Apple Hires NFL Lobbyist to Run Washington Office

As the battle over encryption shifts to Congress, Apple has hired the National Football League’s top lobbyist and a former aide to Vice President Joe Biden to run its Washington, D.C., offices.

Cynthia Hogan will serve as the Cupertino technology giant’s vice president for public policy and government affairs — a position that has been vacant for about a year. She’ll report to Lisa Jackson, the former head of the Environmental Protection Agency who heads Apple’s environment, policy and social initiatives.

“Cynthia’s intellect and judgment have consistently distinguished her as a uniquely talented professional and we’re lucky to have her join the team at Apple,” Jackson said in a statement.

The appointment was first reported in Politico.

Hogan will seek to influence the national debate over security and privacy at a time when two powerful U.S. Senators, Dianne Feinstein and Richard Burr, have drafted legislation that would require technology companies to decrypt messages when served with a court order.

Silicon Valley is already lining up in opposition to the proposal, and some D.C. observers are skeptical that any bill that deals with such a controversial issue will get passed in an election year.

Hogan assumes the new role on April 29.

“I’m honored to join a wonderful team committed to making the best products on earth and leaving the world better than we found it,” said Hogan.

This article originally appeared on Recode.net.