October 30, 2009 - The physical distance between Capitol Hill and K Street is only about a mile. But armed with the knowledge that walking that path can be lucrative, many lawmakers decide to make the trek -- and stay put. Some even do so regardless of whether their congressional terms are over.
Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.) is the most recent example. Within two weeks of announcing his early resignation from Congress last month, Martinez had landed a job at lobbying firm DLA Piper. Under federal law, Martinez will have to wait two years before he can lobby his former colleagues, but in the meantime, he'll be advising the firm's clients based on the inside knowledge he gained after five years on the job.
At least 44 lawmakers have left their congressional seats mid-term since 1990, and at least 16 of them went on to work at lobbying firms or at companies that hired lobbyists, the Center for Responsive Politics has found. Of these 16, three are former senators and 10 are Republicans. Here, we take a closer look at a few of these individuals, examining which industries and clients they're now representing. We also explore the campaign cash they received while in Congress from the industries and organizations they now represent.
Note: The individuals listed below all currently work for a lobbying firm or for an organization that lobbies and were in Congress for some period of time after 1998. This excludes current Oakland Mayor Ronald Dellums, who was a member of Congress between 1971 and 1998 and founded Dellums & Associates; and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who served in Congress between 1982 and 1997, worked for Fleishman-Hillard Inc. and ran for president in 2008. FULL STORY
Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.) is the most recent example. Within two weeks of announcing his early resignation from Congress last month, Martinez had landed a job at lobbying firm DLA Piper. Under federal law, Martinez will have to wait two years before he can lobby his former colleagues, but in the meantime, he'll be advising the firm's clients based on the inside knowledge he gained after five years on the job.
At least 44 lawmakers have left their congressional seats mid-term since 1990, and at least 16 of them went on to work at lobbying firms or at companies that hired lobbyists, the Center for Responsive Politics has found. Of these 16, three are former senators and 10 are Republicans. Here, we take a closer look at a few of these individuals, examining which industries and clients they're now representing. We also explore the campaign cash they received while in Congress from the industries and organizations they now represent.
Note: The individuals listed below all currently work for a lobbying firm or for an organization that lobbies and were in Congress for some period of time after 1998. This excludes current Oakland Mayor Ronald Dellums, who was a member of Congress between 1971 and 1998 and founded Dellums & Associates; and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who served in Congress between 1982 and 1997, worked for Fleishman-Hillard Inc. and ran for president in 2008. FULL STORY
