Big Business Hires K Street Defenses for 2026 Democratic Oversight Push
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · Oct 29
Big Business Hires K Street Defenses for 2026 Democratic Oversight Push
3 articles · Updated · POLITICO · Oct 29
Summary
Companies across crypto, prediction markets and Silicon Valley are rushing to hire lobbyists, lawyers and crisis-communications advisers ahead of the 2026 midterms, preparing for a possible Democratic takeover of either chamber.
K Street firms have expanded oversight-focused teams in recent months as clients review White House communications, rehearse for hearings and seek congressional-investigations specialists to limit legal and reputational fallout.
Democrats are expected to target corporate America because companies and executives can be subpoenaed more easily than the administration, especially firms seen as aligned with Donald Trump or tied to his businesses.
Crypto looks especially exposed after benefiting from a deregulatory wave under Trump; lawmakers are expected to scrutinize dropped cases, abandoned probes and links between digital-asset firms and Trump’s crypto empire.
The scramble reflects a broader fear that even absent wrongdoing, congressional scrutiny can inflict lasting reputational damage and executive fallout.