Digging for Dirt on Leading Lobbyists

The Week in Review section from this Sunday’s Times contains an interesting article about congressional staffers who have made the “lucrative leap” from Capitol Hill to K Street. And “lucrative” is right:

Superlobbyists might earn up to $1 million a year. Newer recruits earn at least six figures, sometimes starting as high as $200,000 a year, a great leap from the Hill, where salaries vary from office to office but where aides are lucky to break $50,000 a year. Only a small percentage of the more than 16,000 Capitol Hill staff members make more than $100,000.

“What’s happened is that the disparity in salaries — between what members and staff make versus what lobbyists make downtown — it’s gotten so enormous that you could be a medium-high-level Congressional staffer, and you go downtown and the first day be making more money than your boss, the senator, made,” said Charlie Cook, editor of the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. “And I think that’s sort of distorted the pecking order.”

Wow, we’re in the wrong line of work! Is any lobbying firm looking to hire two bloggers? If drinking and schmoozing are the main job skills, we’re highly qualified.

In the past few weeks, with the infamous Jack Abramoff hogging the headlines, it’s easy to forget that this town is crawling with high-powered lobbyists. In a sidebar feature, the Times profiles five leading lobbyists: Terry Allen, Edward J. Newberry, James E. Hyland, Jeffrey J. Connaughton, and Jack Howard.

Does anyone have any good dirt — or at least a few fun facts or amusing anecdotes — about any one of these five fellows? If so, please let us know by email. Thanks!

Once Just an Aide, Now a King of K Street [NYT]

READ MORE: abramoff, charlie cook, edward newberry, jack abramoff, jack howard, james hyland, jeffrey connaughton, lobbying, lobbyists, reader tips, terry allen