Privacy debate ahead, Facebook adds Bush aides to lobby team

Facebook is adding two Republicans from the Bush White House to its lobby team as it gears up for the debate over consumer privacy legislation.

Joel Kaplan, who served as deputy chief of staff under President George W. Bush, will join Facebook on June 13 as vice president of US public policy. He will report to vice president of global public policy Marne Levine. Accompanying Kaplan from the Bush White House will be Myriah Jordan, who will join the firm’s congressional relations team on June 6 as policy manager. She most recently served as general counsel to Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC). Cathie Martin, who had been managing Facebook’s outreach on Capitol Hill, will take a leave of absence starting in early June to tend to personal matters. There is no timetable for her return; in the interim, Jordan and public policy director Tim Sparapani will take over congressional relations.