Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Too Cozy for Comfort

Here we go again....
Yet another former staff member of Deborah Pryce's has landed a job with a lobbying firm. The Hill is reporting the following news:

Andrew Shore, a three-year veteran of the office of House GOP Conference Chairwoman Deborah Pryce (R-Ohio), has landed at Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw. Shore, who spent nine months as Pryce’s chief of staff before leaving just after last month’s House leadership election, has also worked under former House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Archer (R-Texas) and former Rep. Phil Crane (R-Ill.).

This news follows the recent hiring of Rachel Robinson by Pryce. Rachel Robinson, a registered lobbyist, serves as Pryce's chief of staff. There is more information on Robinson here .

Kathryn Lehman, another former chief of staff for Pryce, left Pryce to go to a lobbying firm in May 2005 (The Hill).

How much influence do these former staff members exert over Pryce with their new found power as lobbyists?
How much influence does Rachel Robinson, registered lobbyist, have in legislation that comes out of Pryce's office? Isn't this all just a little too, too cozy? Is it reasonable to assume that Pryce's views have been swayed by her relationships with these former/current staff members? Do their invitations, requests, phone calls get answered first? I'm just asking.