Bryson’s Consulting Relationships Raise Questions
Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Bob Tuke today called on State Senator Jim Bryson to make available a detailed list of his marketing-research firm’s consulting clients, and to identify which clients have had or may still have business before the Tennessee General Assembly or state government. “To date, Senator Bryson has sidestepped any real scrutiny of his consulting relationships,” Tuke said. “That will change if he decides to run for governor. Tennessee voters have a right to know which corporate clients have paid money to Jim Bryson and his firm, and to know which of those clients have had business before the legislature or state agencies.”
Bryson is the founder and chairman of 20/20 Research Inc., a Nashville-based consulting firm that does market research in Tennessee for corporate clients. In the past, Bryson has brushed off questions about his consulting firm by claiming it only rents space to companies conducting focus groups. But the firm’s web site suggests it provides a broader suite of services, including “recruiting, project management and fielding online surveys,” with an eye toward discussing “sensitive topics anonymously.”
“What is it that 20/20 Research really does? Who do they work for? Do these ’sensitive topics’ have anything to do with state issues like TennCare? What bills have 20/20 Research’s clients sought to influence? Has Senator Bryson carried any legislation on their behalf or disclosed his potential conflicts under Senate ethics rules? These are legitimate questions,” Tuke said.
Questions about Bryson’s clientele are particularly relevant, Tuke said, considering his position on the Senate Commerce Committee, which routinely considers bills affecting major corporations. Some of Bryson’s clients are believed to include beer-maker Anheuser-Busch; telecommunications provider BellSouth; consumer-products manufacturer Proctor & Gamble; and newspaper publisher Gannett, which owns papers in Middle Tennessee - all of whom presumably have had interests in bills before Senate Commerce.
In addition to Senate Commerce, Bryson sits on the General Assembly’s TennCare Oversight Committee and sponsored legislation that would have benefited 20/20 Research’s drug-company clients including Pfizer, which manufactures eight of the top 25 brand-name drugs purchased by TennCare. Earlier this year, Tuke filed a Senate ethics complaint against Bryson as a result of his conflict with Pfizer.
“We know from Senator Bryson’s connection to Pfizer that he has had at least one conflict of interest,” Tuke said. “Now it’s time to see what other conflicts may be lurking in his closet.”
