Graham Hires Longtime Goodlatte Aide to Handle Senate Judiciary IP Issues
Incoming Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., hired Joe Keeley, an intellectual property veteran on Capitol Hill who handled IP issues for ex-House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., said lobbyists and others. Keeley, who was House Internet Subcommittee chief counsel and helped negotiate the Music Modernization Act (MMA) (see 1810110038), will be Senate Judiciary Committee deputy staff director and chief IP counsel. Graham’s office and the Senate Judiciary Committee didn’t comment.
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Keeley is an “IP maven,” said music industry attorney Chris Castle. Keeley advised Goodlatte, then-House Internet Subcommittee Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., and other committee members on federal courts, patent, trademark and copyright issues. He was lead counsel for the Register of Copyrights Selection and Accountability Act (see 1706090050), which failed to pass last session.
Counsel Anant Raut has handled IP issues for ranking member Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. Legislative director Lisette Morton filled the same role for House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., and Tom Stoll for House Judiciary Committee Republicans. Stoll will remain the House GOP’s IP lead, a Republican aide said. Offices for Nadler and Feinstein didn’t comment.
The shutdown is “really distracting” from traditional organizational steps taken for committee assignments each Congress, a tech lobbyist said. House leadership is expected to announce committee membership this week. Observers anticipate House leaders maintaining the same membership ratios as 2018, flipped to reflect the new majority (see 1901040043). Leadership is expected to announce top subcommittee posts next week.
Ranking member Doug Collins, R-Ga., will decide subcommittee leadership, including the vacancy left by Issa, who didn’t seek re-election in 2018. Last year’s House Antitrust Subcommittee ranking member Tom Marino, R-Pa., is interested in moving into that seat, which would mean relinquishing the top Antitrust spot, his office said. However, Marino "would be happy to serve ... in any capacity that would complement" Collins’ vision, an aide said.
Expect Rep. John Ratcliffe, R-Texas, who's close with Collins, to be considered for a subcommittee leadership post, lobbyists said. Ratcliffe, however, is also signaling interest in taking a leadership seat on the House Homeland Security Committee, and he can’t take both, one tech lobbyist said. Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., is also in the mix for the top Antitrust Subcommittee seat, the tech lobbyist said. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, also will be considered, given his standing within the party, another tech lobbyist said.
House Democrats choose their leadership posts based on seniority. Top House Democrats are expected to retain their seats on the Judiciary subcommittees.
A lingering question is whether the House Judiciary Committee will alter copyright jurisdiction, Castle said. Copyright issues like the MMA weren't considered by the House Internet Subcommittee under Issa in 2018, instead getting immediate consideration from the full committee. Senate Judiciary Republicans will have to replace ex-Senate Privacy Subcommittee Chairman Jeff Flake of Arizona, who didn’t seek re-election.