Former GOP rep joins K Street lobbying firm Capitol Counsel
Former Rep. Charles Boustany (R-La.), who left Congress after an unsuccessful run for Senate last year, is joining K Street firm Capitol Counsel.
“He fits right in with the firm’s culture and will make an immediate contribution to our experienced and well-rounded team here in Washington,” John Raffaelli, a founding partner at the firm, said in a statement.
Boustany served in Congress for 12 years, including on the House’s tax-writing committee, chairing the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Tax Policy — an essential connection as Republicans hope to tackle tax reform.
{mosads}The former congressman — who is also a retired cardiovascular surgeon — vied for the Louisiana Senate seat left open by David Vitter (R), who ran for governor, but he did not advance out of the state’s “jungle primary.”
He is not able to lobby his former colleagues for one year, due to a required “cooling off” period required of former officials.
Another Louisiana Republican, former congressman Jim McCrery, is also at Capitol Counsel.
McCrery, who was formerly the top Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee and retired from Congress in 2009, touted his former colleague’s expertise.
His “understanding of Congress, the Administration, and complex policy issues will continue to enhance what we are able to do for our clients,” McCrery said.
At one point, Boustany’s name briefly surfaced as a contender to serve as U.S. trade representative in the Trump administration.
He had been the leader of the Friends of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Caucus on Capitol Hill, angering some Trump allies, although Boustany issued a statement at one point disavowing some of the provisions in the Obama-era trade deal.
Capitol Counsel earned more than $16 million in lobbying revenues in 2016, working for clients including Comcast, the NFL, private prison company GEO Group, Beam Suntory, JPMorgan Chase, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association, SolarWorld Americas, Intuit and Chevron.
Boustany is the latest lawmaker to leave Capitol Hill after the last election cycle to head to K Street.
Last week, law and lobby firm King & Spalding announced it had hired former Rep. Ander Crenshaw (R-Fla.). Crenshaw, who served in Congress since 2001, did not seek reelection in 2016.
Former Rep. Joe Heck (R-Nev.), who waged an unsuccessful campaign for a Senate seat last year, became a president of government relations at RedRock Strategies earlier this year.
Following his gubernatorial election loss in 2015, Vitter took his talents to public relations and lobbying giant Mercury last month.
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