Sen. Jon Kyl Ready To Visit With Former Colleagues, Lobby; State of Arizona, Arizona Clients, Not On Roster...Yet

Former Arizona Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) is "really looking forward to getting back on the Hill" to "visit with folks", as he lobbies his former colleagues in Congress.  Kyl tells Arizona's Politics that he does not yet have any Arizona-related clients on his roster, and declined to answer whether he advised new Governor Doug Ducey to close the state's one-person lobbying shop in Washington.

Kyl, who represented Arizonans in both the House of Representatives (1987-95) and the Senate (1995-2013), has now been out of office for the mandated two year cooling-off period before being permitted to lobby.  (He has been a consultant for D.C. law firm Covington & Burling, which engages in lobbying.)

Politico today spoke with Kyl and reported on his return to Capitol Hill as a lobbyist. “From my perspective, it will be just good to go back and visit with folks. I had a good relationship with Leader [Mitch] McConnell, and in that capacity we worked a lot with Speaker [John] Boehner. I’m really looking forward to getting back on the Hill.”

Arizona's Politics asked the Senator about any possible Arizona-related clients that he might be representing or Arizona-related issues that he might be working on.  Kyl indicated that nothing has materialized... yet.

"I simply do not know whether any Arizona interests will want me to work for them on federal legislative matters," Kyl emailed back. "There are none at the moment."

Kyl did not respond to a follow-up question about whether he had any advisory role in new Governor Doug Ducey's decision to close Arizona's one-person lobbying shop in Washington.  The Arizona Republic reported yesterday that the decision was made because of budgetary concerns.

Kyl led Ducey's transition team, and is a mentor of the new Governor's.  As Arizona's Politics reported last month, Kyl made a $10,000 contribution of his leftover campaign money to an organization founded and run by Governor Ducey's new Chief of Staff, Kirk Adams.  The contribution to Prosper was made one week after the November election.

Kyl politely declined to answer questions about the contribution to Prosper.  Prosper was involved in lobbying APS' position in the solar/net metering battles when the Arizona Corporation Commission was considering it - although APS did not acknowledge hiring Adams' group.


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