June 05, 2007

Pelosi's Son Employed by InfoUSA

The company that has paid Bill Clinton over $2 million in consulting fees (with more on the way) since leaving the White House, and has ferried Mrs. Bill Clinton around on its corporate jet to the tune of nearly $1 million, is now employing Nancy Pelosi's son Paul.

Paul Pelosi Jr. was hired as a senior vice president at InfoUSA about a month after his mother became speaker. He also holds another full-time job as a home loan officer. Neither company seems to mind that he works for the other.

The only thing I can think of is that CEO Vinod Gupta likes having connections to powerful people. You never know when you might need them...especially now that InfoUSA's practice of renting or selling mailing lists to people who defraud old people has become known. Also, Gupta is being sued by shareholders for squandering the company's money on what they say is personal use and political projects.

According to the NewsMax article:

A person familiar with the arrangement says Gupta treats Pelosi as a "trophy" and has the Speaker's son accompany him at high profile meetings around the country.

Pelosi denied the suggestion he is being used because of his family ties.

"I don't think that's really what happens," he said.

Nor does he "think" his hiring was related to his mother becoming speaker, he said. But he acknowledged the timing raises a "good question."

Of course he denied it. Would you like to even think that you might have been hired because one of your parents is a powerful politician and not because you're such a great catch? Of course, he may well be a great addition to the company. But I wouldn't want to think that a company approached me just because they thought my connection to people in high places might come in handy.