Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies (CPS), the bipartisan government relations and communications affiliate of international law firm Cozen O’Connor, today announced the addition of Donovan W. Pepper as principal and director of national strategic partnerships.
“The Supreme Court will hear arguments on Wednesday in a case dealing with rules allowing mail-in ballots in Illinois to be counted even if received after Election Day, a practice permitted in many Democratic-led states that has been repeatedly challenged by Republicans,” by the New York Times.
“As President Donald Trump on Wednesday called for jailing Gov. JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson for ‘failing to protect ICE,’ the Democratic governor responded to the threat by urging the president to ‘come and get me,’” by the Chicago Sun Times.
“Illinois lawmakers will return to Springfield next week hoping to resolve a major unchecked box from the spring: Keep the trains in Chicago running,” by Capitol News Illinois.
“Attorney General Pam Bondi refused to provide details to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday of the legal rationale for the Trump administration’s deployment of National Guard troops to Illinois, as Democrats led by U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin chastised her for politicizing the Justice Department,” by the Chicago Tribune.
“As President Donald Trump’s federal agents continue raiding homes and businesses and marching on city streets to crack down on illegal immigration, many members of Illinois’ legislative branch — typically confined to the guardrails of government — have shifted into rabble-rouser mode,” by the Chicago Tribune.
“Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson today said the budget proposal he plans to unveil next week will reflect potential federal funding cuts,” by Crain’s Chicago Business.
“Mayor Brandon Johnson called for criminal charges Tuesday against federal agents who violate his new executive order banning them from using city land to carry out their deportation operations,” by the Chicago Tribune.
“Federal immigration agents illegally arrested nearly two dozen people earlier this year without warrants in violation of a 2022 consent decree, a federal judge in Chicago ruled late Tuesday,” by Block Club Chicago.
“The CTA is ‘fully and entirely committed’ to building the Red Line Extension on the Far South Side, the agency’s acting president said Wednesday, days after President Donald Trump’s White House froze $2.1 billion in federal funding for the extension and another major Chicago transit project,” by the Chicago Tribune.
“The City Council’s Committee on Workforce Development took the first step Tuesday by approving a new six-year contract that includes none of the cost-cutting concessions that Mayor Brandon Johnson and his two predecessors talked about but never really pursued,” by the Chicago Sun Times.
While negotiations to reopen the government are centered on both government funding levels and an extension of expiring healthcare subsidies, much of Democrats’ impetus for the shutdown is related to the White House’s impoundment of congressionally-appropriated funds.
The Supreme Court’s 2025-26 term began yesterday and the Court’s docket includes major cases on presidential power, elections, and social issues.
President Trump’s antitrust enforcers have sought to reset competition policy from where it stood under the Biden administration. However, there has not been a complete break, with significant attention still focused on Big Tech. Read the Cozen Currents here.
With the 24 hours of the government shutdown underway, Washington is on edge—but is the rest of the country paying attention? In New York, Mayor Adams’s sudden exit from November’s race has upended the political landscape, setting the stage for a potential showdown between Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani and moderate Andrew Cuomo. How will the shutdown and shifting federal-local dynamics play into the mayoral contest? Featuring Public Strategies’ Howard Schweitzer, Mark Alderman, and Jamie Ansorge here.
Legislative Analyst
Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies, an affiliate of the international law firm Cozen O’Connor, is a bipartisan government relations practice representing clients before the federal government and in cities and states throughout the country. With offices in Washington D.C., Richmond, Albany, New York City, Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Chicago, and Santa Monica, the firm’s public strategies professionals offer a full complement of government affairs services, including legislative and executive branch advocacy, policy analysis, assistance with government procurement and funding programs, and crisis management. Its client base spans multiple industries, including healthcare, transportation, hospitality, education, construction, energy, real estate, entertainment, financial services, and insurance.
Established in 1970, Cozen O’Connor has over 775 attorneys who help clients manage risk and make better business decisions. The firm counsels clients on their most sophisticated legal matters in all areas of the law, including litigation, corporate, and regulatory law. Representing a broad array of leading global corporations and middle-market companies, Cozen O’Connor serves its clients’ needs through 31 offices across two continents.
November 10, 2025
November 10, 2025
November 10, 2025
