A rising star in the Illinois G-O-P is stepping down to become a lobbyist.
Since he was elected in 2006, Senator Matt Murphy of Palatine has been an articulate, vocal critic of how Democrats run Springfield; he’s one of the Republicans’ top negotiators on the budget and pensions.
Come next month, it’ll be his job to cozy up to his former peers as a contract lobbyist with Mac Strategies Group, a public relations firm based in Chicago.
While certain state employees can’t leave their government jobs to lobby right away, Illinois has no such restriction for lawmakers.
“If it were the law, I’d follow it. It isn’t," Murphy said. "I think I served pretty honorably and in an upstanding way, and I’m not going to compromise that legacy with what I do next.”
Murphy, 46, will also keep working as a private practice attorney. He says moving on was a tough choice, but he’s doing it to make more money for his wife and four kids.
Murphy's resignation takes effect Sept. 15. He says he's taking the month in part so that local Republicans can have time to choose a replacement.
Copyright 2016 NPR Illinois | 91.9 UIS
