Agriculture pick Vilsack was registered lobbyist

WASHINGTON (AP) — Until the end of March, Barack Obama's pick for agriculture secretary was registered to lobby for the country's largest teacher union, whose issues include nutrition programs overseen by the Agriculture Department.

But former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack did not lobby on nutrition or agriculture matters, a spokesman for the president-elect's transition team said Thursday, and therefore has no conflict of interest problem.

Obama has promised to lessen the influence of special interests in his Cabinet. People working for his transition are prohibited from working in the "fields of policy" in which they lobbied over the last 12 months.

He has not detailed the rules for his Cabinet. But transition head John Podesta indicated last month that people going into service in the Obama administration may have to stay away from issues on which they lobbied for two years.

Vilsack registered to lobby for the National Education Association through the law and lobbying firm Dorsey and Whitney in Des Moines, Iowa, where he is a partner. The NEA has included nutrition programs — which fall under the Agriculture Department — on its agenda for a rewrite of the No Child Left Behind education law. An overhaul has been one of the association's priorities.

"Governor Vilsack was not a lobbyist on agriculture or nutrition issues and of course he will represent the interests of the president-elect and the American people, not his former employer," said Nick Shapiro, a spokesman for the Obama transition team.

Neither Vilsack nor the NEA returned several messages left Thursday.

The Iowan was registered to lobby both the House and Senate on the education law between May 2007 and March 2008.

In a document on its Web site, the NEA listed school breakfast and lunch programs administered by the department as among the priorities for the rewrite. Congress is planning to take a look at those nutrition programs, some of which expire next year, when lawmakers return in January.

In addition to his lobbying registration, Dorsey and Whitney's Web site says that Vilsack, who began working there after he left his governor post in 2006, "focuses on strategic counseling and advising clients in the fields of energy conservation, renewable energy and agribusiness development." Those are all areas that partially fall under the Agriculture Department.

A spokesman for Dorsey and Whitney, Bob Kleiber, said Vilsack helped with business and client development for the firm, along with his work as a lawyer. He said Vilsack did not lobby any of the firm's agricultural clients.

He would not give details about Vilsack's client list.

"We don't go there unless it's a matter of public record, which it's not," Kleiber said.

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