Former Republican Hill staffer and lobbyist James Hirni spent a few hours in jail, the AP reports, for the crime of influence-peddling. The AP tells the story this way:
Hirni was lobbying for United Rentals, which leases construction equipment and wanted an amendment to a highway funding bill to boost business. Hirni helped treat staffers from House and Senate committees that oversee transportation money to game tickets, airfare, hotel accommodations, souvenir jerseys at the park, a chauffeured Cadillac Escalade, steak dinner and entertainment at a strip club.
The AP never explained what that amendment was. I checked the charging documents, and found this description:
A legislative amendment that would encourage state public works agencies to rent rather than purchase construction equipment.
Plus, he lobbied for an amendment
that would encourage state public works agencies to contract only with those companies — such as [United Rentals] — which had large dollar amounts of liability insurance coverage.
So, again, every time you hear of some new federal rule, ask yourself, who’s benefitting?
