The revolving door took a big swing today as Jeff Connaughton, a principal and vice chairman of top lobbying firm Quinn Gillespie and Associates, was named chief of staff for Delaware Sen.-designate Ted Kaufman (the Democrat appointed to replace Vice President-elect Joe Biden.)
Connaughton helped found QGA in 2000 after a two-year stint lobbying at Arnold & Porter.
Early in his career, Connaughton worked for Kaufman when Kaufman was Biden's chief of staff. "This is a unique opportunity to help Ted, my first boss in D.C. 21 years ago," Connaughton told National Journal. "It's something I really want to be a part of. It's just an honor for me to help him now that he will be a United States senator." Connaughton was special assistant to the White House counsel during the Clinton administration from 1994-95.
According to data from the Center for Responsive Politics, Connaughton gave $43,600 in political contributions during the 2008 election cycle, all to Democrats or Democratic organizations. He gave $4,600, the maximum amount an individual can give during one campaign cycle, to Biden's presidential campaign
-- Eliza Krigman
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