A nightmare on K Street

With weeks to go before the November election, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is set to attend a fundraising event with a group of high-profile Democratic lobbyists associated with a Trump-allied firm, including one longtime consultant who has developed a well-earned reputation as Fox News’s favorite dispirited Democrat.

Michael LaRosa, a former spokesman for First Lady Jill Biden, is among a group of Ballard Partners officials who will host the private event meant to raise cash for the Jeffries Majority Fund, according to a copy of the invitation obtained by The Bulwark.

The event will take place next week, with hosts asked to contribute $8,500 and political action committees asked to give $10,000. Guests can secure a place at the lunch event with a $1,000 contribution.

Jeffries’s decision to collaborate with LaRosa on the fundraiser is bound to rankle Democrats, considering the latter’s frequent criticisms of party members and praise for the Trump administration. In fact, we’ve been told that the event has been a topic of much discussion on several text chains of other Democratic operatives.

LaRosa frequently applauds the president’s foreign policy efforts. He’s gone out of his way to compliment Vice President JD Vance and attack New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, even signing a petition encouraging the latter to skip the recent 9/11 memorial ceremony.

LaRosa has criticized Democrats for embracing DEI policies, insisted they’d gone “silent” on Iranian protests, and argued that the party’s rhetoric is “out of control.”

“My party has been out of control with the hyperbole, the aggressive rhetoric, the Nazis, the fascists, the autocrats, all this stuff,” he declared in 2025. He has doggedly gone after far-left figures, including Hasan Piker and Graham Platner—positions that others in the party adopted as those figures became more scandalous. But he has angered Democrats by criticizing Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, whom he slammed for his ties to “big tech, healthcare, and A.I.” (and for “summering in Egypt”—not sure what he’s getting at with that one). He has encouraged voters to back the Republican in the race, Mike Rogers, in part, he explained, because he could “smell [the aftermath of 9/11] from where I was from in Pennsylvania.”

LaRosa declined to comment. A spokesperson for Jeffries did not respond to a request for comment.

Through it all, LaRosa has regularly praised Jeffries for trying to find a more moderate lane for the party. He was especially pleased that Jeffries met with Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. “I love the pragmatism. I love the leadership. And I love Jeffries’ willingness to work with anyone to get things done,” he wrote on X.

But the minority leader’s decision to collaborate on the fundraiser could raise questions about the sources of funding he’s willing to tap in order to win back control of the House. Though the event is not sponsored by Ballard Partners, several of the hosts are top officials there, with clients who have clear interests before Congress.

Ballard’s client roster has gotten packed during the second Trump administration. Among those hoping to leverage the firm’s favor in Trump World are panicked corporations, foreign governments, media companies, and law firms that caved to pressure from Trump to provide pro bono services in exchange for lenience.

With Ballard, LaRosa personally has lobbied for companies like TikTok, UnitedHealthcare, and Comcast. Ballard’s foreign clients include Saudi Arabia, Japan, and the Libyan National Army.

Another Ballard official on the host committee is Ana Cruz, who has lobbied for big tobacco. Other hosts from Ballard include Tracie Pough and Joe Buscaino, who’ve lobbied for health care providers and real estate developers, and Eugene O’Flaherty, who represents defense contractors and Sublime Systems, which develops concrete used in data center development.