Former registered lobbyist Jeb Bush, with his campaign fueled by lobbyist dollars, today continues his farce of taking on “Mount Washington” in the shadow of Mt. Washington.
But at today’s New Hampshire town hall, the biggest lobbyist presence will be Jeb’s own.
Recent reports have brought to the conversation Jeb Bush’s early-90s history as a registered lobbyist in Miami-Dade County. Shockingly — or perhaps not — Jeb neglected to boast about this resume-booster during his speech on Monday in which he “complained about ‘swarms of lobbyists’ who hold sway over Washington,” as the Associated Press reported.
We eagerly await to see if Jeb will come clean on his lobbying roots, and continuing ties to lobbyists, as he aims to bring them with him toward a different Mt. Washington to the south.
Associated Press: Bush blasts ‘swarms of lobbyists’ but once registered as one “Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush complained about “swarms of lobbyists” who hold sway over Washington, but he has accepted campaign donations from lobbyists, turned to some for advice and was once registered as a lobbyist himself…For Bush, the connection is not new. Before he was governor, Bush himself was a registered lobbyist on behalf of Codina Bush Group and a country club development in 1991, Miami-Dade records show.”
Wall Street Journal: Jeb Bush Takes Aim at Lobbyists “In December 2005, one year before he left office, Mr. Bush signed a law requiring lobbyists to disclose their compensation and banning them from plying lawmakers with meals and gifts…However, state disclosure reports show that the lobbying community saw robust growth after the law was passed…In addition, lobbyists found ways around the Florida law by contributing to lawmakers’ political committees, which could then use the funds to pay for meals, travel and more… In 1991, Mr. Bush registered as a lobbyist in Miami-Dade County on behalf of his real estate company with developer Armando Codina before he was elected to office, according to records. The documents show Mr. Bush also listed that he was representing the Deering Bay residential development, which he and Mr. Codina sold after it was battered by Hurricane Andrew in 1992.”
Tampa Bay Times: Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio were registered lobbyists? “Here’s another thing Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush have in common: They have both been registered lobbyists in Miami-Dade County. In 1991, Bush registered as a lobbyist in Miami-Dade on behalf of his real estate company with Armando Codina before he was elected to office, according to records reported on by the Wall Street Journal. Bush was representing Deering Bay residential development, which he and Codina sold after Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Rubio was also listed as a registered lobbyist in Miami-Dade, from 1997 to 2005 while he worked for various law firms, mostly on land use. In 2003, Rubio was registered as a federal lobbyist while working for Becker & Poliakoff.”
Published: Jul 23, 2015