His French Laundry birthday party with Newsom became infamous. Then his lobbying firm’s revenue boomed

An uncomfortable spotlight shone on lobbyist Jason Kinney last year after he hosted an infamous birthday dinner at Napa Valley’s French Laundry restaurant attended by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The event violated California’s social distancing rules at the time and unleashed a political storm for Newsom. But the notoriety may have boosted Kinney’s fortunes in an industry where personal connections are the primary currency.

Billings by lobbying firm Axiom Advisors, where Kinney is a partner, rose by more than 25% last quarter, according to official reports filed with the state. The Sacramento-based consultancy logged revenues of $2,008,046 between January and March, a rise of $406,916 from the fourth quarter of 2020 and its second-best reporting period since the firm was formed two and a half years ago.

Among more than 60 clients on the company’s roster during those three months, nine had newly hired Axiom Advisors to lobby on their behalf, including a little-known Massachusetts-based technology company, the French cosmetics juggernaut L’Oreal and the National Football League. Axiom noted that it had previously worked with nearly half of those in other capacities.

Though the French Laundry scandal hurt Newsom politically and helped spur the recall drive currently under way against him, it was good advertising for Kinney and, by extension, Axiom Advisors, said Jessica Levinson, a professor at Loyola Law School and former president of the Los Angeles Ethics Commission. The influence industry is all about who you know, and the dinner showed off their close relationship.

“In a way it’s like a celebrity endorsement,” Levinson said. “It’s benefit by association, as opposed to guilt by association.” Read more >>>