Emmet Hayes
Encyclopedia
Robert Emmet Hayes is an American lobbyist and politician who represented the 7th Plymouth District in the Massachusetts House of Representatives
from 1983 to 1991.
In the late 1980s Hayes sponsored legislation to help Massachusetts cities and towns meet the requirements of the federal Clean Water Act. Hayes' legislation, the Massachusetts Clean Water Act, resulted in a State Revolving Fund which allocated $900 million in no-interest loans for planning, design or construction of waste-water projects in 85 Massachusetts communities.
Hayes lost re-election in 1990 to Abington lawyer Michael Sullivan. He later became a lobbyist.
He is the husband of former Treasurer and Receiver-General of Massachusetts
Shannon O'Brien
. Hayes' role as a lobbyist became a campaign issue during his wife's 2002 gubernatorial run
after O'Brien's opponent, Mitt Romney
, was accused of leveraging harsh business practices against Dade Behring
, Stage Stores
, AmPad
, GS Industries, and Details for personal gain. Romney in turn criticized Hayes for having represented shamed energy-giant Enron
. However, as the Boston Globe reported, "Hayes stopped lobbying for (Enron) nearly two years before accounting fraud surfaced and its stock price plummeted, (and) failed to get Enron the business it was after in Massachusetts."
Hayes is a veteran of the United States Navy
, and holds a degree from the University of Massachusetts at Boston.
Massachusetts House of Representatives
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from single-member electoral districts across the Commonwealth. Representatives serve two-year terms...
from 1983 to 1991.
In the late 1980s Hayes sponsored legislation to help Massachusetts cities and towns meet the requirements of the federal Clean Water Act. Hayes' legislation, the Massachusetts Clean Water Act, resulted in a State Revolving Fund which allocated $900 million in no-interest loans for planning, design or construction of waste-water projects in 85 Massachusetts communities.
Hayes lost re-election in 1990 to Abington lawyer Michael Sullivan. He later became a lobbyist.
He is the husband of former Treasurer and Receiver-General of Massachusetts
Treasurer and Receiver-General of Massachusetts
The Treasurer and Receiver-General of Massachusetts is an executive officer, elected state-wide every four years....
Shannon O'Brien
Shannon O'Brien
Shannon Patricia Elizabeth O'Brien is a Democrat from Massachusetts. O'Brien served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1987 through 1993, in the Massachusetts Senate from 1993 through 1995, and was the Massachusetts State Treasurer from 1999 through 2003...
. Hayes' role as a lobbyist became a campaign issue during his wife's 2002 gubernatorial run
Massachusetts gubernatorial election, 2002
The Massachusetts gubernatorial election of 2002 was held on November 5, 2002. Businessman Mitt Romney was elected to a four-year term, to be served from January 2, 2003 until January 4, 2007. Every four years, Massachusetts holds state-wide elections for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney...
after O'Brien's opponent, Mitt Romney
Mitt Romney
Willard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...
, was accused of leveraging harsh business practices against Dade Behring
Dade Behring
Dade Behring was a company which manufactured testing machinery and supplies for the medical diagnostics industry, based in Deerfield, Illinois and Glasgow, Delaware .- 1997 :...
, Stage Stores
Stage Stores
Stage Stores, Inc. is a department store company specializing mostly in retailing brand name clothing, accessories, cosmetics and footwear. It has its headquarters in Houston, Texas....
, AmPad
Ampad
American Pad & Paper LLC, or Ampad, is a manufacturer of office products, including writing pads, specialty papers, filing products and envelopes. Some products are marketed under the Ampad brand name, others are produced for brands including Staples and Wal-Mart. The company makes over 2500...
, GS Industries, and Details for personal gain. Romney in turn criticized Hayes for having represented shamed energy-giant Enron
Enron
Enron Corporation was an American energy, commodities, and services company based in Houston, Texas. Before its bankruptcy on December 2, 2001, Enron employed approximately 22,000 staff and was one of the world's leading electricity, natural gas, communications, and pulp and paper companies, with...
. However, as the Boston Globe reported, "Hayes stopped lobbying for (Enron) nearly two years before accounting fraud surfaced and its stock price plummeted, (and) failed to get Enron the business it was after in Massachusetts."
Hayes is a veteran of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, and holds a degree from the University of Massachusetts at Boston.