Revolving Door.Indd
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HE SECOND TERM REVOLVING DOOR he “revolving door” between business and his employment at the White House for a lucrative job at government has swung rapidly in President Exxon Mobil, a company that benefi ted repeatedly from Bush’s second term. In just a few months, scores Cooney’s efforts. Tof administration offi cials have fl ocked to industry jobs, Tcashing in with the corporations they once regulated. Also, Cooney’s case also shows there are problems when the a slew of former industry executives are bringing their revolving door swings the other way. Before entering the corporate-friendly approach to the oversight and execution White House, Cooney worked as an oil industry lobbyist for of public policy. the American Petroleum Institute, the chief representative of the oil and gas industry. Installing people like Cooney in key James Madison famously wrote in Federalist Paper 51: “In posts has meant that special interests have dominated our framing a government which is to be administered by men energy and climate policies. The oil industry’s legislative over men, the great diffi culty lies in this: you must fi rst agenda has been advancing even though there is little enable the government to control the governed; and in the evidence that these policies are in the public interest. next place oblige it to control itself.” Lured by corporate largess, the Bush administration has lost the ability to Cooney is not the only administration offi cial who, during control itself. As a result, public policy has suffered across Bush’s second term, has used his or her government job the board. to secure employment lobbying for the industry he or she once regulated. Former Attorney General John Ashcroft In 2001, Vice President Cheney, shortly after stepping became the fi rst Attorney General to open up a K-Street down as CEO of oil and gas giant Halliburton, had his lobbying fi rm and is now making money advising clients corporate friends help him on law enforcement and write the nation’s energy homeland security. Former policy. The result was an ill- “Th ere are rules, albeit weak ones, that seek to limit Commerce Secretary Don conceived plan that would what government offi cials can do when they fi rst return Evans took a job with the have given away billions in Financial Services Forum, tax subsidies for the fossil to the private sector. But the public has little protection where he will lobby for fuel industry while providing against the machinations of lobbyists who are invited the country’s biggest little investment in clean, fi nancial services fi rms. renewable energy sources. into government and given the levers of power. In an And former Homeland administration that saw fi t to put Vice President Dick Security Secretary Tom In 2003, the Bush Ridge is now helping Savi administration’s chief Cheney, a former oil industry executive, in charge of Technology, a security Medicare offi cial, Thomas drafting its closed-door energy policy, there is little technology fi rm, obtain Scully crafted a bill that grants from the federal added a prescription drug prospect for reining in the special interests. Th e public government. benefi t to Medicare. The bill will be the loser.” included massive benefi ts - Th e New York Times Noting the deleterious to private insurers and the effects of the “revolving pharmaceutical industry, but door,” the New York was able to squeak through Times recently wrote Congress on Scully’s claim that the total cost would be in an editorial, “There are rules, albeit weak ones, that $395 billion over 10 years. Shortly after the bill passed, seek to limit what government offi cials can do when they Scully took a job with Alston & Bird, a law fi rm that fi rst return to the private sector. But the public has little represents Pharma, the pharmaceutical industry’s lobbying protection against the machinations of lobbyists who are arm. In 2004, the Government Accountability Offi ce invited into government and given the levers of power. In (GAO) concluded that Scully violated the law by ordering an administration that saw fi t to put Vice President Dick a government manufactured to withhold the true cost of Cheney, a former oil industry executive, in charge of the Medicare bill, which is now estimated to cost in excess drafting its closed-door energy policy, there is little prospect of $700 billion over the next decade. for reining in the special interests. The public will be the loser.” Philip Cooney provides another example. While Cooney was chief of staff for the White House Council This report – which details the movement of on Environmental Quality, Cooney fought vigorously administration offi cials in and out of industry over the fi rst on behalf of the oil industry’s position that limits on six months of President Bush’s second term – shows that greenhouse gas emissions were unnecessary, going so far the problem is getting worse. The losses will continue to as to doctor scientifi c reports that suggested otherwise. stack up for the American public until the “revolving door” Once his misdeeds were publicly revealed, Cooney left is bolted shut. PART I: GOVERNMENT TO INDUSTRY PHILIP COONEY TOM RIDGE Administration Job: Chief of Staff for White Administration Job: Offi ce of Homeland Security House Council on Environmental Quality Advisor/Secretary of Homeland Security (2001-2005) (2001-2004) New Job: Lobbyist for Exxon Mobil New Job: Corporate Board Member, Details: Before entering the White House, Cooney worked Savi Technology as an oil industry lobbyist for the American Petroleum Institute, the chief representative of the oil and gas industry. Details: Since 1998, Savi has won more than $100 At the Council for Environmental Quality, Cooney million in government contracts for security technology. repeatedly edited government climate reports to play Ridge was previously accused of confl ict of interest, when down links between greenhouse gas emissions and global CBS News reported, “the day after President Bush named warming, a policy position pushed by the oil industry. He him homeland security secretary, Tom Ridge visited the will now lobby for Exxon on issues he helped regulate at Arizona home of a friend whose lobbying fi rm represented the White House, for example the Kyoto protocol, climate companies that were later awarded contracts by Ridge’s change policies, and energy de-regulation. [Reuters, department.” In 2004, Savi was paid over $300,000 6/14/05; Chicago Sun Times, 6/15/05] in lobbying fees to infl uence “Department of Defense Appropriations.” [CBS, 1/13/05; NYT, 4/14/05; Lobbying Disclosure] JOHN ASHCROFT Administration Job: Attorney General J. STEVEN GRILES (2001-2005) Administration Job: Deputy Secretary of Interior New Job: Opening a consulting company that will advise clients on homeland security, law (2001-2004) enforcement and other business and government New Job: Partner, the Lundquist Group, LLC issues Details: As deputy secretary, Griles was “instrumental Details: As Attorney General, Ashcroft was responsible in streamlining regulations to speed the approval process for reforming an intelligence system and other law for mountaintop-removal coal mining,” a practice enforcement regulations in the post-9/11 period. He will be environmentalists and Appalachia residents refer to the fi rst Attorney General ever to open a K-Street lobbying as “an environmental apocalypse.” The Lundquist fi rm, and he will do so with his long-time chief of staff and lobbying fi rm is headed by former top White House political aide, David Ayres. [USA Today, 5/2/05] energy adviser, Andrew Lundquist, who chaired Vice President Dick Cheney’s energy task force in the Bush administration’s fi rst term. The Group “represents major DON EVANS energy corporations such as BP and Exelon.” Last year the Administration Job: Secretary of Commerce group was paid hundred of thousands of dollars to lobby (2001-2004) on a wide range of issues, including “mine permitting,” New Job: CEO, Financial Services Forum “mercury emissions” and “funding for Yucca Mountain.” Prior to 2001, Griles was “a principal with National Details: As Secretary of Commerce, Evans was Environmental Strategies, Inc. (NES), a consulting fi rm responsible for overseeing U.S. industry. The Financial providing advice to companies, trade associations and Services Forum is a lobbying group for the country’s others with regard to policy, regulatory, environmental and biggest fi nancial service fi rms. Evans will ensure the energy issues at the Federal and State government level.” fi rms will continue to have a prominent seat at the table in [Outside, 5/05; Roll Call, 2/1/05; Lobbying Disclosure; Bush’s second term. [AP, 5/3/05] Griles Bio] 2 ANTHONY J. PRINCIPI WILLIAM PIERCE Administration Job: Secretary of Veterans Affairs Administration Job: Deputy Assistant Secretary (2001-2004) for Public Affairs, Department of Health and New Job: Vice President of government relations Human Services (2001-2005) for Pfi zer Inc. New Job: Vice President, Apco Worldwide, a Details: As Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Principi public affairs and strategic communications fi rm. presided over cuts in health care for veterans, saying the Pierce will be focusing on health care issues. growth in health care costs was “eating up” the VA budget. Details: Apco is a consulting fi rm which “includes But the drug manufacturer Pfi zer was a major benefi ciary among its clients six of the top 10 companies on Fortune’s of the Bush Medicare bill, which banned importation and Global 500,” including pharmaceutical companies which restricted states from bulk purchasing practices that would wield major infl uence on Bush administration health care drive down drug costs. Pfi zer CEO Henry McKinnell – a policies.