George Washington University (GW) has retained the law firm Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, paying them $140,000 in federal lobbying fees during the first half of 2025 for assistance related to higher education matters.
This ongoing relationship with Pillsbury began during a pro-Palestinian protest last spring, leading to a total expenditure of $310,000 since May 2024. The payments to the firm continued right before GW announced a review of its procurement contracts, coinciding with a hiring freeze due to financial difficulties plaguing higher education.
The university’s decision to hire lobbyists marks a significant shift, as this is the first instance of retaining lobbying services since 2009, with five lobbyists on the team, including two former U.S. representatives.
Kathleen Fackelmann, a spokesperson for GW, stated that Pillsbury provides “valuable guidance” on a range of government and regulatory issues.
Fackelmann further described GW’s ongoing engagement with the firm as reflective of the university’s active navigation through current challenges, though she refrained from disclosing specifics about the services they provide or the future of their contract in light of impending budget cuts.
University President Ellen Granberg explained in a September interview that hiring Pillsbury was a strategic move prompted by the House Oversight Committee’s request for D.C. officials to clarify their decision to deny clearance for GW’s protest encampment. Granberg emphasized the necessity of having knowledgeable representation to mitigate potential conflicts between Washington lawmakers and university administrators.
She expressed that continuing this partnership with Pillsbury has allowed GW to amplify its voice on Capitol Hill, a necessity that had been previously absent. However, Granberg also acknowledged the financial implications associated with these lobbying services, stating that communication with Pillsbury is selective due to costs.
In the first half of 2025, GW paid Pillsbury $70,000 in each of the first two quarters, cumulatively amounting to $170,000 for 2024, which included $90,000 in the second quarter, $30,000 in the third, and $50,000 in the fourth quarter of last year.
During 2024, three of the five lobbyists hired by GW reported lobbying activities related to the Freedom To Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act, a bill designed to enhance the use of 529 college savings plans for various postsecondary nondegree programs, including trade schools and certification courses.
This bipartisan legislation was introduced in 2023 and reintroduced in 2025 by Rep. Robert J. Wittman (R-VA) and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN).
Additionally, GW announced the launch of GW RevU in November 2024, a suite of online nondegree continuing education programs targeting working professionals. If the new initiative aligns with the forthcoming legislation, participants could potentially utilize tax-free 529 plan withdrawals for education under these programs.
Pillsbury’s lobbying endeavors extend beyond GW, as the firm also reported lobbying activity for two other universities in the first half of 2025: Abilene Christian University, a private institution in Texas, and Harris-Stowe State University, a public historically Black university in Missouri. These institutions made payments of $120,000 and $50,000, respectively, also focusing on educational lobbying efforts related to the same workforce investment legislation.
Other prominent universities, including Northeastern University and the University of Pennsylvania, followed suit by engaging federal lobbyists around the same time as GW in 2024, with ongoing financial commitments into 2025.
As GW navigates financial uncertainties alongside legislative priorities, the role of lobbying firms like Pillsbury appears increasingly vital in shaping the university’s engagement with governmental and regulatory bodies.
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