Dan Turton

As Gephardt's top floor staffer, Turton was a liaison between the House Democratic and Republican leadership. He also coordinated floor procedure and scheduling decisions.

Turton helped run three Democratic presidential conventions in 1992, 1996 and 2000, working in the cloakroom and helping with convention ticket distribution for the majority leader.

Former Lobbyist

Turton left Capitol Hill in 2003 to work with the powerful lobbying company Timmons & Co. He worked with 41 clients, including many corporate ones like the American Council of Life Insurers, Anheuser-Busch, Boeing, Chevron, the National Association of Manufacturers, the National Rifle Association and Unocal Corp, according to Roll Call.

In 2006, Turton returned to Congress to work for Slaughter as majority staff director for the House Rules panel, which decides how long debate will last and who can speak when on the House floor. He described his role to the National Journal as determining "who's allowed to use what legislative tools."

The move surprised many inside the Beltway, particularly because Slaughter had previously used harsh words to describe lobbyists. "Watching Washington be taken over by these little sleaze merchants is not only expensive and repulsive - it is destroying America," she said on the House floor in 2005.

But Slaughter later said she had no problems hiring Turton. "I like to say I saved him from lobbying," she told Roll Call. Turton has also said that his private sector experience was an asset to Slaughter. "I think it's very beneficial for members to have advice from senior staff that have different professional experiences," Turton told Roll Call.

Obama named the Hill veteran a deputy director of legislative affairs for the House in January 2008.

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