Are Big Bucks Ahead For John Boehner?

House Speaker John Boehner, who will walk away from a 25-year career in Congress next month, won’t say what his next step is.

But if the Ohio Republican chooses to travel the short distance between Capitol Hill and K Street’s famous lobbying firms, the son of a blue-collar bar owner likely will end up a very wealthy man.

“He’ll get seven figures on the street,” said Tom Davis, a fellow Republican and former Virginia congressman who now lobbies for the financial-consulting giant Deloitte. “He’s got a lot of friends and allies in Congress. But it’s not necessarily his Rolodex that’s valuable. It’s just that he knows Congress inside and out.”

Boehner, 65, announced Friday he was retiring after five tumultuous years as House speaker, marked by repeated revolts from conservative factions in his party. Before ascending the leadership ranks, Boehner oversaw the House education committee and helped successfully guide President George W. Bush's No Child Left Behind education overhaul through Congress.

Boehner, a savvy political fundraiser with strong ties to Washington’s business establishment, will leave Congress “as a respected speaker who tried his best,” said Julian Ha, top executive with the recruiting firm Heidrick & Struggles.

“He will be able to write his own ticket,” Ha said, ticking off options. They range from working in a top government-relations post for a corporation to securing an array of well-paid board directorships.

House rules require a one-year cooling-off period before former members of the chamber can lobby their former colleagues, but many ex-lawmakers quickly secure posts that allow them to provide behind-the-scenes advice to corporations and other groups seeking to influence federal policy.

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