Google picks former Rep. Molinari as top lobbyist
A former congresswoman will be Google's first Washington insider to head its D.C. office.
Google got a leg-up in better navigating the U.S. political system today.
The Web giant hired former congresswoman Susan Molinari as the new head of its Washington office, according to Politico.
"She's a true trailblazer and her enthusiasm for our technology and its potential to change lives will be a real asset to our team in the Americas," David Drummond, Google's senior vice president of corporate development and chief legal officer, said in a statement.
Her tenure is slated to begin in mid-March with the official title of "Google's vice president of public policy and government relations for the Americas." Molinari will be replacing Alan Davidson, according to Politico, who opened Google's Washington office and announced that he was leaving last November.
This announcement comes at a time when Google is increasingly involved in political issues--from its strong stance against the SOPA and PIPA anti-piracy laws, to changes in its privacy policy, to getting FCC approval to install a satellite antenna farm in Iowa.
Molinari represented Staten Island for the GOP from 1990 to 1997 and at that time she was the highest-ranking Republican woman in Congress, according to Politico. For the past decade, she has been working as a lobbyist, most recently for the government affairs consulting firm Susan Molinari Strategies.
"The Google office in Washington has not had someone with the visibility of a former member of Congress, and with her understanding of the complexities of the legislative process," former senator John Sununu told Politico. "Google is receiving a higher level of scrutiny...When you're such a large and growing company, you have to have a strong, visible, capable leader in Washington."
Google did not immediately respond to request for comment.