Royce Poinsett is the eighth highest-paid lobbyist in Texas, according to Transparency USA. But who does he represent?
As a private lobbyist, Royce Poinsett represents the interests of Archrock Services LP (at an estimated $100,000 to $200,000), Cimarex Energy Co. (at an estimated $100,000 to $200,000), Duke Energy Corporation (at an estimated $100,000 to $200,000), Texas Association of Freestanding Emergency Centers (at an estimated $100,000 to $200,000), and Poinsett LLC (at an estimated $2,000 to $20,000).
Twelve percent of Poinsett’s clients are taxpayer-funded entities. As a taxpayer-funded lobbyist, Poinsett represents the interests of Guadalupe Blanco River Authority (at an estimated $100,000 to $200,000), Fort Bend County Levee Improvement District No. 7 (at an estimated $50,000 to $100,000), and Fort Bend County Municipal Utility District No. 140 (at an estimated $50,000 $100,000).
As an attorney at Poinsett, LLC, Poinsett practices administrative law, local government law, and government relations law. In the early 2000s, he served as senior advisor and legal counsel for Gov. Rick Perry and then for Speaker of the Texas House Tom Craddick.
Poinsett was also an officer of the legislative and campaign law section of the State Bar of Texas, as well as the president of the board of directors for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Texas.
Under Gov. Rick Perry, Poinsett’s maximum value of contracts was $5.73 million. Poinsett’s primary job under Perry was counsel and policy advisor.
His top clients since 2001 were McGuinness Lockridge (at an estimated $800,000 to $1.1 million), ExxonMobil (at an estimated $500,000 to $750,000), and Wholesale Beer Distribution (at an estimated $500,000 to $750,000).
In the 2013 legislative session, he received 17 contracts through Baker Botts, LLP, ranging from $900,000 to $1.57 million in value. Poinsett also ranked #22 out of 99 top lobbyists that year.
To find out more about Royce Poinsett, you can visit Transparency USA.
This article is part of a series of profiles on Texas’ highest-paid lobbyists by Texas Scorecard.
