The Political Life

Machalagh Carr is a trusted and discreet counselor with decades of private sector and government experience. She has nimbly navigated the intersection of congressional investigations and oversight, law, geopolitics, international anticorruption measures, and policy, and served as the top staffer in Article I as Chief of Staff to Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy.  She is the Founder & CEO of Quell strategies, a boutique consulting firm where she helps client navigate Washington and translates the intricacies of public policy to the business world.  Prior to her role as Chief of Staff, she served as General Counsel for the Speaker and Office of the Republican Leader at the U.S. House of Representatives. Previously, she served as General Counsel & Parliamentarian for the Committee on Ways and Means, where she handled all legal and procedural issues for the Committee. Before that, she was the Oversight Staff Director at the Committee where she led the investigations and oversight of all issues within the Committee's jurisdiction, served as the Director of Oversight and Investigations for the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and as Senior Oversight Counsel at the Committee on Natural Resources. Prior to her public service, Machalagh served in the Office of Global Compliance of an international energy company where she conducted internal anti-corruption investigations, audits, and compliance reviews for the company, including expertise in FCPA, and UK Bribery Act.  She also practiced in the Litigation, White Collar, and Government Investigations Group at Sonnenschein Nath and Rosenthal LLP (now Dentons).   She currently serves as the Head of Global Policy for Palantir Technologies.  Directly after law school, Machalagh clerked for the Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. She taught Trial Practice at Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law, is a Politics and Public Service Fellow at Georgetown University McCourt School, and lives in Virginia with her husband and three sons.

Jordan Rodell is a seasoned public policy professional specializing in technology and free speech advocacy. She currently serves as Public Policy Manager at X (formerly Twitter), where she leads legislative and executive engagement efforts across the U.S. Prior to this, she was the State Policy Manager at the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA), advancing policy on content moderation, privacy, digital taxation, and antitrust. Earlier in her career, Jordan tracked emerging legislation at Stateside Associates, with a focus on tech, privacy, and economic development. She began her work in policy at the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), advocating for small businesses in Tennessee. Jordan holds a B.B.A. from Florida Atlantic University.

During The Political Life podcast's legislative session recess, we bring you another rebroadcast of a recent MultiState virtual event. To gain insights on trends and a better understanding of the state of play with attorneys general, MultiState's Maggie Mick and Kelley Drye & Warren's Paul Singer, AG Practice Chair, hosted a conversation on March 25, 2025. For many states, March marks the halfway point for legislative session and aptly coincides with the excitement and chaos of March Madness. In 2025, March seems to have a little more madness with a new presidential administration and state attorneys general around the country asserting their prerogative in policy debates at both the state and federal levels.

Meet Jacque Robinson-Baisley, currently the Director of External Affairs for Cordoba Corp. in their Education and Facilities Sector.  Jacque also served as Vice Mayor and Councilmember for the City of Pasadena – that was recently devastated by the wildfires. Jacque is a tenured leader with over two decades of experience in stakeholder engagement and government relations in the greater Los Angeles region and statewide. Her prior experience includes managing and directing community, electoral, and advocacy campaigns with labor unions, nonprofits, school districts, and philanthropy. She has been recognized for her expertise in policy development, community engagement, government relations, strategic planning, and special event planning and execution. Jacque also served as Vice Mayor and Councilmember for the City of Pasadena from 2007-2015. Among her many accomplishments, she spearheaded the development and adoption of the Lincoln Avenue Specific Plan and served as a Commissioner for the Hollywood-Burbank Airport. She continues her personal commitment to public service as a current Board Member of Pathways LA, Pasadena Delta Foundation, and the National Women's Political Caucus, Greater Pasadena Area. Here is the link to the Go Fund page:  https://gofund.me/d50fce17

For this week's episode, we are rebroadcasting a webinar hosted by Maggie Mick and Brock Ingmire and features new National Conference of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL), Will Melofchik. Will was installed as CEO on January 1. He was formerly NCOIL's General Counsel. Previously, Will was a Regulatory Officer in the Legislative and Regulatory Affairs Unit at the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance and worked in private practice. Will is a member of the New Jersey and New York Bar, having graduated cum laude from Touro Law School, where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Moot Court Honors Board. Will graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Connecticut.