New Bridge was established in May and came to public attention because of the
Republican heavyweights on its board - most linked to one or other Bush administration
or the to family itself. Those include Joe Allbaugh, George W. Bush's presidential
campaign manager, and Ed Rogers and Lanny Griffith, former George H.W. Bush aids.
http://www.republicons.org/view_article.asp?RP_ARTICLE_ID=1160SPECIAL INTERESTS
By Judy Sarasohn
Thursday, October 19, 2000; Page A29
Texas Gov. George W. Bush may bash Washington ways as he campaigns for president, but the wife of his campaign manager apparently is comfortable
enough working Capitol Hill and the regulatory agencies.
M. Diane Allbaugh, wife of Joe Allbaugh, the Republican's campaign manager, registered with the Senate last month to lobby on behalf of three major
Texas-based utilities. She listed 'general legislative and regulatory matters involving utility and energy issues.'
Four years ago, Bush established new rules to curb lobbying by former staffers after reports were published about three top aides quitting to become lobbyists
and about Diane Allbaugh's hiring by utility interests. Allbaugh, a lawyer whose husband was then the governor's executive assistant, quit as a lobbyist, denying
any impropriety but telling Bush in a letter at the time that she wanted 'to remove any possibility of further questions regarding the perception of a conflict.'
She did not return telephone calls for comment. But Reggie Bashur, an Austin consultant speaking on her behalf - and one of the three former Bush aides who
quit to become a lobbyist - said, 'She has the highest ethical standards in her practice. It is those standards she uses today and will use tomorrow.'
When asked what she would do about lobbying if Bush should win the presidential election, Bashur said, 'What tomorrow brings is speculation.'
He said most of her practice is at the state level and her work includes corporate, policy and 'some government relations.'
The clients she registered to lobby for were Entergy Corp., Reliant Energy Inc. and TXU.
http://www.judicialwatch.org/cases/67/bushltr.htm