Not surprisingly, Illinois' former U.S. Senator, Mark Kirk, has gone to work for the People's Republic of China. As reported by POLITICO, Kirk, who lost reelection in 2016, has registered as a lobbyist to represent the China-United States Exchange Foundation, a nonprofit based in Hong Kong. According to a Justice Department filing, Kirk "will engage in political activities that may include relevant outreach to U.S. government officials, non-government organizations and other individuals within the U.S.."
POLITICO reports that Kirk will be paid a retainer of $10,000 a month. BGR, the lobbying firm that has subcontracted Kirk, started representing the foundation earlier this year on a contract worth $400,000 a year. Lester Munson, Kirk's former chief of staff, who's now a principal at BGR, is registered to lobby for the foundation as well. POLITICO's Theodoric Meyer has more details here.
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