Washington superlobbyist Evan Bayh, whose $10 million warchest was supposed to make the Indiana Senate race a “slam dunk” for Democrats, has seen his lead evaporate so quickly that he’s resorted to lying about his lobbying career. The K Street influencer even told an Indianapolis TV station, “I’ve never asked a government official for anything. Anything.”
That laughable claim was begging to be picked apart – and picked apart it was. A new Politico investigation reveals the extent of Bayh’s career in the influence-peddling industry. Bayh leveraged his political contacts and made millions of dollars as he “sought to sway public policy to favor clients of McGuire Woods.” So, you know, lobbying.
The key findings from Politico are here:
“But he did carve out a lucrative niche in public advocacy, speaking and corporate board positions that allowed him to wield influence as a former lawmaker with decades of policy experience. Bayh sought to sway public policy to favor clients of McGuireWoods, the law and lobbying firm where he has worked since 2011, as well as other groups he affiliated with while out of office.”
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“Though Bayh does not have to publicly disclose the clients he has worked with at McGuireWoods, there are links between his public pronouncements and companies that work with the firm.
“The Indiana-based medical device manufacturer Cook Group hired McGuireWoods to represent its interests in Washington in April 2012, a year after Bayh joined the firm. Soon after, Bayh started speaking publicly against the medical device tax in Obamacare – the specific issue Cook Group signed up McGuireWoods lobbyists to address with members of Congress, according to federal lobbying disclosure filings.”
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"Last spring, Bayh traveled to Connecticut in his capacity as co-chair of Nuclear Matters, an industry-funded organization he leads with ex-Sen. Judd Gregg (another former lawmaker who is not a registered lobbyist). Bayh was accompanied by executives of Dominion Resources, a power company and client of McGuireWoods’ which owns a nuclear plant in Connecticut facing stiff competition from cheap natural gas.
“At a public state legislative hearing, Bayh recited statistics on nuclear power’s value and warned that the closure of other nuclear plants in recent years had left states more reliant on fossil fuels. Bayh and the Dominion executives also met with Democratic Gov. Dannel Malloy during their trip.”
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“Bayh and three officials from Apollo also met with Valerie Jarrett, senior adviser to President Obama, in March of 2013, according to White House visitor records. The meeting took place after the 2012 presidential election had put strain on ties with the finance community, and it came at the White House’s request, according to the source advising Bayh.”
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“The American Security Initiative, the smaller of the two nonprofit groups, had the goal of convincing 65 percent or more of the public to oppose the Iran deal. The group "did have some impact" with lawmakers and the public, said former Sen. Saxby Chambliss, a Georgia Republican who sat on ASI’s board with Bayh, said in an email.” (Maggie Severns and Isaac Arnsdorf, “Bayh’s Missing Five Years,” Politico, 9/28/16)
Time and time again, Bayh used his political connections to influence public policy. Sorry Senator, if you walk like a lobbyist and talk like a lobbyist – you’re a lobbyist.