Wayne Berman

{{Short description|American lobbyist (born 1956)}}

{{BLP sources|date=June 2023}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2019}}

{{Infobox person

|image = Wayne Berman 2003 (cropped).jpg

|caption = Berman in 2003

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1956|11|8}}

|birth_place = Rochester, New York, U.S.

|death_date =

|death_place =

|party = Republican

|education = State University of New York,
Buffalo {{small|(BA)}}
Georgetown University

}}

Wayne Lee Berman is an American businessman and former lobbyist. He is the senior managing director for government relations at the Blackstone Group.{{cite web|url=https://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/lobbying-hires/117700-prominent-gop-lobbyist-leaves-ogilvy-for-private-equity-firm/ |title=Prominent GOP lobbyist leaves Ogilvy for private-equity firm |author= |date=June 21, 2012 |website=Thehill.com |access-date=April 9, 2017|quote=Berman to Blackstone}} He was formerly the chairman of Ogilvy Government Relations, a division of Ogilvy & Mather.[http://www.ogilvygr.com/Who_We_Are/Wayne-Berman.aspx Ogilvy Biography: Wayne L. Berman] Berman is considered a key figure in Republican political advocacy, serving as a senior advisor on the 2000 and 2004 Bush-Cheney campaigns, Finance Chairman of the 2008 John McCain presidential campaign, and Chairman of Marco Rubio's 2016 presidential campaign.

Berman, a native of Rochester, New York, is married to Lea Berman, who served as the Social Secretary and Special Assistant to the President under George W. Bush. Prior to that she was chief of staff for Dick Cheney's wife, Lynne Cheney.[http://littlesis.org/person/40193/Lea_Berman LittleSis profile: Lea Berman]

Berman was a close friend of McCain. In October 2008, Berman made an anonymous comment to the press calling Sarah Palin, McCain's vice presidential nominee, a "diva". The quote received considerable media attention and infuriated Palin and others within the campaign.{{Cite book |title=Game Change |last1=Heilemann |first1=John |authorlink1=John Heilemann |last2=Halperin |first2=Mark |authorlink2=Mark Halperin |chapter=Seconds in Command |date=January 11, 2010 |publisher=HarperCollins |isbn=978-0-06-196620-0 |pages=414–415}}