Hargett says he may yet give up seat before term ends

Critics, led by Democrats, have hammered Hargett since he first announced plans last month to step down from the Legislature and relinquish his role as House minority leader to go work for Pfizer.

The Bartlett Republican announced this week that he was wooed by his current employer, the 550-employee Rural/Metro Ambulance Service, to take a promotion as general manager and stay in the Memphis area rather than work for Pfizer in Nashville.

The Memphis-area Republican said Thursday that he decided that would be the best move for him and said the decision to back out of the Pfizer job wasn’t a reaction to criticism over the deal.

“My current employer that I have been with for about seven years offered me a great promotion,” Hargett said. “This is an opportunity, if it had been available a month ago I would have pursued it instead of pursuing anything else.”

The Pfizer job sparked controversy as critics pointed to the inherent conflict of interest in taking a job with a pharmaceutical giant that has been engaged in lobbying the Legislature in recent years. Some states have tried to prevent lawmakers from jumping into lobbyist positions by requiring a waiting period before they can do so.

Hargett, 36, was serving on a joint legislative ethics panel, which is looking at ways to strengthen the state’s ethics laws and could look at “revolving door” legislation to establish such a waiting period.

Democrats continued to call on Hargett to detail his contacts with Pfizer, especially during this past legislative session where laws concerning the drug industry were being developed.

“For example, we know Representative Hargett went to bat for Pfizer on the most pivotal pharmaceutical bill of this past legislative session, the Tennessee Affordable Drug Act of 2005,” state Democratic Party Chairman Bob Tuke said. “More specifically, he led the charge in committee on May 10 to strip out language that Pfizer didn’t want and had actively lobbied against.

“In retrospect, it looks dangerously close to a quid-pro-quo.”

Pfizer wouldn’t say if the criticism made them queasy about hiring away a sitting legislator to lobby for them.

“He was one of a number of candidates considered for the position,” said Pfizer spokeswoman Darlene Taylor. “He is no longer interested in the position.”

Hargett said he isn’t completely surprised by the critics who lashed out at him after he announced in August that he would be lobbying for Pfizer and leaving the legislature.

“I expected some criticism,” Hargett said.

Hargett said he is talking with constituents and Republican party leaders in deciding whether he should step down now from his District 97 seat or serve his out his term through next year. He definitely will not run in 2006, he said, and resigned his leadership post Wednesday.

He said he never planned on running again in 2006, and has no plans to be involved in public life after five terms in the House.

“I never say never, I think it would be a long time,” Hargett said.

The toll of constantly traveling to Nashville takes him away from his family and his 2 1/2-year-old son too much, he said.

“We continue to ask our legislators to do more and more. And there are a lot of sacrifices citizen legislators make to serve, and there are a lot of people I think that don’t realize that.

“I’ve watched other people who have put their personal and professional lives on hold and watch opportunities in both those arenas pass them by, and I didn’t want to be one of these people that looked back and saw a significant portion of my son’s life pass me by because I spent all of my time in Nashville.”

Hargett said he will not miss being a crucial player in the issues that shape the state, but did not rule out a role with local Republican party.

“It is possible to walk away from public life and lead a fulfilled life,” he said.

House Republicans will elect a new leader Monday night in Crossville. Candidates seeking the job include Reps. Harry Brooks and Bill Dunn, both of Knoxville, Glen Casada of College Grove and Curry Todd of Collierville.