Where are they now? - Richard Pombo Edition

Checking up on old friends:

Now Pombo is back again, pushing his anti-environmental agenda as a senior partner for Pac/West Communications, a government affairs firm. Tim Wigley, Pac/West's Executive Vice President, told the Prospect that they were impressed with Pombo's leadership in the House on environmental issues. "We've known and watched Congressman Pombo for years," Wigley said, "and he's going to broaden our knowledge and expertise on natural resources."

According to Wigley, Pombo joined Pac/West this spring, and he has been touring the country, speaking publicly on the state of natural resources in our current Congress. When asked whether Pombo's poor ratings among environmental advocates factored into Pac/West's decision to hire him, Wigley maintained, "He only has a 'poor rating' among people who don't like him." Environmental record aside, Pombo also accepted $35,000 from clients of Jack Abramoff and paid his own wife and brother a total of $357,000 for "campaign services." Those ethical violations didn't faze Wigley, however, who said, "The enviros used whatever they could as a way to take him out of office."

I do not expect he will make anyone's short list of green politicians.