NEWS

Top Duckworth aides depart to start new firm

Three top aides to Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) are leaving to start a political consulting and government relations firm called Magnify Strategies.

Kaitlin Fahey, Duckworth’s chief of staff, Paul Kohnstamm, the senator’s operations director and Leah Israel, a fundraiser who was chief development officer for the 2020 convention, are starting the firm together.

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POLITICO Playbook: Is Liz Cheney about to get the boot?

Kaitlin Fahey, Paul Kohnstamm and Leah Israel, all longtime aides to Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), are launching Magnify Strategies and will be working with Duckworth’s reelect and “other statewide political campaigns, national political coalitions and organizations, trade associations and companies with Illinois ties.” Fahey previously was chief of staff for Duckworth, Kohnstamm was administrative director, and Israel was a senior adviser and longtime chief fundraiser.

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DUCKWORTH AIDES LAUNCH OWN FIRM

A trio of aides to Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) this week launched Magnify Strategies, a boutique political consulting and government relations firm. Duckworth’s reelection campaign will be one of the first clients for Kaitlin Fahey, formerly her chief of staff; Paul Kohnstamm, her operations director; andLeah Israel, a top Democratic fundraiser.

— In an interview, Fahey said that though the firm will offer government affairs help, Magnify will not lobby, instead advising clients internally and working with their existing government relations staff.

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FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Building Back Better is adding a slate of new senior staff

Danielle Melfi will be executive director, Leah Israel will be development adviser, Rachel Irwin will be director of messaging strategy, Rosemary Boeglin will be deputy director of comms and advocacy, Katie Fricchione will be deputy director of political and advocacy, Rubén Lebrón will be voting rights director, Ari Appel will be climate director, Mairead Cahill will be advocacy operations manager and Marissa Johnson will be special projects and operations manager.

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SPS Alum Heads up Duckworth’s Senate Office

Northwestern University School of Professional Studies (SPS) MPPA graduate Kaitlin Fahey does not consider herself much of a “social butterfly.” So it was with some reluctance that at age 22, recently graduated from Georgetown University and working as a legislative staffer on Capitol Hill, she randomly decided to attend a large D.C. fundraiser.

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