litigated in the United States. Rohrabacher said at a House Science Committee hearing that the measures currently moving through the House and Senate have been driven by major high-tech firms that are "trying to destroy the patent system." The story points out that Rohrabacher's top 2008 campaign donor was Intellectual Ventures, a firm founded by Nathan Myhrvold, a former Microsoft executive who has been highly critical of changing the patent system. He also accepted money from manufacturers -- another sector that has panned portions of the legislation.


Bill Gates too is gradually becoming a patent troll. But to what extent are Bill and his father (Bill) also politicians? Let's find out.

Here is a glimpse at some numbers and also an overview:

Microsoft Corp is the world’s top computer software company. It is also one of the biggest campaign contributors in Washington—an astounding fact when you consider that Microsoft is a relatively new player on the political scene. Prior to 1998, the company and its employees gave virtually nothing in terms of political contributions. But when the Justice Department launched an antitrust investigation into the company’s marketing of its popular Windows software, things changed. The company opened a Washington lobbying office, founded a political action committee and soon became one of the most generous political givers in the country. The move eventually galvanized an entire industry, as computer and Internet companies quickly moved to emulate Microsoft’s political savvy.


"The list [...] gives the overall figures on how much Microsoft has given to political parties in the USA since the DOJ trial. The most of any company... 3.22 million in 2008," writes Chips, who also links to this invaluable list. According to the list, here are some of the more recent lobbyists for the firm of Bill Gates Sr.

3) Jack Abramoff Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

33) Thomas Allison Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

76) Gretchen Asmuth Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

81) Larry Ayres Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

111) Kelli Barron Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

146) Amy Berger Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

179) Jonathan Blank Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

213) Todd Boulanger Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

238) Werner Brandt Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

318) Amy Carlson Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

374) Chris Coakley Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

405) Elizabeth Connell Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

407) Darrell Conner Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

422) Stephen Cooper Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

462) William Davenport Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

472) Robert Davis Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

590) Michael Evans Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

663) Dick Ford Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

707) David Funderburk Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

723) Pamela Garvie Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

729) Susan Geiger Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

782) Slade Gorton Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

890) Bruce Heiman Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

895) Lisa Helpert Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1007) Glenn Ivey Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1025) William Jarrell Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1105) Will Keyser Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1133) Stacy Knowlton Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1184) Lawrence Latourette Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1237) Ellen Livingston Behan Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1250) John Longstreth Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1320) Tricia Markwood Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1325) Rolf Marshall Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1369) Gregory McCarthy Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1404) Lloyd Meeds Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1425) Benjamin Milder Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1433) Eugene Miller Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1479) Roger Morse Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1483) Sol Mosher Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1497) William Myhre Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1536) Ralph Nurnberger Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1560) Cindy Omalley Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1562) Michael Oneil Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1593) Connie Partoyan Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1608) Tim Peckinpaugh Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1640) Heather Pichelman Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1653) Patrick Pizzella Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1762) Yvette Robitaille Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1794) Emanuel Rouvelas Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1807) Mark Ruge Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1843) Michael Scanlon Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1882) Chad See Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1919) William Shook Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1952) Alan Slomowitz Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1972) Shirley Smits Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1978) Michael Soussan Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

2013) Dennis Stephens Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

2014) Martin Stern Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

2015) Michael Stern Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

2018) Paul Stimers Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

2087) W Thomas Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

2143) Steven Valentine Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

2154) Shawn Vasell Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

2183) G Walker Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP



Wow. That's a lot of people.

This firm is doing a lot of work for Microsoft, but maybe not anymore (not in the future).

How about those working directly for Microsoft? Well, here is what we have in this one particular list:



145) Marc Berejka Microsoft Corp.

220) Paula Boyd Microsoft Corp.

236) Betsy Brady Microsoft Corp.

278) Marland Buckner Microsoft Corp.

730) Matt Gelman Microsoft Corp.

811) Bill Guidera Microsoft Corp.

958) James Houton Microsoft Corp.

999) Ed Ingle Microsoft Corp.

1089) John Kelly Microsoft Corp.

1154) Jack Krumoltz Microsoft Corp.

1313) Susan Mann Microsoft Corp.

1569) Lori Otto Microsoft Corp.

1595) Pamela Passman Microsoft Corp.

1768) Tom Roesser Microsoft Corp.

1800) Ira Rubinstein Microsoft Corp.

1827) Bill Sample Microsoft Corp.

1828) John Sampson Microsoft Corp.

2098) Fred Tipson Microsoft Corp.

2106) Frank Torres Microsoft Corp.



So now we have a decent list of Microsoft lobbyists or lobbyists related to Bill Gates Sr. and his firm which worked for Microsoft. This list is partial and incomplete, but at least it's something. What might also be useful are examples of activities and links to prior posts about them. In the site Wiki we shall start creating profiles for their various activities (hopefully some time in the future).

Here is another informative page that Chips shared with us:

Top Contributor to Member - 133 match(es) found (Show all matches):

2010 Cycle

* Microsoft Corp (Recipient: Judd Gregg (R)) * Microsoft Corp (Recipient: Olympia J Snowe (R)) * Microsoft Corp (Recipient: Edward M Kennedy (D)) * Microsoft Corp (Recipient: Charles B Rangel (D)) * Microsoft Corp (Recipient: Jay Inslee (D))

Top Contributor to Candidate - 36 match(es) found (Show all matches):

2010 Cycle

* Microsoft Corp (Recipient: Hillary Clinton (D)) * Microsoft Corp (Recipient: Suzan DelBene (D))

2008 Cycle

* Microsoft Corp (Recipient: Larry Wayne Ishmael (R)) * Microsoft Corp (Recipient: Al Franken (D)) * Microsoft Corp (Recipient: William James Breazeale (R))

Top Contributor to Party Committee - 2 match(es) found:

2010 Cycle

* Microsoft Corp (Recipient: Democratic National Cmte) * Microsoft Corp (Recipient: Republican Party Committees)


Among all these lists we also have a list of money given by Microsoft to congress members, by name. "Bill truly owns the USA," Chips wrote. Looking at particular people one by one would easily prove fruitful. Take Todd Boulanger for example. "A little googling on those names will most likely return a heap of dirt," Chips asserts.

There is a lot of embarrassing stuff one can find about them using the Internet. Here is one example of a scandal:

Gregg: Ex-staffer caught up in corruption probe



[...]

Staffer F was cited in a guilty plea last week by Todd Boulanger, a former deputy to Abramoff. In federal court, Boulanger admitted he plied the staffer with front-row tickets to a hockey game, meals and drinks and other tickets to a baseball game, and in exchange received favors in spending legislation.


Need anything more be said about Abramoff and the Gates family? The main difference is that he is in prison whereas they are not.

“Did you know that there are more than 34,750 registered lobbyists in Washington, D.C., for just 435 representatives and 100 senators? That's 64 lobbyists for each congressperson.”

--CIO.com

Recent Techrights' Posts

Who Asked Software in the Public Interest (SPI) for a Refund? ($100,000, Resulting in Losses of $267,201 in 12 Months, Highest-Ever Losses)
The IRS does not reveal who or what's tied to this refund (or the cause/reason)
"Cloud Computing" Was Always a Joke, But This Week Was the Punchline
Maybe stop following tech trends and fashions
 
Slopwatch: Google News is Promoting Fake 'Articles' About Fake Xubuntu, Fake Articles About Replacing Windows With GNU/Linux
The quality of the Web deteriorates and unless someone cleans up the mess, real sites will lose an incentive to produce anything
When "AI Layoffs" Mean Layoffs Due to the "AI" Bubble Popping
many people that are laid off by Microsoft claim to be specialists in "AI"
Mysterious grant forfeited, $100,000 from Software in the Public Interest accounts 2023
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Evidence: bullying, student union behaviour: Armijn Hemel's FSFE resignation
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Evidence: psychological abuse, stalking, Galia Mancheva, Susanne Eiswirt ignored by FSFE judgment for Matthias Kirschner
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Helping FSFE scam victims and conference organisers
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Nigerian fraud in FSFE constitution
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Worrying and Amusing Stories of "Clown Computing" Gone Awry
Many of these disasters could be avoided
Some Large German Media Covers Richard Stallman's Talks in Germany Earlier This Week
LLM-based chatbots are just "bullshit generators" (as he has long called them)
Links 22/10/2025: Amazon Plans to Replace Workers With Robotics, AWS and Clown Computing in General Ridiculed
Links for the day
Gemini Links 22/10/2025: Niri Completely Changes Multitasking and Overview of Diff-ers
Links for the day
Links 22/10/2025: Study on Misinformation by Slop and Heavily Debt-Sabbled Microsoft OpenAI (ClosedSlop) Uses "Browser" as Gimmick/Distraction
Links for the day
They've Already Spent Close to a Million Dollars on Lawyers and Sent Us About 50 KG of Legal Papers (Sponsored by Mysterious Third Party) to Try to Censor Techrights, Without Success
They try to overcompensate with sheer volume for a lack of solid, clear arguments (we are the victims here)
Trouble in Red Hat/IBM and a Retreat to Ponzi Economics in Search of Wall Street Market Heist
Would you invest your life savings in this kind of crap?
12 Months Ago the 'Hulk Hogan of UEFI' Officially Went 'Tag-Team'
We're actually sort of flattered or proud that such despicable people are so desperate to censor us
"Cloud Computing" Does Not Mean Safety
Fault tolerance is related to the notion of software freedom
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, October 21, 2025
IRC logs for Tuesday, October 21, 2025
The Fall of Windows: From Something to Nothing
Of course Microsoft will pretend everything is fine and "just trust the hey hi" (AI)
Sounds Like Fedora is Ready to Become Less of a Slave of Microsoft (GitHub)
This seems like a belated move in a positive direction
XBox is a Dead Microsoft Product in a Dying Industry
It's probable that another wave of XBox layoffs is just over the horizon (maybe even before month's end)
Progress on Techrights Site Search
Fun times
IBM's Bluewashing of Red Hat Means the Layoffs Are Silent, Barely Reported
Don't wait to hear about "Red Hat layoffs"
Gemini Links 21/10/2025: Happy Disconnection, AWS Falling Apart, Closing of Gemlog Blue
Links for the day
Full Audio of Today's Richard Stallman Talk in the Technical University of Munich
Free/Libre software and freedom in the digital society
Microsoft XBox is Just Vapourware (Promises of Hardware That Doesn't Exist), Real Products Perish
just as developers lose interest in developing for XBox Microsoft is increasing the costs imposed upon them
Slopwatch: Fake Articles (Slop) in "Linux" Clothing in Google News (Noise)
all about what Google does
Links 21/10/2025: Even "Inventor of Vibe Coding" Rejects Vibe Coding, USPTO Experiments With Slop in Examination
Links for the day
Richard Stallman Talk Now Available for Viewing (Archived Copy, Not Live-streamed)
This recording is over 2 hours old
Links 21/10/2025: AWS-Induced Chaos and Social Control Media Curbs
Links for the day
Gemini Links 21/10/2025: Programming, StarGrid, Brand-New Palm OS Strategy Game in 2025, and Chatbot as Addiction Mechanisms
Links for the day
The African Lion and the American Cowards
Safaris exist for people to watch and enjoy animals
Amazon Web Shenanigans Perfectly Timed for Today's Talk by Richard Stallman
Maybe listen to him instead of looking for excuses to ridicule the messenger
Mission:Libre Has Taken Off (Project by Carmen Maris)
there will be a lot more to report on next month (after the event)
Techrights to Publish More EPO Leaks Next Week
We're meanwhile also doing lots of work on search, whose interface now looks better
Links 21/10/2025: 'The Lost Art' of Neon Signs and Twitter (X) to Enable Identity Theft (or Handle Theft) as a Service
Links for the day
Plagiarism With LLM Slop: Hindustan Times (HT Digital Streams Limited) Has Become a Slop Factory/Hub
What a disgrace
A radical proposal to keep your personal data safe, by Richard Stallman
"The surveillance imposed on us today is worse than in the Soviet Union. We need laws to stop this data being collected in the first place"
Next Week We Launch Search at Techrights
We're planning to launch it some time next week. Maybe Tuesday, maybe Thursday.
Talk by Richard Stallman Will be Live-streamed in Less Than 10 Hours
Happy hacking
"No Kings" in the Software World (GAFAM Should Not Exist, Either)
"No Kings" is a good slogan. Let's start by ridding ourselves of masters, not only those who reside in DC or visit DC
Every Morning
Bugs/edge cases combined with automation can spell disaster
Insane, Deliberately Dishonest, or Just Another Bigot?
very intellectually-dishonest human being
A Lot of Techrights is Built on Perl
Perl also runs the sister site
The Register MS Selling Slop for Microsoft (Vapourware, Ponzi Scheme, False Claims)
What will be left of The Register MS if it keeps repeating falsehoods and looking to profit from Ponzi schemes?
analytics.usa.gov Says Less Than 14% of Web Requests (to Government Sites) Come From Vista 11
Vista 11 was released more than 4 years ago!
People Who Attempt to Take Down Correct Information Need a Doctor a Day
“Journalism is printing something that someone does not want printed. Everything else is public relations.” ― George Orwell
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, October 20, 2025
IRC logs for Monday, October 20, 2025
Vista 11 is Sinking While Microsoft is PIPing (Mass Layoffs But Silent Layoffs)
We're witnessing a shift in platform dominance
Richard Stallman is Having a Good Week Already (Stallman Was Right About 'Clown Computing')
That alone is worth bringing up in his talk
An Update About Soylent News, With Jan Rinok "Back in the Saddle"
Burnout or "near burnout" a possibility when having to curate abuse
When Prominent GNU/Linux Distros Are Run by Spies
What has Microsoft Canonical become?
More Publishers and Companies Nowadays Say "GNU/Linux", Not "Linux"
It's not to see InstallAware saying GNU/Linux this week
Google News is Now Promoting a Parasitic Slopfarm Called "findarticles.com", Where Plagiarism of "Linux" Articles is Rampant
Does Google even care about the slop epidemic? Google itself is a vendor of slop now (and it calls it "Gemini")
Gemini Links 20/10/2025: Pumpkin Carving, "Hey Hi", and Other Buzzwords
Links for the day
Slopwatch: Google News Promoting Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt (FUD)
What is the value of Google News if so many results in it are fake 'articles?
Rejecting 'Snoop-Phones' and Turning "Old" Phones (or Tablets) Into Freedom-Respecting Appliances
Paul Fernhout (pdfernhout.net) wrote back to Akira Urushibatathis this past weekend
Our Uptime This Year Was Better Than AWS (Also a Lot Cheaper)
We never used "the cloud"
Amazon Web Shenanigans
An ongoing, experimental endeavour
Death of Elias Diem: FSFE mailing list archives hidden
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Links 20/10/2025: Louvre Museum Reveals Weakness, About 7 Million Protest US Turning Into Oligarchy/Monarchy
Links for the day
They Should Have Listened to Techrights Over a Month Earlier (Xubuntu Site Compromised)
we reported this issue about 40 days earlier and nobody did anything about it
Richard Stallman to Give Another Talk Today in Bavaria (Bavarian Academy of Science)
Tomorrow at 6 PM he speaks in Munich
Apple is the Company of Dictators and Worse
Apple is just another greedy corporation in search of sweatshops and even pedophiles (especially the high-profile ones)
Counting Unhatched Eggs Is Not Counting Chickens
Everything here will persist as normal
Barry Kauler Explains That Puppy Linux and EasyOS Exclude Systemd to Keep Things Simple
Barry Kauler's Puppy Linux is in the community's hands. He now focuses on EasyOS and more.
The "Infinite Bread"
The biblical story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 has software parallels
Half a Year After Brian Fagioli Got Kicked Out of BetaNews for Slop He's Still Doing LLM Slop and Slop Images Targeting 'Linux' (Plagiarising Original Works)
If the Web gets polluted or flooded by slopfarms such as these, and Slashdot then sends traffic so these slopfarms (Slashdot probably doesn't do this intentionally), then real writers with real knowledge of GNU/Linux will lose the spark for publishing
In Many Cases and in Many Different Ways, Technology Became Less Durable and Less Reliable Over Time
The "modern" things are more complex. And complexity is a foe or reliability and repair-ability.
Microsoft's LinkedIn is Losing Money, Traffic, and Hope; Now It Wants to Sell Its Users' Lifeblood (and Data)
Let this be a reminder of what social control media really is about
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Sunday, October 19, 2025
IRC logs for Sunday, October 19, 2025
Campaign of FUD Against Framework Laptops and GNU/Linux (Using Microsoft's Attack on Linux, 'Secure Boot')
Ritual Defamation Cult has turned its attention over to Framework
Microsoft Lunduke: Freedom of Speech Means Spreading What I Have to Say and Banning People I Disagree With
4Chan is one he aims for and he is siccing 4Chan trolls at people he doesn't like
Liberation From 'The Feed'
They rank things based on the editor's choice/ideology (he or she knows the sponsors, hence the masters)
Microsoft's Killing of Vista 10 Seems to Have Resulted in More Articles About GNU/Linux (But Also FUD)
We not only saw a rise in traffic, we also saw a remarkable rise in the number of articles