- EVAN BAYH: “Well, This I Can Say Absolutely. I Have Never Done An Official Act For Anybody, In Any Way, In Exchange For Any Sort Of Position. Period. End Of Statement. That’s Just A Flat Out Fact. And Any Assertion To The Contrary Is Just A Lie. I’ll Put It That Way.” (Evan Bayh, Indianapolis Star Editorial Board, 10/5/16)
Three days later, an investigation by the Associated Press reveals Bayh was being patently dishonest. As he spent his last year in office pursuing high-dollar corporate positions, Bayh was apparently able to arrange his soft landing by voting in a way that would benefit his future employers. But only after being wined and dined, of course.
“In June 2010, Bayh was among a small group of Democrats who helped kill a tax increase on private equity gains known as carried interest opposed by Apollo Global Management. That fall he stayed overnight three times at one Apollo executive’s Central Park South residence, and met twice with the company’s chief executive, Leon Black.
“Weeks after Bayh left the Senate, Apollo announced he had been hired as a senior adviser
“Similarly, in May 2010 Bayh lunched with a Marathon Oil board member. Then in June, he and a minority of Democrats joined with Republicans to defeat an amendment by Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont that would have eliminated billions in tax deductions and exemptions for oil and gas companies.
Marathon Petroleum Corp., a new Marathon spinoff, announced Bayh had been elected to its board in July 2011.” (Erica Werner, “Job Hunt Substantial Part of Bayh’s Last Year,” Associated Press, 10/8/16)
It’s time for Evan Bayh to come clean with Hoosiers and admit that he used his position as a Senator to get rich – and he didn’t even wait until he left office to make the arrangements.