BIO

Jessica Furst Johnson is a partner at Lex Politica and has spent the past seventeen years serving as General Counsel for three different national political party committees and countless state and federal candidates, cementing her as one of the most experienced campaign finance and election law attorneys in the industry. Jessica focuses her practice on campaign finance and election law matters relevant to political parties and committees, companies, and tax-exempt organizations active in the political space, both on the federal level and across the 50 states. She is also known for her work in advising clients on corporate governance and compliance with state and federal ethics guidance, as well as navigating the intersection of public relations and political law. In addition to her firm work, Jessica has served as General Counsel to the Republican Governors Association, the primary organization dedicated to supporting and electing Republican Governors, for the past seven years.

In the 2018 election cycle, Jessica served as General Counsel to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, advising the national political party committee, Republican Members of the U.S. Senate, and candidates for U.S. Senate on matters related to Federal campaign finance law, ethics rules, contract law, corporate law, and intellectual property regulations. During this time, Jessica oversaw the legal strategy for the 2018 Florida U.S. Senate Recount, managing more than 20 lawsuits, hundreds of volunteer attorneys, and over 10 different law firms to ensure victory in a nine-day recount across Florida’s 67 counties.

Jessica also served as General Counsel to the National Republican Congressional Committee from 2009-2016. During the 2014 and 2016 cycles, Jessica continued as General Counsel, while also serving the committee in a managerial and strategic role as Deputy Executive Director. In 2016, Jessica was selected as NRCC Independent Expenditure Director, managing the NRCC’s paid political efforts in 30+ congressional races, and leading a staff and vendor team of more than 80 people, and a budget exceeding $76 million.

Prior to joining Lex Politica, Jessica practiced as a partner at a prominent boutique election law firm and was an associate at an Am Law 50 law firm. Before going to law school, Jessica spent two election cycles working as Communications Director and Campaign Manager for Congresswoman Katherine Harris’s successful congressional campaigns in Sarasota, Florida.

Jessica received her J.D. from the University of Florida’s Levin College of Law, where she was an editor of the Florida Law Review and members of Florida Blue Key, and earned her undergraduate degrees in Journalism and Political Science at the University of Missouri-Columbia. She is a Member of the Florida Bar, the Virginia Bar, the District of Columbia Bar, and the Supreme Court of the United States of America Bar.

Jessica lives in Alexandria, Virginia with her husband and their two children. She currently serves on the board of Winning for Women, on the executive committee of the advisory council for University of Florida’s Levin College of Law, and as a trustee for the University of Florida Foundation. Jessica has contributed to election law related segments on NBC Nightly News and various national FOX News programs and serves as a frequent speaker for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Jessica has been recognized by Chambers USA as a top-ranking attorney in the political law space for four years running and was selected as one of Business Insider’s 20 Female Political Strategists to watch in advance of the 2022 Election Cycle.