Packwood Finds Life After Politics Ex-Senator Among Most Powerful Lobbyists
The Pack is back.
Chased from the Senate two years ago by embarrassing allegations of sexual misconduct, Bob Packwood has claimed a spot on the Washingtonian magazine’s list of the 50 most powerful lobbyists on Capitol Hill.
No. 40, to be exact.
“Despite his well-publicized troubles, Packwood remains a formidable intellect and an insightful analyst of legislative landscape. Few know the tax code like Packwood,” the magazine said.
The Oregon Republican says he’s been enjoying life since he resigned in 1995 after the ethics committee recommended his expulsion on charges of sexual misconduct, soliciting jobs from lobbyists for his estranged wife and obstructing a congressional investigation into the allegations.
“I love the lack of publicity, or the kind of publicity I was getting,” the 65-year-old Packwood said in an interview with The Associated Press.
“I have a different circle of friends, many of whom could care less about politics,” he said Tuesday.
“They are perfectly normal people, they just don’t care about politics. You begin to realize they are more the norm than the group you ran with.”
Does anybody ever bring up the old ethics charges?
“No, they never do,” Packwood said. “It hasn’t seemed to bother the clients.”
As far as he knows, it also hasn’t kept him out of any congressional offices either. But he acknowledged it is possible that there could be ulterior motives when aides say the member can’t meet with him on short notice.
“When I was in the Senate, I simply had a rule that any ex-senator, no matter what their philosophy was, could come in and see me. Whether it was George McGovern or Barry Goldwater. It was a courtesy. I find that still holds,” he said.
Packwood, who became one of the most influential members of the Senate as the chairman of the tax-writing Finance Committee, has established himself as the leading lobbyist for a coalition of groups seeking repeal of the estate tax, “we call it the death tax.”
His top business clients are Northwest Airlines, which is trying to protect its market dominance in Japan, and Freightliner, a division of the German automotive giant Daimler-Benz AG that has 2,000 employees in the Portland area.
Packwood and his Sunrise Research Corp. made $60,000 in lobbying fees from the anti-estate tax coalition in the first six months of last year, according to records filed with the Senate Secretary’s Office. His work for the other clients came after that and he won’t be required to report the additional income until next month.
He declined to discuss his finances, only that the fees reported to the Senate represent only about half his income. The other half comes from consulting work. He said he advises clients on such things as how their testimony might be received before a congressional committee, or how their public opinion might shift if they open plants overseas.
Packwood said he hasn’t done any political consulting and doesn’t plan any in the near future.
“I’m out of politics,” he said.
Washington’s list of powerful lobbyists is led by Gerald Cassidy, a former general counsel to McGovern’s Committee on Hunger best known for winning appropriations for educational institutions.
Next on the list are:
Former National Republican Party Chairman Haley Barbour; Bill Clinton’s pal Vernon Jordan; former Minnesota Rep. Vin Weber, who counts Boeing Co. among his clients; Thomas Hale Boggs representing the Association of Trial Lawyers; and former Sens. Lloyd Bentsen of Texas and George Mitchell of Maine.
Other Northwesterners on the list included: No. 21, former Washington Rep. Lloyd Meeds and his business partner, Jack Abramoff (No. 22) at Preston Gates Ellis & Rouvelas Meeds.
At No. 49 is former Washington Rep. Rod Chandler, a partner with former New York Rep. Tom Downey at Downey Chandler. They are the chief Washington D.C. strategists for Fuji Photo Film USA, among others.