Comedy

VOTE: Who Is Washington’s Sleaziest Ex-Politician?

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Charlie Goetzman Contributor
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Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel is cashing out.

The former Democratic representative and Obama administration official will be joining the investment bank Centerview Partners, LLC, hauling with him a long list of contacts made over a three-decade political career.

Centerview is one of the most profitable investment banks on Wall Street. The company brags on its website that it has advised on nearly $3 trillion worth of transactions, and Emmanuel hopes to take a piece of the pie when he opens a new office in Chicago, according to the Wall Street Journal.

His friends are unsubtle when describing his “commercial” motivations.

“Rahm can drive you crazy but there’s no one more commercial and focused,” said Thomas Nides, Emmanuel’s longtime pal and a senior executive at Morgan Stanley. “He’s relentless.”

Of course, Emmanuel is far from the first politician to make a killing peddling influence after a career in government. Who else in Washington is “relentless” at keeping the revolving door well-greased? Let’s take a look!