March 5, 2012

One of the many ways Big Money runs Washington is by enlisting former legislators to become lobbyists. These former lawmakers have a high level of access that affords their clients expansive influence. The Center for Responsive Politics and Remapping Debate have teamed up on a joint project to identify the new jobs of members of Congress who retired or were defeated in 2010.

Predictably, their analysis finds that of the 79 members who have found new employment, a whopping 53.2 percent now work in lobbying either for a lobbying firm or a lobbying client. 5.1 percent work for a political action committee.

See the full list here