Jim Murphy

Credentials

• Bachelor’s degree in Economics, Harvard University (1978)¹“Jim Murphy,” LinkedIn. Accessed March 31, 2018, and June 2020. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

Background

James E. (Jim) Murphy, Jr. is a longtime Republican strategist. Jim Murphy joined Donald Trump‘s presidential campaign in June 2016 as its national political director.²Ashley Parker and Maggie Haberman. “Donald Trump Adds Well-Known G.O.P. Adviser to Campaign Staff,” The New York TImes, June 5, 2016. Archived March 30, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/YDAkd He stepped back from the role in October 2016, ³Alex Isenstadt. “Trump national political director ‘steps back’ from campaign,” Politico, October 20, 2016. Archived April 3, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/XRBUp, subsequently joining the lobbying and law firm BakerHostetler in December 2016 as a senior adviser on its federal policy team..⁴“James E. Murphy Jr.” BakerHostetler. Archived April 3, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/1dKq5

Jim Murphy heads JLM Consulting, which provides “strategic management consulting to corporate and political clients.”⁵“Jim Murphy,” JLM Consulting. Archived April 3, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/7wwBU Clients have included GTECH, a lottery provider; Vermont Yankee, a nuclear power plant; and KCS Energy, an oil and gas exploration company.⁶Isaac Arnsdorf. “Jim Murphy to BakerHostetler,” Politico, June 6, 2017. Archived April 3, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/0lkG7

According to his LinkedIn profile, Murphy was at DCI Group as a managing partner from June 2002 to August 2007, and then president and managing partner from September 2007 to June 2012.⁷“Jim Murphy,” LinkedIn. Archived April 5, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/Ldi8h Murphy “headed up DCI Group’s national network of grassroots, PR and government affairs consultants,” and ran day-to-day operations. Murphy left DCI Group in June 2012 to run the Republican National Committee’s Independent Expenditure campaign for the Romney for President campaign.⁸“Jim Murphy,” JLM Consulting. Archived April 3, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/7wwBU

In 2016, DCI Group was subpoenaed in an investigation by state attorneys general into ExxonMobil’s funding of climate change denial.⁹Nick Surgey. “DCI Group Subpoenaed in Expanding Exxon Climate Denial Investigation,” PRWatch, April 20, 2016. Archived April 5, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/rS8bq The company’s relationship with Exxon dated back to 2005.¹⁰Gideon Resnick. “From Big Oil to Big Hair: Meet Donald Trump’s Controversial New Man,” Daily Beast, June 7, 2016. Archived May 1, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/FDWfS

On his LinkedIn profile, Murphy notes that he co-founded a consulting company called Integrated Strategy Group in January 2018.¹¹“Jim Murphy,” LinkedIn. Accessed March 31, 2018, and June 2020. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

Jim Murphy was a senior advisor to the presidential campaigns of Bob Dole in 1988 and 1996.¹²Ashley Parker and Maggie Haberman. “Donald Trump Adds Well-Known G.O.P. Adviser to Campaign Staff,” The New York TImes, June 5, 2016. Archived March 30, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/YDAkd

Jim Murphy worked as an executive assistant and later campaign manager for Sen. Gordon Humphrey (R-N.H.). Murphy was the deputy political director for the National Republican Senatorial Committee from 1985 to 1986.¹³“Jim Murphy,” LinkedIn. Accessed March 31, 2018, and June 2020. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. ¹⁴“Jim Murphy,” JLM Consulting. Archived April 3, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/7wwBU

DCI Group

According to his 2023 LinkedIn profile, Murphy joined DCI Group, a Republican lobbying and public relations firm, as a managing partner from June 2002 to August 2007, and was president of DCI Group from September 2007 to June 2012.¹⁵“Jim Murphy,” LinkedIn. Archived April 5, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/wip/Ldi8h

In 2016, The Daily Beast reported that during Jim Murphy’s time at DCI, the company’s clients included the government of Myanmar, receiving “a reported $340,000 for eight months’ worth spinning for the repressive military regime.” In 2012 DCI Group “was hired for $20,000 a month by Azerbaijan to improve its public relations in the United States.” During the 1990s, DCI promoted astroturf “smokers’ rights groups” in a campaign paid for by R.J. Reynolds, Philip Morris, and other major tobacco companies. DCI Group also helped run an astroturf campaign during the George W. Bush administration to promote privatizing Social Security.¹⁶Gideon Resnick. “From Big Oil to Big Hair: Meet Donald Trump’s Controversial New Man,” Daily Beast, June 7, 2016. Archived May 1, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/FDWfS

According to a 2007 archive of his DCI profile, before becoming president, Jim Murphy “aided in the construction and management of DCI Group‘s field organization – a national network of grassroots, government affairs and public relations operatives – and formerly directed Business Growth Strategies, a division within DCI Group that manages all in-house business development and marketing resources.”¹⁷“Management Committee,” DCI Group. Archived March 15, 2007. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/5kBW5

Describing his work at DCI Group, a former colleague told The Huffington Post, on condition of anonymity: “he’s not a grand strategist […] in terms of operating the machinery, that’s what he’s good at, and that’s what they need. If you’ve got a big ego, Murph’s a good yes man.”¹⁸Paul Blumenthal. “Donald Trump’s New Political Director Is Part Of The Republican Influence Machine,” HuffPost, June 7, 2016. Archived March 30, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/keKuq

Tech Central Station and ‘Journo Lobbying’

In 2000, DCI Group started publishing Tech Central Station (TCS), a commentary website hosted by James K. Glassman, a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI).¹⁹Nick Schulz. “Something Old, Something New,” TCS Daily, September 19, 2006. Archived May 1, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Enhi5

Tech Central Station routinely published countless articles by many deniers of human-caused climate change.

Some notable TCS authors in the climate denial space included Alexandra Liddy Bourne, Bjorn Lomborg, Christopher C. Horner, David R. Henderson, David R. Legates, George Taylor, Hans H.J. Labohm, Howard C. Hayden, Joel Schwartz, Kenneth Green, Mark Steyn, Marlo Lewis, Jr., Paul Reiter, Richard S. Lindzen, Robert C. Balling, Jr., Ronald Bailey, Roy W. Spencer, Sallie Baliunas, Steven Milloy, Tim Patterson, Tomasz Teluk, Walter Cunningham, and Willie Soon.

In 2003, Nick Confessore of Washington Monthly wrote that James K. Glassman and Tech Central Station gave birth to the concept of “journo-lobbying” in Washington, D.C: producing industry-influenced media in order to “dominate the entire intellectual environment in which officials make policy decisions.” TCS shared staff with DCI Group, and a number of TCS sponsors were also DCI Group clients.²⁰Nick Confessore. “Meet the Press How James Glassman reinvented journalism — as lobbying,” Washington Monthly, December 2003. Archived January 28, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/V79Q8

“TCS doesn’t just act like a lobbying shop. It’s actually published by one – the DCI Group, a prominent Washington ‘public affairs’ firm specializing in P.R., lobbying, and so-called ‘Astroturf’ organizing, generally on behalf of corporations, GOP politicians, and the occasional Third-World despot,” Confessore wrote.²¹Nick Confessore. “Meet the Press How James Glassman reinvented journalism — as lobbying,” Washington Monthly, December 2003. Archived January 28, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/V79Q8

While managed by DCI Group, TCS sponsors included corporations such as AT&T, The Coca-Cola Company, ExxonMobil, General Motors Corporation, McDonald’s, Merck, Microsoft, Nasdaq, and PhRMA.²²“About TCS Daily,” TCS Daily. Archived December 30, 2005. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/QCpUc

DCI Group announced it had sold the site to its editor in 2006.²³“Jim Murphy,” LinkedIn. Accessed March 31, 2018, and June 2020. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. ²⁴“About TCS Daily,” Tech Central Station. Archived October 11, 2007. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/XZF1u Thus, the TCS project overlapped Jim Murphy’s time at DCI Group by at least four years.

TCS ceased operations at the end of 2010.²⁵Andrew Walworth. “A Message from TCS Daily,” TCS Daily, December 30, 2010. Archived January 26, 2011. Archive URL: https://web.archive.org/web/20110126002319/http://www.ideasinactiontv.com/tcs_daily/2010/12/a-message-from-tcs.html

Stance on Climate Change

Jim Murphy appears not to have taken a personal public stance on climate change.

Key Quotes

Jim Murphy does not appear to have written or spoken for publication.

Key Deeds

June 2016

Jim Murphy replaced Rick Wiley as the national political director for Donald J. Trump’s election campaign, The New York Times reported.²⁶Ashley Parker and Maggie Haberman. “Donald Trump Adds Well-Known G.O.P. Adviser to Campaign Staff,” The New York TImes, June 5, 2016. Archived March 30, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/YDAkd

Murphy reportedly stepped back from the Trump campaign shortly before election day, citing personal reasons:²⁷Alex Isenstadt. “Trump national political director ‘steps back’ from campaign,” Politico, October 20, 2016. Archived April 3, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/XRBUp

“I have not resigned but for personal reasons have had to take a step back from the campaign,” Murphy said in a statement to POLITICO.

Affiliations

• Integrated Strategy Group — Co-founder, strategic management consultant (January 2018-present)²⁸“Jim Murphy,” LinkedIn. Accessed March 31, 2018, and June 2020. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
• BakerHostetler — Senior advisor (December 2016-present)“²⁹Jim Murphy,” LinkedIn. Accessed March 31, 2018, and June 2020. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. ³⁰“James E. Murphy Jr.” BakerHostetler. Archived April 3, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/1dKq5
• Donald J. Trump for President — National Political Director (June 2016 – November 2016)³¹“Jim Murphy,” LinkedIn. Accessed March 31, 2018, and June 2020. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
• JLM Consulting, LLC. — Managing partner (December 2012-present), consultant (April 1988 – May 2002)³²“Jim Murphy,” LinkedIn. Accessed March 31, 2018, and June 2020. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
• Republican National Committee (RNC) — Director, Independent Expenditure for Mitt Romney for President (July 2012 – November 2012)³³“Jim Murphy,” LinkedIn. Accessed March 31, 2018, and June 2020. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
• DCI Group — President and managing partner (September 2007 – June 2012), managing partner (June 2002 – August 2007)³⁴“Jim Murphy,” LinkedIn. Accessed March 31, 2018, and June 2020. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
• Dole for President — Director of field operations (January 1987 – March 1988)³⁵“Jim Murphy,” LinkedIn. Accessed March 31, 2018, and June 2020. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
• National Republican Senatorial Committee — Deputy political director (January 1985 – December 1986)³⁶“Jim Murphy,” LinkedIn. Accessed March 31, 2018, and June 2020. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
• The Humphrey Team — Campaign manager (January 1983 – December 1984)³⁷“Jim Murphy,” LinkedIn. Accessed March 31, 2018, and June 2020. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
• U.S. Senator Gordon Humphrey — Executive assistant (January 1978 – December 1982)³⁸“Jim Murphy,” LinkedIn. Accessed March 31, 2018, and June 2020. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

Social Media

• Jim Murphy on LinkedIn

Publications

Jim Murphy does not appear to have authored any articles or other publications.

Other Resources

• “Factsheet: Jim Murphy,” ExxonSecrets
• Jim Murphy’s profile at BallotPedia
• “DCI Group,” Sourcewatch 

Resources

• 1
  “Jim Murphy,” LinkedIn. Accessed March 31, 2018, and June 2020. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
• 2
  Ashley Parker and Maggie Haberman. “Donald Trump Adds Well-Known G.O.P. Adviser to Campaign Staff,” The New York TImes, June 5, 2016. Archived March 30, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/YDAkd
• 3
  Alex Isenstadt. “Trump national political director ‘steps back’ from campaign,” Politico, October 20, 2016. Archived April 3, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/XRBUp
• 4
  “James E. Murphy Jr.” BakerHostetler. Archived April 3, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/1dKq5
• 5
  “Jim Murphy,” JLM Consulting. Archived April 3, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/7wwBU
• 6
  Isaac Arnsdorf. “Jim Murphy to BakerHostetler,” Politico, June 6, 2017. Archived April 3, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/0lkG7
• 7
  “Jim Murphy,” LinkedIn. Archived April 5, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/Ldi8h
• 8
  “Jim Murphy,” JLM Consulting. Archived April 3, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/7wwBU
• 9
  Nick Surgey. “DCI Group Subpoenaed in Expanding Exxon Climate Denial Investigation,” PRWatch, April 20, 2016. Archived April 5, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/rS8bq
• 10
  Gideon Resnick. “From Big Oil to Big Hair: Meet Donald Trump’s Controversial New Man,” Daily Beast, June 7, 2016. Archived May 1, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/FDWfS
• 11
  “Jim Murphy,” LinkedIn. Accessed March 31, 2018, and June 2020. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
• 12
  Ashley Parker and Maggie Haberman. “Donald Trump Adds Well-Known G.O.P. Adviser to Campaign Staff,” The New York TImes, June 5, 2016. Archived March 30, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/YDAkd
• 13
  “Jim Murphy,” LinkedIn. Accessed March 31, 2018, and June 2020. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
• 14
  “Jim Murphy,” JLM Consulting. Archived April 3, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/7wwBU
• 15
  “Jim Murphy,” LinkedIn. Archived April 5, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/wip/Ldi8h
• 16
  Gideon Resnick. “From Big Oil to Big Hair: Meet Donald Trump’s Controversial New Man,” Daily Beast, June 7, 2016. Archived May 1, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/FDWfS
• 17
  “Management Committee,” DCI Group. Archived March 15, 2007. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/5kBW5
• 18
  Paul Blumenthal. “Donald Trump’s New Political Director Is Part Of The Republican Influence Machine,” HuffPost, June 7, 2016. Archived March 30, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/keKuq
• 19
  Nick Schulz. “Something Old, Something New,” TCS Daily, September 19, 2006. Archived May 1, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Enhi5
• 20
  Nick Confessore. “Meet the Press How James Glassman reinvented journalism — as lobbying,” Washington Monthly, December 2003. Archived January 28, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/V79Q8
• 21
  Nick Confessore. “Meet the Press How James Glassman reinvented journalism — as lobbying,” Washington Monthly, December 2003. Archived January 28, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/V79Q8
• 22
  “About TCS Daily,” TCS Daily. Archived December 30, 2005. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/QCpUc
• 23
  “Jim Murphy,” LinkedIn. Accessed March 31, 2018, and June 2020. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
• 24
  “About TCS Daily,” Tech Central Station. Archived October 11, 2007. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/XZF1u
• 25
  Andrew Walworth. “A Message from TCS Daily,” TCS Daily, December 30, 2010. Archived January 26, 2011. Archive URL: https://web.archive.org/web/20110126002319/http://www.ideasinactiontv.com/tcs_daily/2010/12/a-message-from-tcs.html
• 26
  Ashley Parker and Maggie Haberman. “Donald Trump Adds Well-Known G.O.P. Adviser to Campaign Staff,” The New York TImes, June 5, 2016. Archived March 30, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/YDAkd
• 27
  Alex Isenstadt. “Trump national political director ‘steps back’ from campaign,” Politico, October 20, 2016. Archived April 3, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/XRBUp
• 28
  “Jim Murphy,” LinkedIn. Accessed March 31, 2018, and June 2020. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
• 29
  Jim Murphy,” LinkedIn. Accessed March 31, 2018, and June 2020. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
• 30
  “James E. Murphy Jr.” BakerHostetler. Archived April 3, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/1dKq5
• 31
  “Jim Murphy,” LinkedIn. Accessed March 31, 2018, and June 2020. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
• 32
  “Jim Murphy,” LinkedIn. Accessed March 31, 2018, and June 2020. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
• 33
  “Jim Murphy,” LinkedIn. Accessed March 31, 2018, and June 2020. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
• 34
  “Jim Murphy,” LinkedIn. Accessed March 31, 2018, and June 2020. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
• 35
  “Jim Murphy,” LinkedIn. Accessed March 31, 2018, and June 2020. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
• 36
  “Jim Murphy,” LinkedIn. Accessed March 31, 2018, and June 2020. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
• 37
  “Jim Murphy,” LinkedIn. Accessed March 31, 2018, and June 2020. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
• 38
  “Jim Murphy,” LinkedIn. Accessed March 31, 2018, and June 2020. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.