Ousted Ill. GOP Leader Hired to Help Lobby for Gay Marriage Recognition

Retained by the ACLU

Pat Brady, who was forced out as chairman of the state Republican Party after backing gay marriage legislation, said Tuesday he has been retained by the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois to lobby GOP state legislators to back the bill.

The ACLU hired Next Generation Public Affairs, a governmental affairs and public relations firm co-founded by Brady and Matt Strawn, former chairman of the Iowa Republican Party. Brady said he will act as a lobbyist and consultant for the same-sex marriage bill.

Brady said his job will to be lobby "Republicans and other like-minded folks, but primarily Republicans" in the House where a Senate-passed same-sex marriage bill remains stalled. "It's narrowly focused on the 10 or 11 (Republican lawmakers) who were open to the possibility of voting 'yes' on this," he said.