Mike Shields
US Republican strategist, founder of Convergence Media and head of Portman Road Strategies, registered under FARA in 2025 as a subcontractor on Clock Tower X's Israeli government contract
| Mike Shields
| |
|---|---|
| Born | 1969 |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Political strategist; founder of Convergence Media |
| Known for | Chief of staff of the Republican National Committee; subcontractor on Clock Tower X's contract for the State of Israel |
Mike Shields (Michael Shields, born 1969) is a US Republican strategist and the founder of the political marketing agency Convergence Media.[1][2] In October 2025 he registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) as a subcontractor to Brad Parscale's Clock Tower X, working on its campaign for the State of Israel paid through Havas Media Germany.[1] The Intercept reported that a firm he runs, Portman Road Strategies, received just under $5 million of the Israeli money, and that he was "largely responsible for staffing the contract with the Israeli government".[3] (Critical.)
Career
His company biography says that Shields was chief of staff of the Republican National Committee (RNC) in the 2013–2014 cycle, where he built a "$175 million data platform". Before that he was political director and independent-expenditure director of the National Republican Congressional Committee. It says he has also been president of the American Action Network and of the Congressional Leadership Fund, the House Republican leadership's super PAC; communications director to Newt Gingrich, whom he calls his mentor; chief of staff to Congressman Dave Reichert; and a political commentator for CNN.[2] (Convergence Media-side source.) The Intercept adds that he was a strategist for the former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.[3]
The Intercept reported that during the first Donald Trump administration Shields and Brad Parscale "operated as a package deal", recommending each other's services. It said Parscale often persuaded Republican campaigns, including that of the Florida governor Ron DeSantis, to hire Convergence Media.[3] (Critical.)
Clock Tower X contract
FARA registration
Shields filed a short-form registration on 24 October 2025 as a "subcontractor" of Clock Tower X LLC, giving his occupation as "Business owner" and his foreign principal as "HAVAS Media Network". The services described are "strategic communications, planning, and media services in support of Havas' engagement by the State of Israel to develop and execute a nationwide campaign in the united States to combat anti-Semitism". He answered "Yes" when asked whether this included political activity. His pay was recorded as salary "Not based solely on services rendered to the foreign principal(s)". He disclosed a $3,500 contribution to Whatley for Senate on 29 September 2025.[1] Clock Tower X's supplemental statement lists Michael Shields among the subcontractors added in October 2025.[4]
Portman Road Strategies
Clock Tower X reported paying Portman Road Strategies $4,952,000 between 30 October 2025 and 2 March 2026 for media placement, consulting, polling, splash-page development and advertisement edits. It was the second-largest of the eight suppliers paid from the $15 million that Clock Tower X received from Havas Media Germany.[4] The Intercept reported that Virginia state records show Portman Road Strategies is run by Shields.[3] The company is a Virginia limited liability company formed in March 2018.[5]
Staffing
According to The Intercept, 14 of the 18 members of Brad Parscale's Clock Tower X team were staff of Convergence Media, "a 'campaign strategy, digital, public affairs & media firm' led by Shields".[3] The Quincy Institute repeats the finding, which comes from the same author.[6] (Critical; single source.)
See also
External links
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Michael Shields, Short Form Registration Statement (Clock Tower X LLC; HAVAS Media Network) FARA eFile, US Department of Justice, 24 October 2025. FARA filing (primary).
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Convergence Media, Mike Shields convergencemedia.us, accessed 20 October 2026. Convergence Media-side.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Nick Cleveland-Stout and Jacqueline Sweet, Ex-Trump Campaign Chief Funneled Millions of Israeli Government Money to His Longtime Allies' Companies The Intercept, 28 May 2026. Critical.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Clock Tower X LLC, Supplemental Statement for the six-month period ending 31 March 2026 FARA eFile, 18 May 2026. FARA filing (primary).
- ↑ Portman Road Strategies, LLC – Virginia Company virginia-company.com (Virginia State Corporation Commission data), accessed 20 October 2026. Official (primary, via aggregator).
- ↑ Nick Cleveland-Stout, The Eighth Front: Inside Israel's $1 Billion Influence Campaign Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, Quincy Paper No. 19, 24 July 2026. Critical.