Outgoing D.C. Councilmember Brandon Todd (D-Ward 4) will lobby for Washington Gas after his term ends.
The utility company said Monday that Todd, who lost a primary to Councilmember-elect Janeese Lewis George, will serve as director of corporate public policy. He will oversee government relations on the federal, state, and local levels, according to a press release.
The Washington Post first reported the news.
“We are delighted to have Brandon join the Washington Gas team,” the company’s president Donald “Blue” Jenkins said in a statement, adding that Todd has a “breadth of experience” and a “deep-rooted commitment to the DC-area and surrounding communities.” Washington Gas says it serves 1.2 million customers in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.
Todd was first elected in a 2015 special election to fill Mayor Muriel Bowser’s seat. He was Bowser’s handpicked successor and one of her allies on the council. But in June he lost to George, who racked up a series of progressive endorsements.
D.C. council rules on conflicts of interest mean Todd won’t be able to lobby his colleagues on behalf of his new employer for at least a year after his term ends, depending on the issue.
Todd told the Washington Post he asked for an opinion from D.C.’s Board of Ethics and Government Accountability before he took the Washington Gas job. Todd described that opinion as “pretty thorough on what is and what isn’t allowed,” and said he would “follow it strictly, period.”
Outgoing At-Large Councilmember David Grosso also recently announced he is shifting to work for a lobbyist. In early December, he confirmed he will join the law and lobbying firm Arent Fox, which represents major businesses, nonprofits, and charter schools with interests before the city, according to lobbying records. Grosso, who decided not to run for reelection, plans to advise clients in areas such as real estate, education, and the cannabis industry.
Other ex-council members to work as lobbyists include at-large members David Catania, who has his own firm, and Vincent Orange, who has worked for the electric utility Pepco and the D.C. Chamber of Commerce, a move that prompted criticism because he took the job before his term ended and tried to hold both roles at once.
