The Washington Post Publishes Front-Page Investigation On Rubio Profiting From Political Influence In Florida

The Washington Post: “Rubio's Business Deals ... Demonstrated The Ways He Leveraged His Enduring Power Inside Government To Make A Profit On The Outside.” On December 4 The Washington Post published a front-page investigative report detailing how Marco Rubio used “his experience as a high-ranking lawmaker” as “a lucrative calling card” during the time between his positions as Florida House speaker and in the U.S. Senate. The report described how Rubio's business activity from 2008 to 2010 “demonstrated the ways he leveraged his enduring power inside government to make a profit on the outside,” with one major client explaining that it was a "'no-brainer' to extend a $96,000-a-year contract" to Rubio's firm because “people who achieve those kind of positions have a lot of juice”:

As Marco Rubio considered his options for a new career after stepping down as Florida House speaker, he found that the housing bust had depleted demand for the kind of land-use law he had practiced in the past.

But Rubio quickly discovered that his experience as a high-ranking lawmaker could be a lucrative calling card.

Even before he left office in late 2008, his longtime aide sent a letter on behalf of a new private consulting group Rubio was launching, seeking business from a potentially major client: Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami's busy public medical center.

That was an initial step in what became a profitable two-year stretch for Rubio between his time as a state legislator and his 2010 election to the U.S. Senate. Although he spent much of his time on the campaign trail, Rubio built a consulting and legal practice that made more than half a million dollars.

“People who achieve those kind of positions have a lot of juice, to use a fairly vulgar term,” said Marvin O'Quinn, the former Jackson chief executive, during a recorded interview with a state ethics official who investigated Rubio's business deals. O'Quinn said it was a “no-brainer” to extend a $96,000-a-year contract to a firm led by someone with the kind of connections of a former speaker.

Another client, Miami Children's Hospital, hired Rubio's firm on a $102,000-a-year contract seeking guidance from a well-known Cuban American on cultural questions, the hospital's chief executive told an investigator. One example: whether Hispanic customers might prefer an emphasis on diabetes or dentistry.

“They're far more interested in teeth,” chief executive Narendra Kini recalled Rubio advising the hospital.

Rubio's business deals during the period between his Tallahassee and Washington chapters demonstrated the ways he leveraged his enduring power inside government to make a profit on the outside. And they add to the contradictory picture of his personal finances that has emerged as his presidential campaign has gained traction -- of a young man who struggled financially even as his personal income soared along with this political success. [The Washington Post, 12/3/15]

Fox & Friends Hosted Rubio On The Day The Front-Page Story Was Published, But Failed To Question Rubio About The Report

Fox & Friends Failed To Ask Rubio To Respond To Report Detailing Profits Made From Leveraging Political Influence. During a November 4 interview with Rubio, the hosts of Fox News' Fox & Friends gave the presidential hopeful a pass on the report, failing to ask any questions about the investigative report detailing Rubio' business deals and profits after serving as Florida House speaker, even though it was a cover story on The Washington Post that same day. [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 12/4/15]