Lynn Jenkins (KS-2) didn’t run for re-election. Her seat, a hotly contested race where the Republican prevailed by eighteen hundred votes, stayed in Republican hands, while the money out of her district — well, it found a new place to go. While Jenkins still has a term to serve out, that didn’t stop the sitting congresswoman from opening up a lobbying firm, despite rules calling for a cooling off period around such a practice.
From McClatchy News Service:
Jenkins’ term in the U.S. House doesn’t officially end until the first week of January and she still faces major votes on the farm bill, homeland security budget and other legislation. But her new business, LJ Strategies, LLC, has already registered with the state of Kansas.
Ethics watchdogs say the situation makes a mockery of the rules restricting lawmakers from working as lobbyists until they’ve been out of office for at least one year.
“This is an egregious abuse of the revolving door,” said Craig Holman, the lobbyist for Public Citizen, a group which advocates for stricter ethics rules.
“I suspect she’s being coached as to how to dance around the law, but it certainly violates the spirit of the revolving door law itself,” he said.
And, Holman warned, “She’s opened herself up to being bought.”
The story was originally brought to attention by Sunflower State Journal’s Brad Cooper, who in a post on December 4th, noted the formation of the lobbying and consulting agency.
Jenkins, who is leaving Congress after five terms, announced recently on Facebook that she and Leopold have formed LJ Strategies LLC.
The firm was formed Nov. 13, according to records at the secretary of state’s office. Leopold is listed as the registered agent on the incorporation documents.
The consulting firm will provide strategic analysis, comprehensive federal and state government relations, political consulting and association management, Jenkins announced in her post.
Jenkins announcement comes as no surprise, but it certainly puts a new spin on the DC revolving door — as Trump and Republicans continue to move forward on lame duck session legislating, Jenkins sits as a congress member with a lobbying effort she has a known financial partnership in, but hey, I guess IOKIYAR.