Chris Stewart announces partnership with Robert O’Brien in new government affairs firm
Chris Stewart announced Tuesday, following his retirement from Congress last week, he will serve as the managing partner of a new government affairs firm, Skyline Capitol.
The boutique firm, focused on government relations and geopolitical consulting, will act in strategic partnership with American Global Strategies LLC, an international advisory and consulting firm founded by former national security adviser Robert O’Brien.
“I’m both grateful and proud to form this strategic partnership with my dear friend, Ambassador O’Brien,” Stewart said in a statement published Tuesday. “Robert has long been a source of wisdom and strength for myself and our nation. And I’m honored for the strategic partnership with AGS and look forward to contributing my congressional expertise to Skyline Capitol and our future clients.”
Stewart served on both the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the Appropriations Committee before he left office Friday. The former congressman, who represented Utah’s 2nd Congressional District for the last decade, told the Deseret News his committee positions made him privy to regular top-secret briefings and allowed him to build on his knowledge from 14 years in the United States Air Force.
“There’s nothing in intelligence that I haven’t been exposed to and that I don’t know,” Stewart said last week in an interview with the Deseret News.
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O’Brien’s American Global Strategies is a lobbying firm aimed at guiding clients through government policy and international business dealings. Prior to serving as the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs and national security adviser to former President Donald Trump, O’Brien worked as a JAG officer, litigation lawyer and political consultant.
“Congressman Stewart was one of the most respected members of Congress, with a long history of dedicated service to the country. His expertise on intelligence and appropriations matters is unmatched, and AGS looks forward to a close collaboration with him and Skyline Capitol through our strategic partnership,” O’Brien said in a statement.
Stewart announced his intention to retire from Congress on May 31, citing his “wife’s health concerns.” He later clarified she had suffered a stroke a year earlier and continued to struggle with vision loss.
“Things are harder and it wasn’t fair to her to be in a situation where her health wasn’t what it used to be and to be gone all the time,” Stewart said at an event on Sept. 8. “As much as I loved serving and as much as I wanted to continue to serve, we needed to be together.”
When asked “What’s next” at the same event, Stewart said he had plans to start an organization with O’Brien “where I’ll be able to continue to work in the area of intelligence and international relations and it will be really satisfying, but I won’t be gone all the time.”
Republican primary winner Celeste Maloy will face state Sen. Kathleen Riebe, the Democratic nominee, and other contenders in the Nov. 21 general election to fill Stewart’s vacant seat.
