Category — Lobbyists

Earlier this month, Peter Roskam voted to give a big gift to telephone companies: retroactive immunity from civil lawsuits for their role in George Bush’s illegal scheme to spy on Americans. Peter Roskam, would tell you, no doubt, that large campaign contributions from telephone companies and Roskam’s close personal ties to lobbyists for Verizon had absolutely no influence on his vote to obliterate the constitutional rights of his constituents. 

The vote came on 6/20. The bill was H.R. 6304, FISA Amendments Act of 2008. This so-called “compromise” on FISA allows the federal government to conduct mass untargeted surveillance of all communications coming into or going out of the country without any need to seek court approval, even if there is no evidence of wrongdoing. In those circumstances where court review is required, where there is a specific target, a prior court order is not required and the courts are not allowed to know who is being targeted. They may only review general procedures for establishing targets. When a court rules against the government it will be allowed to continue spying while it exhausts all appeals. The measure allows no effective check to the power of the government to spy on Americans and no effective oversight regarding the manner in which it applies that power.

The gift to the telephone companies contained in the bill is the assurance it provides that all lawsuits pending from the companies’ illegal activities in support of the Bush spying program will be dismissed. It does this by changing the standard so that the companies are not required to have received a legal order - any order is fine. ATT, one of Peter Roskam’s largest campaign contributors, and Verizon, who’s lobbyist’s Jason Roe and Kirsten Mork have close ties to Roskam, are no doubt pleased by this provision. Maplight.org, a campaign finance watchdog group , found that those lawmakers who voted for the bill received, on average, twice the amount in donations from large telephone companies.

Roskam’s vote is just one more example of his consistent pattern of giving a “rubber stamp” of approval to the worst abuses of the Bush administration and of placing corporate interests over the interests of his constituents. Voters who care about civil liberties should contact Roskam to protest his vote. Roskam can be reached at his Washington office at (202) 225-4561 or in Bloomingdale at (630) 893-9670.

Before the FISA amendment becomes a law, it faces a vote in the Senate. That vote has been delayed until next month. Concerned voters should also contact Senators Durbin and Obama to pressure them to do the right thing and protect our civil liberties and deny immunity to the telephone companies that have broken the law.

Many Congressmen are cozy with Washington lobbyists but I doubt many have gone as far as Roskam did in immortalizing a couple of revolving door lobbyists in a painting in his Washington office.

According to “The Hill”, last month Peter Roskam’s wife Elizabeth, an artist, presented her husband with a painting she did depicting a scene from Roskam’s 2006 congressional campaign. The painting features the Roskams and their children as well as number of current and former staff members:

Jason Roe, a lobbyist with the Federal Strategy Group who was Roskam’s campaign manager, is also in the painting. The artist put him in a Michigan State University hat to reflect his diehard Spartan tendencies — the school wouldn’t accept him — but “humbled him” by dressing him in blue and maize, the colors of rival University of Michigan.

Other campaign aides, including Dean Thompson, Roskam’s legislative correspondent, and Brigitta Johnson, Roskam’s scheduler, are also in the painting.

David Mork, Roskam’s senior legislative assistant, and Mork’s then-girlfriend and now-wife Kirsten Mork are entwined in the painting. After meeting on the campaign trail for Roskam, the two worked together in the congressman’s office until they decided to marry.

Kirsten then landed another job as an associate lobbyist for Roe’s Federal Strategy Group.

Elizabeth Roskam is pleased her husband has the painting front and center in his office. “It’s something Peter can look at when he’s at his desk, a reminder of the fun times of the campaign.”

Isn’t that special. Seriously, it sounds like a beautiful gift, but that, of course, is not the point of my posting it here.

The point is simply to alert Peter Roskam’s constituents that there is a rather close connection between his office and the Washington lobbying firm Federal Strategy Group. Jason Roe, Roskam’s former campaign manager and Kirsten Mork, Roskam’s former Deputy Campaign Finance Director and former legislative assistant are lobbyists there. Roe is also a donor to Roskam’s current congressional campaign. Roskam’s current legislative assistant, David Mork, is married to Kirsten.

Here’s what the Federal Strategy Group has to say about it’s product:

More than any other lobbying firm, Federal Strategy Group understands what you want and we have the experience and expertise to deliver it. You want results - not process. Our team provides the access, advocacy, and advice to help you achieve those results.

First, we offer unparalleled access to top decision-makers. The abundance and strength of these relationships makes our team uniquely able to reach key public officials. Our lobbyists were selected from the top ranks of government, in part, because they have excelled in that professional arena. They bring with them relationships cultivated over years of public service. As part of our team, they grow and strengthen these relationships within government. As a result, Federal Strategy Group can open doors to get your message heard by the right people.

Maybe I’m too jaded but it sounds to me like what they are marketing is access to Peter Roskam and to other elected officials that they may be friendly with. And, as a voter and a citizen, it strikes me as wrong.

According to Open Secrets, Federal Strategy Group’s current clients include Verizon and American Airlines. Voters should bear that in mind as they examine Roskam’s bill sponsorship and voting record going forward.

Interestingly, when I tried today to verify today that David Mork is still on Peter Roskam’s staff, I found that I was unable. Neither Roskam’s Congressional website nor the House website provide any means for citizens to view a list of their Congressman’s staff members. Roskam likes to talk about transparency. He could make that happen tomorrow: a list of current staff members with bios on his House website. What about it Peter? Do we as citizens have a right to know? Roskam should also consider publishing his schedule on a regular basis so that we know who is lobbying him on what issues.