Democrat-Aligned ‘Dark Money’ Group Hires Crypto Lobbyist

A mysterious dark money group that has poured millions of dollars into Democratic and independent super PACs has quietly begun lobbying on the Clarity Act, the cryptocurrency industry’s top legislative priority, according to a new disclosure. 

Contours Inc., a 501(c)4 nonprofit that does not disclose its donors, registered on July 17 to conduct "advocacy around the Clarity Act as it relates to quorum rules for the SEC and CFTC over digital commodities," according to a disclosure filed on August 28. 

The only lobbyist registered to work for Contours is Rob Robilliard, a senior policy advisor at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck who previously served as director of government affairs for the Crypto Council for Innovation (CCI), a major industry group whose members include Coinbase, Andreessen Horowitz, Circle, and Galaxy, the digital assets company founded by billionaire Mike Novogratz. 

The lobbying registration does not say what position Contours is taking on the Clarity Act, and there is no public evidence that cryptocurrency companies or executives fund the nonprofit. But the document provides the first indications of Contours' policy interests since the organization emerged last year as a major source of secret money in Democratic politics.