Trent Lott keeps his Southern ties through lobbying

Lott registered to lobby the federal government for two different clients last week under his own firm, Lott Leadership LLC, according to lobbying disclosure records. The former Senate leader is also a registered lobbyist in Mississippi this year, according to state lobbying disclosure records.

{mosads}“This is a Mississippi state firm. It just does small things, like economic development,” Chet Lott, the senator’s son who is also working at the firm, told The Hill. “Whenever he has to make a call federally, we register. We are just following the letter of the law.”

Chet Lott also said the former Republican senator’s main focus is still on the Breaux-Lott Leadership Group. That firm, created in January 2008 with former Sen. John Breaux (D-La.), has been a success already. Breaux-Lott Leadership Group has earned more than $16 million in lobbying fees so far and has assembled an impressive client roster that includes Chevron, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America and Raytheon, according to lobbying disclosure records.

Lott created Lott Leadership soon after leaving the Senate at the end of 2007 and heading to K Street to partner with Breaux at their new firm. Mississippi business records list him as the sole registered agent for the Jackson, Miss.-based company, created on Feb. 22, 2008.

Further, Lott has registered as a lobbyist in Mississippi this year, according to state records. The ex-senator is working the Mississippi Legislature on behalf of Altria, the world’s largest cigarette maker.

His solo firm’s two clients that he is lobbying for in Washington are Limerick Energy and Triton Energy. Both are concerned about the biofuel tax credit, according to lobbying forms.

Joining Lott at his own firm is Manny Rossman, another lobbyist at Breaux-Lott Leadership Group. Rossman is a former chief of staff to Lott and past legislative director to ex-Rep. Phil Crane (R-Ill.). Chet Lott is listed as the contact person for Lott Leadership on the lobbying registrations.