Otter’s Cheif Of Staff Resigns To take Lobbying Position

Jason Kreizenbeck, Governor "Butch" Otter's chief of staff since 2007,  has announced that he is leaving the two-term Republican's administration to form a government affairs business with a longtime Idaho lobbyist. The Idaho Statesman reports that The 39 year old announced his decision Monday to leave the post in an email sent to Otter's staff and top government agency officials. Kreizenbeck  says he plans to start a business with Skip Smyser, a former Republican state lawmaker whose lobbying clients include Altria, the maker of Marlboro cigarettes, phone company AT&T and oil company ConocoPhillips.  Kreizenbeck says the plan with Smyser became concrete about a month ago. They worked together in the late 1990s, when Kreizenbeck was fresh off working for the first U.S. House campaign of  congressman Mike Simpson, and joined Smyser's law firm as a contract lobbyist. He will be out of Otter's office by the end of the week and will be replaced by David Hensley, the current legal counsel.