CGCN Group

CGCN Group originated from the lobbying firm created by Steve Clark in 2000. Sam Geduldig and Gary Lytle joined Clark in 2007, and the firm became known as Clark Lytle & Geduldig. The firm worked with financial services companies during the financial reform debate from 2009 to 2010, involving laws like the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. At the time, CGCN had more financial services clients in Washington, D.C., than other firms during the Troubled Asset Relief Program. In the wake of Republicans taking control of Congress in 2010, CGCN saw strong growth in its business While closely tied to GOP leadership—its partners have worked with former House Speaker John Boehner and others—CGCN was among the first lobbying firms to court the conservative Freedom Caucus. The firm was known as Clark Lytle Geduldig & Cranford and Clark Geduldig Cranford & Nielsen between 2011 and 2015, when the firm renamed itself CGCN Group. CGCN was named a top lobbying firm by Bloomberg Government in 2015. A report by Bloomberg Government gave CGCN the highest mark for firms retaining clients over the long term. According to Bloomberg, CGCN retains 83 percent of its clients for at least three years, a higher percentage than other firms. The next year, CGCN signed Japan as its second foreign client. In 2017, CGCN lobbied for: SAP America on data security, privacy, cybersecurity, health IT, cloud computing and privacy shield implementation; Puerto Rico Department of Treasury; American Investment Council, a private equity trade group; power company NextEra Energy on energy policy and tax credits; The firm's other clients include 21st Century Fox, TC Energy, MasterCard, and NewsCorp. In the few years leading up to 2017, CGCN Group quadrupled in size. Like other lobbying firms, CGCN Group posted a strong first year under the Trump administration. According to the Roll Call, CGCN is closely related to UBI (United by Interest), a bipartisan K Street (Washington, D.C.) group lobbying business interests on Capitol Hill. ==Partners==

As of February 2026, CGCN Group has 19 partners. Initial partners Partner Steve Clark began the firm in 2000 in Ohio. Sam Geduldig joined in 2007, after previously working as senior advisor to U.S. Representative Roy Blunt and John Boehner's political director from 1997 to 2000. In 2011, Geduldig was named one of Washingtonian 40 Under 40, and he ranked No. 3 on K Street's top 10 lobbyists giving to the GOP in 2016. Jay Cranford joined Clark Lytle & Geduldig in 2011. Mike Nielsen joined CGCN in 2013. Nielsen worked on the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and the Dodd-Frank financial overhaul. Michael Catanzaro was a partner from 2015 until 2017, when Trump selected him as an energy advisor for the president's National Economic Council. Catanzaro also worked on Trump's transition team following the 2016 election. Catanzaro left the Trump administration in April 2018 to rejoin CGCN Group. Matt Rhoades joined the firm in 2019. Matt Rhoades was previously campaign manager for Mitt Romney's 2012 presidential run. Scott Riplinger (former legislative director for Mike Crapo) joined CGCN in 2020. In 2021, as part of a merger with DC-based PR firm Matador, the firm added communications strategist Tracey Schmitt, former RNC Press Secretary and spokeswoman for the Bush re-elect campaign, as a Senior Partner. Merrill Smith, a former Bush Administration official, also joined from Matador. Since 2020, the firm has nearly quadrupled in size, and grown to include 19 partners, with additions including Tim Pataki, Ja'Ron Smith, Tim Killeen, Amber Kirschoeffer, C. Travis Cone, Jill Hamaker, Alex Renjel, Peter Ventimiglia, and Dave Weinman. The firm routinely organizes events with US Cabinet members, including Vice President JD Vance, as well as conservative media outlets such as Breitbart News. In 2025, the firm hired Harrison Fields, who was Principal Deputy Press Secretary in the second Trump administration. == References ==