Bottom Line: Planet Fitness lobbies up amid culture war controversy

Taylor Giorno
·2 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Health

Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck registered to lobby for Planet Fitness on policies and regulations related to health and wellness, data privacy, contracts, fees and subscriptions. One of the lobbyists on the account is Andrew ​Usyk, who previously worked on Capitol Hill as a staffer to Sens. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.).

Over the past two months, the ubiquitous gym giant has navigated backlash, boycotts and bomb threats since it canceled the membership of a woman who took a photo of another member and complained about a “man in women’s locker room shaving.” Planet Fitness doubled down on its nondiscrimination policy, which allows members to use facilities, including locker rooms, that align with their gender identity, and said it canceled the woman’s membership because she violated their policy against taking photos of other patrons in the locker room.

Banking

The ​Bank Policy Institute, the trade association representing the country’s biggest banks, hired Forbes Tate to lobby on issues related to the banking industry. The lobbyist on the account is Ed Hill, who was senior vice president and head of government affairs for the Bank Policy Institute before he joined the firm.

PNC hired Harbinger Strategies to lobby on issues impacting the financial services industry. One of the lobbyists on the account is John Leganski, who joined the firm in January after more than a decade on Capitol Hill, most recently as deputy chief of staff to former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).

Education

​Northeastern University hired Holland & Knight to lobby on regulations impacting higher education. Lauren ​Maddox, former assistant secretary for communications and outreach at the Education Department, will work on the account.

Sports

The United States Soccer Federation hired Accelerate Strategies to lobby on issues related to SafeSport Reform, the World Cup and U.S. soccer. One of the lobbyists on the account is Meleana “Mana” Shim, a former National Women’s Soccer League player who now leads the U.S. Soccer Federation’s safety task force.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.