Jim Hirni

Jim Hirni worked as a Jack Abramoff lieutenant at either Greenberg Traurig, Preston Gates and Ellis, or both, as well as at Cassidy & Associates. 

Abramoff Connection
"Hirni, like [Todd] Boulanger, worked beneath Abramoff at lobby shop Greenberg Traurig prior to his stint at Cassidy & Associates. Further, Hirni would later be implicated in the mismanagement of reporting of contributions of Abramoff's athletic-venue luxury suites, leading to the need for embarassing report amendments by the likes of Kansas GOP Congressman Todd Tiahrt," Jeff Mazur wrote November 13, 2005.

"Removing any doubt about just how close the mentor-protege relationship between Abramoff and both Boulanger and Hirni was, consider the way that the men came to be employed together at Cassidy & Associates. Abramoff came on board with Cassidy on March 23, 2004 according to Roll Call. The very next day, March 24, Cassidy & Associates issued a press release which 'announced that the firm would be welcoming several new hires over the next few weeks'. Among those listed as new hires on the release--Todd Boulanger and Jim Hirni. Turns out that Abramoff was not hired alone at Cassidy, but was part of a package deal that mandated the hire of his right and left-hand men as well."

On March 25, 2004, Judy Sarasohn wrote in the Washington Post:


 * "Speaking of Cassidy & Associates . . . despite the controversies swirling around Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff over his very pricey representation of several Indian tribes, he is connected with Cassidy, one of the top lobby shops in town. He is not joining Cassidy -- he is not on the payroll. But Abramoff, who has been close to House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.), signed a contract with Cassidy for him to steer business to the company. ...


 * "Cassidy yesterday announced that three former Greenberg Traurig people, among others, had signed on, though [chief operating officer Gregg] Hartley said their hiring had nothing to do with Abramoff. 'Our negotiations with Jack dealt with Jack and Jack alone,' Hartley said. The three are Todd Boulanger, Jim Hirni and Shana Tesler."

In a March 24, 2004, news release, Cassidy & Associates said


 * "Jim Hirni as Senior Vice President. Jim spent many years on Capitol Hill in the offices of Senator Bill Frist (R-TN), Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) and as Legislative Director for Senator Tim Hutchinson (R-AR). Following his service on Capitol Hill, Jim was at the firm Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal. Most recently Jim was Director of Governmental Affairs at the firm Greenberg Traurig. He is a 1995 graduate of Wheaton College."

Rick Santorum Connection
"For U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum (R., Pa.), the Super Bowl is a chance to pass the campaign hat. Spokeswoman Christine Shott said the senator hopes to raise $35,000 at two fund-raisers in Jacksonville on Sunday, one before the game and the other at the stadium in a box arranged by Washington lobbyist Jim Hirni, who works with conservative lawmakers," Thomas Fitzgerald and Mario F. Cattabiani reported in the Philadelphia Inquirer, February 6, 2005.

NFIB Lobbyist
The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) -- a self-described "lobbying powerhouse" -- announced March 3, 2000, that "two veterans of Capitol Hill, Mary Ellen Bahret and Jim Hirni, [had] joined the organization to help advance a pro-small business agenda in the U.S. Senate."

Hirni left NFIB in March 2001 to "[return] to the Hill [to be] the new legislative director for Sen. Tim Hutchinson, R-Ark." 

Affiliations

 * Member, Capital Club (2006)
 * Hirni led NFIB's "campaign to repeal the estate tax" in July 2000.

SourceWatch Resources

 * government-industry revolving door
 * "Team Abramoff"