Cannon argued the ethics opinion prevented “qualified” individuals from embarking on legislative careers.
“The unfortunate practical effect of Florida Bar Ethics Opinion 67-5… is that it prevents qualified attorneys from pursuing seats in the Florida Legislature if they work for a law firm that does any lobbying whatsoever,” Cannon wrote in a 1998 letter to the Bar.
Cannon’s efforts to roll back an ethics provision first adopted by the Bar in 1960 and reaffirmed in 1967 allowed him to keep his job at the high-powered GrayRobinson firm — which employed 22 legislative lobbyists during Cannon’s final year in the House — while he served in the Legislature. Now, he runs the firm’s Tallahassee lobbying team and is one of the top lobbyists in the Capitol.
Big money
Working for a big law firm that lobbies can be very lucrative for a legislator.
Rubio never made more than $96,000 as a lawyer until 2004, the year after fellow legislators chose him to be speaker for the 2007 and 2008 sessions.
The House speaker is one of the three most powerful positions in state government. Soon after he secured the spot, Rubio took a job making $300,000 per year at Broad & Cassel, a politically connected statewide firm that now employs Corcoran. The firm has a small legislative lobbying practice but also represents a range of clients with issues tied to state government.
