Former Speaker Hastert to join lobbying firm

Former Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) will join the law and lobbying firm of Dickstein Shapiro early next week.

Hastert will start work June 2 as a senior adviser to the firm’s government law and strategy group, according to a press release from Dickstein.

{mosads}Hastert resigned from Congress in late November 2007 after 21 years in the House. He is the longest serving GOP Speaker in history, but left his position after Republicans lost control of the House in the 2006 elections. Part of the blame for that loss has been widely attributed to the scandals surrounding lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who worked closely with Republicans.

In a major loss for the GOP, Democrat Bill Foster won Hastert’s seat earlier this year.

Hastert will be the second former lawmaker to join the firm in recent times. Rep. Albert Wynn (D-Md.) is starting at Dickstein in June as well, following his primary loss to Donna Edwards earlier this year.