Brownsville Congressman Filemon Vela was already on his way out of office, having announced last year that he would not run again after five terms. But last week, Vela made waves by saying he’ll resign his seat early to take a job with Akin Gump—one of the most well-connected lobbying and law firms in Washington, D.C.
Vela, an outspoken moderate who was appointed vice chair of the Democratic National Committee by President Joe Biden, had apparently lined up the gig months ago. In January, he gave notice to the House Ethics Committee that—citing “negotiation or agreement regarding future employment”—he would recuse himself from any matter related to Akin Gump, which, as of last year, had more than 250 clients with lobbying contracts worth over $50 million, according to OpenSecrets. Of its 66 registered lobbyists, 41 percent worked in the federal government—many as congressional staffers, including a former top aide to Vela who was hired last year.
It wasn’t until a Forbes reporter unearthed Vela’s recusal that the congressman said he would resign in the next few weeks and go work for Akin Gump.
