After Florida Representative Trey Radel had to deal with the blinding media attention that comes along with buying cocaine from an undercover federal agent, one reporter remarked that the incident was “a case study in scandal management.” Another headline noted that “Rep. Trey Radel could teach Toronto Mayor Rob Ford a few things.” Apparently Radel, who resigned from Congress last year, agreed.
He announced yesterday that Trey Radel Media Group, a crisis-management and media-training firm, was now open to business. In other words, Radel, whose career was ended by bad press, is ready to become an Olivia Pope for others in need of some scandal sweeping and help dealing with bad press.
In a press release posted on his website, Radel alluded to his crisis expertise. “Given my extensive experience in TV, radio, digital and print, along with my own ups and downs in life, it’s fulfilling to apply my skills and help people. … I hope what I’ve learned can help others. Whether it’s a crisis situation or a misstep in the media, you’ve got to be able to pick yourself up, learn and move on. Today, I hope to lead others to do just that.”
The firm will specialize in helping non-native English speakers talk to lawmakers and the media in the United States, as well as crisis management.
Their chief weapon will not be surprise or fear or ruthless efficiency, but emotion; the firm’s homepage argues that political and legal “battles are no longer even fought with facts, figures or logic. They’re fought with emotion. It’s not what you say. It’s how they feel.”
This has been today’s lesson in how it is nearly impossible to be kicked out of American politics forever.
