“Did I miss the new House rule prohibiting legislators from working for a law firm that lobbies? I am not on the email list anymore LOL,” tweeted Ray Pilon, a former GOP state representative from Sarasota, when Corcoran unveiled his ethics reform package last November.
“The issue of him being involved for a firm that lobbies speaks for itself,” Pilon said recently of Corcoran. “It’s just hypocritical.”
Those who defend the practice of lawmakers working at lobbying firms say there are provisions in state law and legislative rules to address any conflicts of interest.
Some also argue that restricting such employment would discourage well-qualified individuals from serving in the Legislature because they would have to give up their jobs with big firms.
Powerful get jobs
Yet many of the lawmakers who work at lobbying firms obtained their current jobs after they won office. The offers from the big firms came as the lawmakers were amassing clout, raising the question of whether the firms are simply trying to get inside access to powerful state leaders.
