09-29-2005
LOBBYING - GOP's K St. Outreach, Lobbyists' Ties Intact After
DeLayMark Wegner
© National Journal Group, Inc.
Leadership insiders on and off Capitol Hill said the departure of Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas, as majority leader is unlikely to interrupt the GOP's K Street outreach efforts or scare clients away from lobbyists with ties to DeLay. GOP leadership aides said DeLay -- who continues to have strong ties to the lobbying community -- passed much of the House GOP's formal K Street portfolio to Majority Whip Blunt, who is now functioning as majority leader, and the whip's office when DeLay ascended to majority leader nearly three years ago. Blunt has been assisted in the whip office by Chief Deputy Majority Whip Eric Cantor, R-Va., and by Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., who attends most coalition meetings. Cantor said he expects little to change in the whip office and said it will continue to enlist outside groups in moving the GOP agenda. "It's really an integral part of the whip office," Cantor said. Sources emphasized that Blunt's role is only temporary and insisted he has not lost focus on his whip job or outreach. They also said they expected DeLay's leadership staff to remain in place and help DeLay maintain his imprimatur on the office.
Ralph Hellmann, a former aide to DeLay and House Speaker Hastert, said he has not heard any rumblings of hesitation among clients that have retained former DeLay aides as lobbyists. "I tend to think it's not going to impact most of the DeLay staff who are out there," Hellmann said. "And who knows, DeLay may be back in three months." Hellmann and other former DeLay aides now on K Street said they expect DeLay's name will be cleared and that he will return to the leadership post he temporarily left Wednesday following his indictment in Texas. Hellmann, now with the Information Technology Industry Council, said senior leadership staffers by virtue of their position have developed relationships with many House members and those relationships make them valuable to their clients. "They know hundreds of members by their first name and their senior staffers," he said.
Cassidy & Associates Chief Operating Officer Gregg Hartley, who served as Blunt's chief of staff, said DeLay remains influential and his former staffers have become successful lobbyists after leaving Capitol Hill. "He's still one of the most powerful people in Washington," Hartley said. "Folks who were on his team probably contributed to that success on legislation and probably walked away with that" experience. Hartley downplayed any increased profile for himself as his former boss steps in as majority leader, describing Blunt's temporary move as another in a series of challenges during his career. "Roy and I go back and have a relationship that goes back 20 years," he said. Hartley and other lobbyists mentioned Ed Buckham at Alexander Strategy Group, Susan Hirschmann at Williams and Jensen and Drew Maloney at the Federalist Group as among DeLay's successful former aides.
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