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Jonathan Miller is a nationally-celebrated government relations professional and a leading advocate and attorney for the global hemp industry. Jonathan assists his broad client base – ranging from Fortune 500 firms, to aspiring entrepreneurs, to non-profit associations – in navigating complex local, state and federal government institutions through his counsel on legal, public policy, political and public relations matters. Jonathan leads teams of lawyers, government relations professionals and economic development specialists in helping his clients achieve legislative victories, win and retain government contracts and incentives, develop and execute public-private partnerships, and survive and transcend crisis management episodes.

Jonathan serves as Partner-in-Charge of the Firm’s Washington, D.C. office, whose combination of public policy and regulatory experience, backed by the support of a full-service law firm with offices in key markets. The composition of the office carves out a unique value proposition: Jonathan can draw readily on the firm’s strong constituent-based relationships to provide clients with exclusive and actionable insights regarding the legal trends and developments that stand to greatly impact their industries. In so doing, he leads a team that presents clients a one-stop shop for regulatory and legislative services, promoting efficiency, communication, and collaboration. Additionally, in 2023 Jonathan was appointed by Governor Andy Beshear to serve as chair of the Kentucky Anti-Semitism Task Force. As Kentucky State Treasurer, Jonathan was the first Jewish Kentuckian ever elected to statewide office.

Jonathan’s analytic skills brought him both high honors from Harvard’s college and law school, and led him to the final table of the World Series of Poker. He, and his youth camp sweetheart, Lisa, are proudest of their two 20-something children, Emily and Abigail.

Jonathan's Relevant Experience

Hemp & Regulatory

There are few individuals who have been more influential in the development of the U.S. hemp industry. Upon helping found the U.S. Hemp Roundtable (and its sister organization, the U.S. Hemp Authority), Jonathan has served as the industry’s leading advocate for hemp and CBD legislation on the ground in Congress and in dozens of state legislatures. A recovering politician (the Democrat was elected twice as Kentucky’s State Treasurer), Jonathan has worked across the aisle with leading hemp champions such as U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on critical legislation, including the 2014 and 2018 Farm Bills. Now he spends his time working with Congress, the White House, the USDA, FDA and DEA to promote policies that advance the industry. In acknowledgment of his accomplishments, the National Law Journal named Jonathan to its inaugural class of “Trailblazers” among government relations professionals and Politico labeled him a “Power Player” on hemp issues on Capitol Hill.

State and Federal Government

Prior to joining FBT, Jonathan spent nearly two decades in public service, where he held numerous senior positions in state and federal government, including two terms as Kentucky’s State Treasurer, in addition to serving as Kentucky’s Secretary of Finance and Administration, Deputy Chief of Staff of the U.S. Department of Energy, and Legislative Director for Congressman Jim Cooper.

In the News

Jonathan is a uniquely gifted communicator, authoring three books on faith, public policy and crisis management (including the nationally acclaimed The Compassionate Community (St. Martin’s Press: 2006), and serving as a regular contributor to the national political journal The Daily Beast and the popular college sports site, Kentucky Sports Radio. He has appeared on dozens of national news talk shows including: MSNBC’s The Cycle, Fox News’ Fox and Friends and Happening Now, CNN’s America’s Choice and Crossfire, CNBC’s Morning Call, NBC’s Dateline NBC, C-SPAN’s Washington Journal, and Bloomberg’s Market Makers; serves as a semi-regular American politics commentator for Canada’s CTV News; and even played straight man to correspondent/comedian Al Madrigal on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He has also testified before the U.S. House on energy efficiency and the U.S. Senate on student credit card debt.

Other Info About Jonathan

Work History

Prior Work Experience

Two-term elected Kentucky State Treasurer and Secretary of the Finance and Administration Cabinet under Governor Steve Beshear

  • Created Kentucky’s Affordable Prepaid Tuition (KAPT) program, which has helped make it easier for nearly 10,000 families to afford college.
  • Chaired pension reform efforts, led the way on the Administration’s broadband expansion program, spearheaded the Governor’s e-transparency initiative, and launched a first-in-the-country Green Bank to fund public energy efficiency initiatives.

Deputy Chief of Staff, U.S. Department of Energy under President Clinton

Legislative Director, U.S. Congressman Jim Cooper

Aide to Vice President Al Gore

Appointment, National Summit on Retirement Savings (by President George W. Bush in 2002)

Named in 2002 to Executive Monitoring Commission of local and state financial officers that monitored the return of assets seized during the Holocaust to their rightful owners.

Experience

Legal Work Highlights

With the Panama Canal expansion imminent, local officials in far-West Kentucky approached Jonathan to help them seize the economic advantage of the expected increase in Mississippi River traffic. Jonathan led a seven-month strategic initiative, and the West Kentucky Alliance for Vibrant Economy (WAVE) concluded with a successful Confluence that drew more than 225 participants, including the Governor and senior U.S. officials. Now, Jonathan is leading a public-private partnership to develop a new riverport terminal at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers.

Building an alliance of energy savings companies, financial services firms and environmental policy advocates, Jonathan spearheaded local and state lobbying efforts to pass legislation that created the Energy Project Assessment District (EPAD) program, bringing to Kentucky an innovative financing mechanism that makes it possible for Kentucky businesses to engage in energy improvements of their properties without impacting their bottom lines. Jonathan now advises companies that develop multimillion-dollar building improvement projects using the EPAD model.

When a deal was announced between a state university and a local hospital that could have promoted a monopoly over health care services, other health care providers hired Jonathan to lead a multifaceted effort to challenge the arrangement through the legal process, the General Assembly, and the media. After an intensive crisis management effort, the deal was withdrawn, replaced by a competitive bidding process that ensured more local health care choices at lower prices.

Education

Law School

Harvard Law School, J.D., 1992, magna cum laude

Undergraduate School

Harvard University, A.B., 1989, magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa

Bar Memberships

Jonathan is licensed to practice in the following state(s):

Kentucky

Washington, D.C.

Recognition

Local & National Recognition

The Best Lawyers in America®, Government Relations Practice, 2021-2025

Selected as an inaugural Government Relations Trailblazer by the National Law Journal, 2019.

Rodel Fellowship Program, Aspen Institute – One of 24 members in the first class. Its mission is to enhance our democracy by identifying and bringing together the nation’s most promising young political leaders.

Winner in 2010 of the University of Kentucky’s First Annual Public Service Sustainability Award, “in recognition of the personal commitment to environmental issues and sustainability practices”;

Recipient of the University of Kentucky’s 2009 President’s Award from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Civic Activities

Civic & Charitable Organizations

Chairman, Kentucky Democratic Party

Co-Founder, No Labels: national grassroots movement dedicated to bipartisan problem-solving.

Major Publications

Jonathan is an author or contributor to the following publications:

Editor, The Recovering Politician’s Twelve Step Program to Survive Crisis, 2013

Author, The Liberal Case for Israel: Debunking Eight Crazy Lies about the Jewish State, 2012

Author, The Compassionate Community: Ten Values to Unite America, 2006

Founder, The Recovering Politician Blog

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