Former Rep. Bono Mack heads to K Street

Former Rep. Mary Bono Mack is headed to K Street, where the longtime GOP California lawmaker will consult on issues involving technology, Internet privacy and energy for FaegreBD Consulting, the lobby shop announced Tuesday.

Bono Mack has signed on as a senior vice president at the firm’s Washington office, where she’ll also work on intellectual property rights and entertainment issues, the company said. She is prohibited by federal rules from lobbying for one year. 

"FaegreBD Consulting professionals have deep respect for Mary's effectiveness and commitment as a senior member of Congress," said Chairman Dave Zook. "We are confident that she will bring the same intensity to serving clients that need sound legislative and regulatory actions in a highly competitive economy."

Bono Mack was elected to Congress in 1998, after the skiing death of her husband, entertainer Sonny Bono. For seven additional terms, she represented the Palm Springs area of Southern California.

She served on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, becoming chairwoman of the panel’s Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade subcommittee in the 112th Congress. 

The subcommittee has jurisdiction over the Federal Trade Commission and online privacy issues. As chairwoman, Bono Mack held a series of hearings about how online companies like Google and Facebook handle their users' personal information. She also introduced legislation that would have created a national requirement for companies to notify their customers in the event of a data breach, but the bill never made it the full committee for a vote. 

Her bid for an eighth full term fell short in November, when Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-Calif) defeated her after a bitterly fought race.

“As a congresswoman, Bono Mack was widely recognized as a national leader on privacy issues and a champion of Internet innovation,” FaegreBD said.

—Updated at 12:05 p.m.

Brendan Sasso contributed

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