Former U.S. Sens. John Breaux (D-LA) and Trent Lott (R-MS), who recently merged with international law giant Squire Patton Boggs, say they are excited to leverage their crony lobbying contacts globally on behalf of the world’s highest corporate bidders.
“Now we have the opportunity to be able to tell theseclients that we’ve had that not only can we do lobbying work on theHill, but now we can do transactional work anywhere in the world forthem,” Breaux told The Hill.
To help facilitate such “transactional work,” Breaux and Lott say they must convince foreign clients that lobbying is not the greasy, crony capitalist enterprise many perceive it to be.
“That’s thechallenge, to really let these foreign clients know that they need tobe involved and that it’s not a bad thing,” said Breaux. “I think thatsome foreign entities think that, well, lobbying is not really somethingyou’re supposed to do. Of course, that’s not the situation in the U.S.”
Lott added, “One of the things we’re going to be involved in a little bit istrying to explain to lawyers and companies, like in London, what doespublic policy do in America, because a lot of them don’t understand theimportance of it.”
K Street’s dynamic bipartisan lobbying duo say their work for Squire Patton Boggs is not all that different from their prior work.
“We’re still doing the same things that we were doing before,” said Breaux. “Trent and I both are still down on the Hill, meeting withmembers, meeting with staff, meeting with the administration.”
In 2013, Squire Patton Boggs bagged $40.2 million in lobbying fees.
“Some people might say, ‘Why would you guys be doing this?’ It’sbecause we’re here. Just like when we were in the House together andjust like when we were in the Senate together,” Lott told Politico. “It’s our nature.”