"J. Steven Hart, the lobbyist whose wife, Vicki, rented EPA administrator Scott Pruitt a Capitol Hill condo at a below-market price, has a history of coziness with high-powered government officials. Hart, the chair of lobbying firm Williams & Jensen, was also close with former Republican Congressman Tom DeLay in the late 1990s.
Along with disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, Hart was part of DeLay’s “kitchen cabinet,” a group of lobbyists who helped Republicans raise money, formulate strategy, and exert pressure in Congress. Back then, Hart, who came to D.C. from Oklahoma with the Reagan administration, was “the man corporations call when they’re having trouble with labor unions,” as the Washingtonian described him in 2007.
Hart was also DeLay’s personal attorney and — with the same enterprising spirit that seems to have inspired the condo deal — offered his legal services to DeLay for free. According to Steven Brill’s 2003 book, “After,” Hart made this arrangement with DeLay and other members of Congress as a “loss leader” — a marketing term for offerings that are sold below cost because they lead to other business opportunities."
Sharon Lerner reports for The Intercept April 9 2018.
SEE ALSO:
"EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt Has Met With Dozens Of Campaign Donors" (Maplight/HuffPost)
"Superfund: Pruitt Told Of 'Circumstantial Evidence' Of Fraud At Okla. Site" (EnergyWire)
"Former Top Aide To Pruitt Being Investigated Over ‘No-Show Job’" (New York Post)
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