Gilbert Baker, the former Republican senator and campaign contribution bagman for the nursing home industry and others, continues to attract major lobbying clients despite his involvement in the Mike Maggio scandal.

Over the weekend, he added Reynolds Tobacco (RAI Services of Winston-Salem) as a client of his MEJ Consulting, a lobbying firm he formed with Linda Leigh Flanagin, another player in the saga that moved big money from nursing home owner Michael Morton into multiple judicial campaigns, including that of Maggio, who made an ill-timed $4.2 million verdict reduction in favor of a Morton nursing home.

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So far, no nursing home clients for Baker. He does represent an outfit that runs a lending business aimed at people hoping for settlements in damage cases. Some view these operations as predatory. I’m sure Gilbert has a better description.

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