Mike Lee Defends Hiring Lobbyist As Chief Of Staff (VIDEO)

Mike Lee, Utah's incoming freshman Republican senator, defended on Sunday his decision to hire a high-profile lobbyist as his chief of staff, a striking move in the wake of an election season in which talk of curbing K Street's influence on Washington politics was a common theme.

Lee defended the appointment during a conversation with "Fox News Sunday" host Chris Wallace:

WALLACE: You have chosen an energy lobbyist as your chief of staff. Is that the right person to drain the swamp here in Washington? Incidentally, that's not the right person. But are you -- is that the right person to drain the swamp in Washington, an energy lobbyist?

LEE: I've hired the brightest political mind, political consultant and lobbyist in Utah, Manning Spencer Stokes. He is a brilliant man. He understands Utah politics and he understands Washington politics. And I need a man like that to help me in Washington.

WALLACE: And you're not scared off by the fact he's a lobbyist?

LEE: No. He's a lobbyist and he's a political consultant. And I'm not scared off by that. He and I share a common vision, which is more constitutionally limited federal government. He's willing to fight with me to achieve that objective. And that's exactly the kind of person we need in Washington, D.C. right now is someone who has that goal in mind.

The Salt Lake Tribune reported in November on the relationship between Lee and incoming chief of staff Spencer Stokes.

They have also both worked for EnergySolutions and Stokes is still registered to lobby for the nuclear services company, which operates a radioactive waste landfill in Utah.

Stokes is currently registered to lobby for 18 organizations in the state, including the Utah League of Credit Unions; Management & Training Corp., a private prison company; and a number of energy interests, including utilities and the Utah Association of Energy Users.

Last week, GOP Senator-Elect Ron Johnson of Wisconsin answered similar questions about his chief of staff, saying that he had selected seasoned lobbyist Don Kent because of his "organizational skills, for his ability to identify people of intelligence and integrity to staff my Senate office."

The Washington Post recently reported that, after campaigning on a platform to drain the swamp in Washington, a number of incoming Republican lawmakers had placed former lobbyists in integral staff positions.

Beyond these personnel choices, the Post also found that many freshman GOP legislators wasted no time before partaking in expensive fundraisers fueled by moneyed interests.

WATCH (via ThinkProgress):

Comments

[Onania Tosser]

05:00 AM on 01/25/2011

Don't give this guy Big Love, rather Big Shove.

[storeysound]

08:33 PM on 01/19/2011

Well, no conflict of interest there!

Perhaps the Senate Ethics Committee should just get started on this guy right now, 'cause he's an action wanting to happen.

[rhays1]

02:12 PM on 01/17/2011

Our country will never be represented by individuals that are beholden to we the people until our current campaign election system is publicly financed. No matter the issue, I have said and will keep saying that we must take the money out of politics. Public finance of all elections is the only way that our representatives will be responsive to the people. One man or women of qualified registry equals one vote, no more and no less. This will not cost taxpayers one dime as our broadcasters are obligated to perform public service. If these broadcasters wants to continue to hold their FCC license, then they WILL provide time for candidates to debate, advertise and state their positions on issues that face our country, state and local community. This time shall be allocated six months prior to whatever election is held. The only contribution a candidate can receive is a vote ....from our citizens, no more campaign finance contributions, special interests or K street. And while I'm thinking about it, why do we even need representative government in this day of the internet? Can we voters not decide in real time whatever issue is before us? Send our representatives home. We can decide the issues from the comfort of our own homes. PUBLIC FINANCE OF ELECTIONS IS THE ONLY SOLUTION TO OUR CORRUPT POLITICAL SYSTEM OF MONEY CONTROLS ALL.

[treadway123]

12:40 PM on 01/16/2011

Always need a lobbyist who has boughten an paid for u! He will be glad to tell him what to vote for an what Not to vote for. Where he can get his hands on the most money to run agains an fill his coffer------because that is what it is all about. To serve yourself, not the people!

[lw1]

12:02 AM on 01/17/2011

The baggers that hire Lobbyists for their staff do not have a clue - the founders hated big corporations and stopped their influence. The Boston Tea Party was against the East India Company that got tax breaks from England. East India was a big corporation that had the cheapest tea because of the tax breaks which gave an unfair advantage in the eyes of the founders. Now the baggers just do what Koch industries (a big corp the founders would have hated) wants them to do.

[EgregiousEgregious]

11:53 PM on 01/14/2011

Bought and paid for. Bought and paid for. Lock, stock, 'n' barrel. We oughta' have a grassroots movement in this country opposin' politics as usual. Much like the patriots did durin' the Boston Tea Party. That'd be sumthin'. Then, lobbyists wouldn't be takin' over Congressional offices like this.

[treadway123]

12:49 PM on 01/16/2011

I am in favor of the next movement we have in United States as soon as the weather warms up is to tell Goverment/all of it in Washington to clean up their acts----Get corperate out of our elections--------Get Lobbyist out of our W. House an stop stumping for money untill 4 months before the elections or we won't hire u again. This bit of fundraiseing year around, month after month takes up the Gov. Time/money----They should NOT be allowed to do it dureing the day when we are paying them! They should have to limit their time spent on fund raiseing. We should all take closer account of how many votes/debates/committee time they are missing, an dock their pay.

[LeFlaneur]

01:48 PM on 01/04/2011

It's called the Teabagger's dilemma.

Did Joe TeaVoter get fooled for the hundredth time by the same populist nonsense? Or did Joe TeaVoter know exactly for whom and for what he was voting?

I tend to think the latter. Joe TeaVoter wants low taxes and a hard-line agenda of social conservatism. Other than that he couldn't care less what these officials do.

[bellsshells]

03:21 PM on 01/04/2011

Right..it's more than a coincidence that the teabagger "agenda" is consistent with Steve Forbes'.

[towny]

01:44 PM on 01/04/2011

Ha Take that Tea Baggers...you getting the ol shaft!

[Garspies]

01:39 PM on 01/04/2011

You can't "drain the swamp" by plugging the drain.

[MJinCanada]

04:09 PM on 01/04/2011

It's like that mold in the overflow of old sinks....

[rmonroe]

11:45 AM on 01/04/2011

Typical teabagger liar. He just said what he needed to say to get elected, but is just like any Republican politician, in the pocket of special interests and lobbyists. You got duped Utah.

[gsmp]

10:51 AM on 01/04/2011

Where's the d@@@@mn jobs? A government fuuuuuuuuull of corporate lobbyists, yeh, that's the ticket! Now on to the next fundraiser!! EEEEEHAAAAA!

[Veri]

10:36 AM on 01/04/2011

More of the same. That is all you need to know. A vote for a Republican/TeaBag is a vote for Wall Street and K-Street.

[liveordie]

10:08 AM on 01/04/2011

Along with all the words banned for 2011 should be the word hypocrisy, the GOTP'ers have relegated the word to the "means nothing" pile.

[kurtvb]

08:51 AM on 01/04/2011

Many Tea Party supporters actually believed the rhetoric that was used by the lobbyist/big money back Tea Party candidates. They (both of them) will be surprised in 2 years. The supportes will be even more disillusioned, and may even turn of participating in politics. Although I do not support their politics, that will be bad for the country. The monied interests will be even more entrenched in D.C., and the country will be closer to a Fascist state.

[Cacey]

08:25 AM on 01/04/2011

Can't the Tea Party organizers and "leadership" be arrested for the fraud they imposed on America's Seniors last year?  Their scam seems much worse than any "registered letter" from the Nigerian Lottery Commission.

[cupcake77]

08:17 AM on 01/04/2011

Watches as the Tea-party turns around and eats its own tail.