“The Welds don’t make money. They have money.”
Former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld reportedly answered this way when asked where his copious family money came from. But since leaving office, Weld has switched gears and has been doing pretty well at making money.
Boston Globe columnist Adrian Walker gives a brief history:
Since walking out of the State House in 1997, Weld has displayed a restless spirit, reinventing himself with surprising frequency.
For a time, he was a corporate lawyer in New York. He did a stint in a private equity firm. …
Since returning to Boston, he has appeared before the state gambling commission on behalf of [casino magnate Steve] Wynn, and in US District Court, defending his former aide Jim Kerasiotes, who was embroiled in a no-win tax evasion case.
This week, Weld registered as a lobbyist for Wynn vis-a-vis the state government. Walker’s column does a good job highlighting how awkward that is:
Charlie Baker, the incoming governor, talks about William F. Weld, the former governor, in almost paternalistic terms, regularly listing him as one of the greatest influences on his life.
Weld was a regular and welcome presence on the campaign trail, to the point that he almost seemed to consider it a personal comeback.
I find it jarring, too, that the revolving door is now so lucrative that it lures even the patrician, old-money New England patricians who used to be renowned as true public servants.
