Charlie Spies

Charles R. Spies is the leader of Clark Hill's national Political Law practice, as well as the Member in Charge of the Washington D.C. office. Charlie has over a decade of experience providing strategic counsel at the highest levels in Washington D.C. and nationwide. He counsels a broad range of organizations, corporations, candidates and individuals confronting challenges and opportunities at the intersection of political and issue campaigns, government ethics, law and public policy. As Chief Financial Officer and Counsel for Governor Mitt Romney’s Presidential campaign, Mr. Spies developed and managed the campaign’s $105 million budget and systems for the campaign's legal compliance with Federal Election Commission, IRS and various state regulations, as well as record-keeping and accounting. During the 2005 and 2006 election cycles, Mr. Spies served as General Counsel and Chief Financial Officer for the Republican Governors Association. At the RGA, he developed the legal and budgeting strategy for the association’s participation in governors’ races in thirty-eight states. During the 2004 Presidential election cycle, Mr. Spies served as Election Law Counsel for the Republican National Committee, where he focused on federal and state election law compliance for the national party, as well as policy and litigation issues involved in campaign finance reform and “527 organizations.” His tenure at the RNC began with the Bush-Cheney administration in 2001, and continued under four Chairmen. After graduating from East Grand Rapids High School, Spies headed to the University of Michigan where he worked on his first major political campaign. It was the U.S. Senate race for Ronna Romney, the former wife of Mitt Romney's brother, Scott. Spies went on to Georgetown Law School. Though he stayed in Washington, D.C., he comes back to Michigan, where his family resides, to attend U-M football games. He's risen through the ranks to become legal counsel for many political campaigns nationwide, including U.S. Senate candidate Pete Hoekstra and U.S. Reps. Fred Upton and Dan Benishek.