Surprise, Surprise: 16 Financial Lobbyists Formerly Worked For Dodd And Shelby

The Business Insider ^ | 6-11-2010 | Talking Points Memo

[blam]

Surprise, Surprise: 16 Financial Lobbyists Formerly Worked For Dodd And Shelby

Talking Points Memo
Jun. 11, 2010, 4:07 PM

Dozens of financial industry lobbyists have ties to lawmakers serving on the conference committee negotiating financial reform legislation, according to data reported by Public Citizen. Among them are seven former chiefs of staff and a total of 16 former employees of Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL).

In addition to the lobbyists with direct ties to the conference committee members, Public Citizen's investigation found 59 lobbyists who have previously worked on either the Senate or House of Representatives banking committees.

The financial services industry's links to the Senate's representatives on the panel are particularly extensive. Collectively, 41 industry lobbyists once worked on the legislative staffs of the committee's 12 senators. And each senator once employed at least one current lobbyist.

The chairman and ranking members of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, Sens. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) and Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), employed the most industry lobbyists - eight each. At least seven current financial services lobbyists once served as chief of staff to a member of the conference committee.

Read the rest here.

[snip]

[blam]

I didn't vote for Richard Shelby in the recent Republican Primary. I wasn't sure exactly why other than Shelby has been there too long and he was once a Democrat.

Shelby won in a landslide.

[pepsionice]

Personally...Shelby is part of the problem...not the solution...in DC.

[RatRipper]

I did the same as you. Shelby has always been a whore. My brother was at a luncheon years ago that Shelby used as a fundraiser stop. My brother said he came into the room looking around and asking, “Who are the guys with money?” My brother never voted for him. I did not in this primary, but will hold my nose and vote for him in the general election. . .I guess he has Rat opposition.