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Anthropic has hired former Trump administration officials for policy roles, while OpenAI’s Washington profile is tied to a different mix of leadership, political connections and lobbying. The available reporting does not establish that both companies poached Trump officials. Their personnel moves and spending show an effort to engage policymakers, but do not prove either company has earned Washington’s trust or secured favorable decisions.
Who has each company brought into its Washington orbit?
Anthropic hired former officials and added a separate adviser
Fortune reported that Anthropic brought on Chris Liddell, a former White House deputy chief of staff under President Donald Trump, and Mary Croghan, a former Office of Cabinet Affairs official. The company also added former Missouri senator Roy Blunt to its national security advisory board. Blunt’s advisory role is distinct from the reported hires of former administration officials. Fortune also reported that Anthropic hired several former Biden administration AI policy officials, so its Washington expansion spans more than one administration.
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These appointments can add government experience and policy relationships, but their existence alone does not show how much influence the team has or whether officials have changed policy in response.
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Fortune described OpenAI policy chief Chris Lehane as a veteran of Democratic campaigns who later worked for technology and cryptocurrency interests. It also reported that OpenAI president Greg Brockman made a major donation to the Trump-aligned MAGA Inc. super PAC. Lehane’s career and Brockman’s political donation are not equivalent to hiring a former Trump administration official; a donation is not a company appointment.
That distinction matters: the reporting supports a comparison of the companies’ Washington relationships, not a claim that both recruited the same kind of former official.
What do the reported lobbying figures show?
Axios reported lobbying amounts from federal disclosures across different reporting periods. The figures indicate that both companies were spending to engage policymakers, but unlike periods should not be read as a direct annual comparison.
Rank #2
| Company | Reported amount | Period and source |
|---|---|---|
| Anthropic | More than $3.5 million | First half of 2026, Axios |
| Anthropic | $3.1 million | All of 2025, Axios |
| Anthropic | $1.6 million | Q1 2026; Axios described it as a then-record quarterly amount |
| OpenAI | $1.2 million | Q2 2026, Axios |
| OpenAI | $1 million | Q1 2026; Axios described it as a then-record quarterly amount |
Anthropic’s first-half 2026 figure covers two quarters, while OpenAI’s $1.2 million figure covers Q2 alone; neither is an equivalent comparison with the other company’s full-year 2025 total. The Q1 figures are more directly comparable because they cover the same quarter, though spending still does not measure lobbying effectiveness or political support.
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Why is federal scrutiny part of the relationship?
A June 2026 Associated Press report carried by The Washington Post described federal review of advanced model releases as a live point of negotiation between the companies and government officials. According to that account, OpenAI limited access to a new model to customers approved by the Trump administration. Anthropic announced a limited release of its cybersecurity model after federal restrictions were eased. The report also said OpenAI CEO Sam Altman had spoken with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick about a model release.
Rank #3
OpenAI objected to making government access review a lasting default, saying: “We don’t believe this kind of government access process should become the long-term default.” Rep. Lori Trahan criticized decisions made without a legal framework, process or oversight, saying “the Trump administration is deciding company by company who gets access to the newest AI model. No law. No process. No oversight. Just appointees in Washington deciding who’s in and who’s out.”
Those statements describe the dispute as reported in June 2026; they should not be taken as a description of policy in October 2026. They illustrate why access decisions, model safety and oversight can make government relations consequential for AI companies.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Do the hires and lobbying prove the companies have Washington’s trust?
No. Former officials, policy executives, advisers, donations and lobbying expenditures are evidence of political engagement, not proof of trust or influence. The cited reporting documents activity and a public dispute over model access; it does not establish that personnel moves or spending caused favorable government decisions.
The most accurate reading is that Anthropic’s reported recruitment includes former officials from both the Trump and Biden administrations, while OpenAI’s described Washington profile centers on a policy executive with a different career path and a prominent leader’s political donation. Both companies lobbied, but their disclosed totals cover different periods. Their efforts take place amid scrutiny of how the federal government reviews access to advanced AI models.
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