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- Days after the 2020 presidential election, Amazon hired a lobbyist whose brother is an advisor to President-elect Joe Biden.
- Jeff Ricchetti, whose brother Steve Ricchetti serves as counselor to Biden, was brought on as an Amazon lobbyist on November 13, as CNBC first reported.
- Ricchetti will be lobbying for Amazon on issues related to COVID-19 and the CARES act, according to lobbying disclosure forms.
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Days after the 2020 presidential election, Amazon hired a lobbyist whose brother is a close advisor to President-elect Joe Biden.
Jeff Ricchetti, whose brother Steve Ricchetti will serve as White House counselor to Biden, was brought on as an Amazon lobbyist on November 13, as CNBC first reported.
A lobbying registration form filed by Ricchettis’s firm, Ricchetti Incorporated, lists Amazon.com Services LLC, of Seattle, as its newest client. Ricchetti signed forms filed in the House and Senate lobbying databases on December 23. The forms don’t disclose payment.
Amazon didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday.
A source told CNBC that the brothers keep their family and professional lives separate.
"Jeff has never and will never lobby his brother on behalf of any of his clients, and Steve has had no role in his brother's business since he sold his stake in the firm in 2012," a source told CNBC.
Steve Ricchetti has been part of Biden's political sphere for years. He served as second-term chief of staff while Biden was vice president. When Biden takes over the White House in January, Richetti will be a counselor to the president, an important right-hand man and sounding board.
Ricchetti will be lobbying for Amazon on issues related to COVID-19 and the CARES act, according to the forms.
Amazon's healthcare ambitions have been described as massive. Along with Amazon Pharmacy, which launched in most states, it's building Amazon Care, a primary care service for large employers.
Last week's disclosure marked the first time Ricchetti's K Street firm filed a disclosure listing Amazon. But Ricchetti filed two other forms in December, both detailing lobbying efforts for other healthcare clients.
For Evofem Biosciences, a biopharmaceutical company, Ricchetti's lobbying on "federal health policies pertaining to coverage for contraceptive services." For Vaxart, a vaccine development firm, he's lobbying on "legislative and regulatory policies regarding oral vaccine development and funding," according to his disclosure.
Amazon has a long list of lobbyists it's worked with, including its own Amazon.com Services LLC lobbying branch, which ate up $4.41 million in funding in the third quarter, according to a disclosure form.