Influence chic: Urban Outfitters bags K Street help

Introduction

Urban Outfitters oozes hipness and irreverence, its fashion line a galaxy removed from, say, wingtips and power suits.

Just don’t expect its newest associates to don “I Heart Stifler’s Mom” T-shirts or “Bitch Please” gloves anytime soon.

The teen- and twentysomething-focused clothier has hired Abraham & Roetzel LLC, the lobbying firm of former Sen. Spencer Abraham, R-Mich., to represent it, according to a new U.S. Senate lobbying registration filing.

“Retail” and “federal policy involving economic development and urban development” are the issues on which Abraham & Roetzel will lobby for Urban Outfitters, the filing states.

Federal records further indicate that this is the first time Urban Outfitters has hired federal-level lobbying representation. Come April, the company will be required to disclose how much it paid for the help.

In the meantime, the government affairs shop is allocating three lobbyists to assist Urban Outfitters, including its president, Bob Carey, the former director of the Department of Defense’s Federal Voting Assistance Program and a one-time Senate aide to both Abraham and ex-Sen. George Allen, R-Va.

A representative at Abraham & Roetzel directed questions to Carey, who couldn’t immediately be reached for comment. Urban Outfitters did not reply to inquiries.

Why is 2013 an important year for campaign finance? Dave Levinthal and Michael Beckel will answer that, and many other questions about the money-in-politics world in a live chat on Monday, Feb. 4, at 1 p.m. ET.