Revolving Door Picks Up Speed

There has long been a "revolving door" in Washington, allowing retiring lawmakers and senior bureaucrats to pass seamlessly from public service to the private sector, generally to the substantial benefit of their personal incomes.

The private sector, you see, values the expertise and contacts that the former public servant gained while on the public payroll performing public duties for the benefit of the public. They (the private, for profit companies, that is) think that a former congressman or department head might well be an effective lobbyist among his former colleagues and subordinates, especially considering the intimate knowledge of the public's business they can make available to their private employers.

Of course, the potential for conflict-of-interest problems this presents are so obvious and numerous that even Congress noticed them and passed a law preventing senior officials from lobbying to the industries they previously regulated for one year. This prevents to former official from calling his former subordinate the day after he leaves office to urge him to buy widgits from the official's new employer.

Or not. For a really disgusting and detailed account of just how many loopholes are available to how many former officials allowing them to cash in on the assets they acquired at public expense. Courtesy of the Gray Lady with her customary thoroughness.

O.K., O.K., some highlights, some teasers. Gee, you're like children.

Try Clinton impeachment star Asa Hutchinson who avoids the one year ban by taking with him a senior aide just junior enough to avoid the ban's restrictions.

Or Carol A. DiBattiste who went from a $155,000 deputy administrator at the Transportation Security Administration to a $934,000 somethingorother for Checkpoint, a contractor for DepHomeSec. That OJT really paid off for Carol.

Oh, did we mention that nearly tw0 thirds of DepHomeSec's senior officials have stepped through the fabled revolving door into these really fantastically greener pastures ?

The graphic comes from an organization that keeps an eye on this stuff with more consistency than anyone can reasonably expect from the Zoo (assuming anything can reasonably be expected from the Zoo), so if you are interested, check out the Revolving Door Working Group,
read the New York Times piece excerpted here and

Stay Naked
jd