Texas Democrat Filemon Vela, Who Already Said He Would Not Seek Reelection, Will Resign Early From Congress – Forbes

Rep. Filemon Vela (D-Texas), Elon Musk and Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) break ground on the Boca Chica, Texas site of SpaceX's spaceport in 2014. (Photo by Robert Daemmrich Photography Inc/Corbis via Getty Images)

Rep. Filemon Vela (D-Texas) plans to announce in the next few weeks that he will resign early from Congress to begin a job at the law firm and lobbying firm Akin Gump, the congressman told Forbes on Thursday.

In January, Vela, who had already said he would not seek reelection, informed the House Committee on Ethics that, as a result of his negotiation or agreement regarding future employment, he was recusing himself from any matter regarding Akin Gump.

The five-term lawmaker confirmed that he will join the firm full-time to practice law in its public-policy practice. Before officially announcing his resignation, Vela said he wanted to see what the Senate would do with a bill he had sponsored to transfer property to Texass Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park, which the House passed earlier this month.

The timing now, with just nine months left in the term, Vela said. Im just ready to go.

Vela said that while one of his reasons for picking Akin Gump was the firms deep Texas history, hed be based in its D.C. offices.

Earlier this year, Akin Gump announced it had hired Velas chief of staff. Akin Gump is lucky to have him, Vela was quoted as saying in the firms press release about the hiring.

Rep. Filemon Vela's (D-Texas) filed this statement of recusal regarding Akin Gump with the House Committee on Ethics in January.

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Texas Democrat Filemon Vela, Who Already Said He Would Not Seek Reelection, Will Resign Early From Congress - Forbes