Senator Mike Rounds’ senior aide moonlights as lobbyist for Meta and industry groups

Robert Skjonsberg, a veteran senior adviser to Republican Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota, has simultaneously operated as a registered lobbyist for more than a dozen clients, among them Meta, Altria, the Freedom Foundation, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, and state agricultural groups. State records show he has been filing lobbying disclosures for a decade and is identified as a co-owner of the consulting firm 605 Strategies, which helped steer Rounds’ successful gubernatorial and Senate campaigns.

After registering to lobby for Meta last year, Rounds introduced several bills related to artificial intelligence, a sector in which the social-media company is heavily investing. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rounds also backs legislation affecting many of Skjonsberg’s represented industries, such as expanding grazing land and restricting foreign ownership of U.S. agricultural assets.

Senate ethics rules prohibit staffers from providing compensated professional services for outside entities, yet Rounds’ office says it sought and follows guidance from the Senate Select Committee on Ethics. Both Meta and the Association of Equipment Manufacturers reported ending their work with Skjonsberg when the 2026 legislative session concluded.