Ohio's Sherrod Brown: A Populist Senator with a revolving door of lobbyists

Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown, known for his anti-lobbying rhetoric, ranks among the top US senators with the highest number of former staffers who have become lobbyists. Despite his claims of fighting against corporate influence, Brown's office has hired multiple former lobbyists, including his chief of staff.

Despite his consistent rhetoric against the influence of lobbyists in Washington, Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio ranks among the top 15 U.S. senators with the most former staffers who have become lobbyists.

According to Legistorm, a revolving door tracking organization, 64 individuals who previously worked for Brown's office have lobbied before or after their tenure. This places Brown tied for #15 all time among all senators, and #7 among those currently serving in Congress.

Ohio's Sherrod Brown: A Populist Senator with a revolving door of lobbyists

The revolving door between Brown's office and the lobbying industry raises questions about the senator's true stance on corporate influence in politics. Brown has repeatedly criticized the role of lobbyists, framing himself as a populist Democrat fighting against the interests of big business.

However, the senator's actions appear to contradict his rhetoric. Not only has his office employed multiple former lobbyists, but Brown has also hired at least three former lobbyists to serve as his chief of staff.

Ohio's Sherrod Brown: A Populist Senator with a revolving door of lobbyists

James Heimbach, one of Brown's former chiefs of staff, was described as a "hot commodity" in the lobbying world. After leaving Brown's office, Heimbach continued lobbying, including for Bank of America, one of the nation's largest financial institutions.

Additionally, Heimbach lobbied for Cigna Corporation, a company sued by Ohio for allegedly driving up prescription drug costs by charging excessive fees.

Ohio's Sherrod Brown: A Populist Senator with a revolving door of lobbyists

Brown's long history of lamenting the influence of lobbyists has been a defining aspect of his populist image in Ohio, a state that voted heavily for Donald Trump in the 2020 election.

In a 2022 interview with Rolling Stone, Brown asserted that "something's wrong with corporate America, and something's wrong with Congress and administrations listening too much to corporate lobbyists."

Ohio's Sherrod Brown: A Populist Senator with a revolving door of lobbyists

Furthermore, Brown has claimed that he "took on corporate lobbyists" to pass the Inflation Reduction Act and has frequently discussed his battles against lobbyists throughout his career.

"Sherrod has always stood up to special interests to level the playing field for Ohioans," Brown's website states. "Whether it's Big Pharma, Big Oil, or Big Banks, Sherrod is fighting back against the Wall Street, profit-at-all-costs business model to make sure hard work pays off for all Ohioans."

Despite these claims, the revolving door between Brown's office and the lobbying industry has drawn criticism from his Republican opponent, Bernie Moreno.

"Sherrod Brown parades around as an average Ohioan, but he is nothing more than a career politician who rewards the Washington swamp," said Reagan McCarthy, a spokesperson for Moreno.

The race between Moreno and Brown is expected to be close, with Republicans viewing it as one of their strongest opportunities to regain control of the Senate in November. The Cook Political Report classifies the race as a "toss up."

Brown's support for the Lobbying Disclosure Improvement Act and the Honest Leadership and Government Act, which aim to increase transparency and crack down on foreign lobbying, has been cited by his campaign as evidence of his commitment to fighting against special interests.

However, the revolving door between Brown's office and the lobbying industry has raised questions about the senator's true stance on corporate influence in politics.