Posted by Keturah Hetrick on April 10, 2023
Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), one of Congress's biggest advocates for senior citizens, has lost another staffer to AARP.
Gidget Benitez started at the interest group this month as a government-affairs director. AARP spent almost $16 million on its federal lobbying program last year and runs one of Washington's biggest in-house advocacy shops.
Benitez was most recently health-policy counsel to Schakowsky, who sits on the Energy and Commerce Committee and the Budget Committee. The congresswoman also co-chairs the House Democratic Caucus Task Force on Aging and, before her election to Congress, directed the Illinois Council of Senior Citizens.
This isn't AARP's first time hiring directly from Schakowsky's office. Five years ago, the interest group added Schkowsky staffer Amy Kelbick (now at McDermottPlus) to its lobbying team. Another handful of ex-Schakowsky aides have later registered as lobbyists on AARP's behalf.
Some people and organizations who "caught our eye" last week:
