Two former senators to lobby for Russian bank slapped with U.S. sanctions

Two former senators to lobby for Russian bank slapped with U.S. sanctions
(Image credit: Screenshot/Gazprombank.ru)

The revolving door turns again, as former Sens. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) and John Breaux (D-La.) will lobby Congress on behalf of Gazprombank GPB, according to the Center for Public Integrity. The hiring is most notable not for the fact that the lawmakers will be lobbying their ex-colleagues, but rather because the Obama administration targeted Gazprombank — the banking arm of Russia's state-owned energy company, and the third-largest bank in Russia — with sanctions over Russia's actions in Ukraine.

Breaux left the Senate in 2005, while Lott followed him in 2007. Lott's surprise resignation came just before new federal rules on lobbying by ex-lawmakers were to kick in.

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Jon Terbush

Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.