Former Rep. Joe Crowley, who was ousted by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and accused on the campaign trail of being a long-term D.C. dweller, is heading to K Street.
Squire Patton Boggs, an influential law and lobbying firm based in Washington, D.C., will be the new home of the former chairman of the House Democratic Caucus. Crowley will be joining another former representative at the firm, Republican Bill Shuster of Pennsylvania. The firm released a statement earlier today confirming the “blockbuster” move.
Ocasio-Cortez built her long-shot primary challenge against Crowley on the premise of him being too distant from his district and too enthralled in the D.C. circuits.
Prior to his defeat, 10-term congressman Crowley, who has lived in Northern Virginia and enrolled his children in Virginia schools, was on the path to becoming a powerhouse player when the Democrats took over the House of Representatives. He was a key player in the fundraising apparatus for House Democrats, raking in millions from large individual contributions and PAC money, according to Open Secrets, a nonpartisan nonprofit tracking the flow of money and lobbyists in government.
The hire comes on the cusp of a policy shift among congressional Democrats, and by extension 2020 presidential contenders, focusing on the role of “big money” in politics. Presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren introduced a measure last Congress to put a lifetime ban on lobbying for all federal elected officials. Sen. Bernie Sanders, who announced his run for president this morning on Vermont Public Radio, has also built a self-described “political revolution” centered around the issue of lobbying-oriented corruption.
Current laws governing post-employment restrictions on elected officials stipulate that Crowley must take a one-year “cool-off” period before entering his lobbying gig. That restriction, however, is only limited to lobbying other legislative offices, and not to officials in the executive branch.
