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Caught Our Eye

Ex-Rep. Filemón Vela fast tracks lobbying registration

Posted by Keturah Hetrick on May 9, 2022

Former Rep. Filemón Vela (D-Texas) has officially registered as a lobbyist, just five weeks after resigning from Congress to join Akin Gump.

Vela is part of a small Akin Gump team lobbying for the Port of Corpus Christi, located just outside of Vela's former congressional district. According to a recent disclosure, the law firm signed the port last week for work on unspecified transportation and infrastructure issues.

The filing does not specify whether the team is lobbying federal agencies or Congress. Former members are required to wait one year from the time they leave Congress before lobbying the House or Senate, per ethics rules, but are not prohibited from lobbying the executive branch before the one-year mark. Most ex-members who sign with a lobbying firm wait at least a year before becoming registered lobbyists. Vela left the House effective March 31.