Dozens of Senior Congressional Committee Staffers Once Worked as Lobbyists http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2011/03/dozens-of-senior-congressional-comm.html

Dozens of senior congressional committee staff members are former federally registered lobbyists, having represented various special interests that frequently clash with Congress, an analysis by the Center for Responsive Politics and Remapping Debate indicates.In all, at least 43 out of 334 top congressional committee staffers are found to have previously worked as federal lobbyists, the Center and Remapping Debate find. These staff members serve on committees in both the House and Senate, controlled respectfully by Republicans and Democrats.

"The expertise that lobbyists-turned-congressional committee staffers bring to their positions is valuable -- more information is always good. But the results of this study raise a critical question: Are key staffers also harboring allegiances to special interests that have significant business before Congress?" said Sheila Krumholz, the Center's executive director. "This study demonstrates that the phenomenon is common enough to merit continued vigilance."

An ex-lobbyist for the Securities Industry Association, for example, is now staff director of the House Ways and Means Committee.A former lobbyist for Paralyzed Veterans of America is now chief counsel for the House Veterans Affairs Committee. Meanwhile, an ex-Wilderness Society lobbyist today serves as senior counsel for the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. A former lobbyists for the American Gas Association does, as well.And the staff director of the House Appropriations Committee used to lobby for defense contractor Lockheed Martin.

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee's general council, for his part, used to represent the interests of the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants.Committee positions studied include staff directors, chief counsels, general counsels, senior counsels, deputy chief counsels and deputy staff directors.Earlier this year, the Center and Remapping Debate published a report on the number of congressional office staffers who've previously worked as federal lobbyists, as well as a report on members of the 111th Congress who now work in the government influence industry.