Before starting his own lobbying firm, Richard Hohlt spent the bulk of his career as vice president for government affairs at the U.S. League of Savings Institutions, the trade group for the savings and loan industry.[1] He played a lead role both in passing the 1982 Garn-St. Germain legislation that loosened controls on the savings and loan industry, and in trying to fight off regulation drafted in response to the crisis that gripped the industry in the late 1980s.[2] He was considered such a dishonest broker that Treasury officials banned him and his staff from their offices. "I was tired of them coming into the building and lying to everyone," Treasury Undersecretary George Gould said. "So I just gave orders that they were to be kept out."[3] Nevertheless, Ronald Reagan nominated him to the Board of Directors of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, and George H.W. Bush named him to the board of Sallie Mae.[4]
In addition to being designated a Bush Super-Ranger for raising more than $200,000 for Bush's re-election,[5] he is also well known as the "keeper of the flame" of the Off the Record Club, a small group that includes such regulars as Ken Duberstein, Charlie Black and Vin Weber and has hosted such guests as Karl Rove and Josh Bolten.[6] During the controversy related to the outing of CIA agent Valerie Plame, it was revealed that Robert Novak gave Hohlt an advance copy his article that named Plame as a secret agent. Hohlt then passed it on to Karl Rove.[7] As a lobbyist, his clients include Bristol-Myers Squibb, Chevron, JPMorgan Chase and the Nuclear Energy Association.[8] As a bundler, he has raised at least $100,000 for McCain's presidential campaign, according to information released by the campaign.[9]
For a complete look at Richard Hohlt's lobbying activities, please visit the non-partisan Center For Responsive Politics' money-in-politics database.