Since his first House campaign a dozen years ago, would-be Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake has worked diligently to cast himself as a conservative gadfly, willing to buck GOP leaders and even a Republican president.
But as a result of the six-term congressman’s work as a lobbyist two decades ago for a Namibian uranium operation with ties to Iran, a GOP primary opponent and Democrats are portraying him as a Washington insider who should not get to succeed retiring Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz.
Well before Flake was a leader in the campaign to eliminate the pet projects and grants that lawmakers add to spending bills, he was a registered foreign agent who represented Namibia and a uranium mine in the southern African nation that gained independence in 1990. Flake has since received $100,000 in contributions from mining interests and voted a number of times against penalties on Iran.
In Washington’s revolving-door climate, it’s not unusual for lawmakers and lobbyists to switch back and forth.
Rep. Jason Altmire, D-Pa., for example, began his political career as a congressional aide, then lobbied on behalf of hospitals for a decade before winning election to the House in 2006. Several lawmakers have worked as lobbyists between service in Congress, including Sens. John Thune, R-S.D., and Dan Coats, R-Ind., and Rep. Dan Lungren, R-Calif.
Read More at OfficialWire. By Jeri Clausing.
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I would not trust Jeff Flake to be my representative in Congress. He was a lobbyist, working for Iran, he was working for a regime that means to destroy our Western culture, he knew that, and he knows that now. I would have no problem signing a pledge banning him from any Congressional race.
Another self serving flake wanting to get his fingers deeper into DC.
Living in Az I can tell you firsthand that we have home foreclosures and unemployed citizens of all races while Flake has consistently sided with the illegals and done next to nothing to support the citizens of this state and this country!
Living in AZ as well….we are very cautious of Mr. Flake…..we are not in favor of illegal aliens…they cost money our state does not have and we (Sheriff Joe) are continually persecuted by the DOJ which costs us even more money. It’s time to elect a constitutional conservative who is not in anyone’s pocket!!!
First Fluke, now Flake. I wonder why is it so similar in name an nature? Fluke, perhaps?