Wes Clark’s Consulting Success

Clark, the Four-Star Businessman By Ben White and R. Jeffrey Smith, Washington Post Staff Writers

Clark’s lobbying was one of many business activities that, by his account, boosted his income almost 20-fold in the 42 months between his resignation from the Army and the start of his presidential campaign last September. …

In earning post-retirement income totaling at least $2.4 million, moreover, Clark was helped most of all by consulting arrangements with two politically connected investment banking firms, Goldman Sachs in New York and Stephens Inc. in Little Rock. His association with Goldman brought him more than $1 million, including stock benefits accrued since he announced his candidacy. …

Even with two bank accounts holding $500,000 to $1 million each on Dec. 15, according to financial disclosures made by Clark’s campaign, his declared assets of $2.6 million to $6 million are less than those held by rivals Sens. John Edwards (N.C.) and John F. Kerry (Mass.). Edwards and Kerry, respectively, have declared assets of $8.7 million to $36.5 million and $198.7 million to $839 million, according to the Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit watchdog group. Former Vermont governor Howard Dean has declared assets of $2.1 million to $5 million. …

Clark registered as a self-employed lobbyist for the firm in January 2002. In May of that year he registered as a lobbyist for Acxiom on behalf of SCL LLC, an entity created to keep Clark’s work for Acxiom separate from his work for Stephens. He was a lobbyist for Acxiom through Sept. 17 of last year, earning just under $500,000 total for his work, according to lobbying disclosures.

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