Former Sen. David Vitter, R-La., is now lobbying for a trade association for chemical companies.
According to a lobbying registration form, Vitter registered to lobby for the American Chemistry Council on March 15. His employer is Mercury, a lobbying and public relations firm he joined in February.
ACC was a major donor supporting Vitter. The group gave more than $100,000 to a super PAC backing his failed gubernatorial run in 2014. Vitter retired from Congress when his Senate term was up in January.
Vitter currently cannot lobby his former congressional colleagues, as he is subject to a two-year “cooling-off period,” but he can lobby the Trump administration.
As senator, Vitter was leading figure in getting bipartisan legislation on chemical regulation reform passed — an effort supported by ACC. The Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act updated the Toxic Substances Control Act which was passed in 1976. Former President Barack Obama signed the bill last year.
An ACC spokesperson told the Washington Examiner that it hired Mercury Consulting for lobbying, but wouldn’t confirm Vitter’s role. The spokesperson said ACC and Mercury would “work on a range of issues before EPA.”
