“Make no mistake about it, we have people back in Washington that want to put you out of business.” said King, speaking to 75 adult business leaders for the first time at the Free Speech Coalition’s quarterly meeting Thursday evening. “There are some you will never convice, some who won’t even listen.”
King said that “it’s a difficult time” in Washington for groups like the FSC because the Bush administration is trying to consolidate power. “It’s like a business with a monopoly — you call all the shots,” he said.
“But we want to educate Congress, and convey the message that the adult is a legal industry,” he said. “There is a lot of misperception out there.”
King, a lobbyist, consultant and trade association executive for more than 25 years, was retained by the FSC on a contractural basis, beginning with an initial six-month agreement effective April 1. The FSC searched four months for a Washington lobbyist.
The head of his own firm, Aubrey C. King & Associates, King's clients have included trade associations and major corporations. He was previously a partner in the firm of King & Gorin, a national public affairs firm for the tourism, recreation and transportation industries, which he co-founded in 2003.
King received his B.A. from Marshall University and his M.A. from Johns Hopkins University. He teaches public policy as an adjunct lecturer at the George Washington University.
At the meeting, newly tapped communications director Tom Hymes also was introduced and said he looks forward to his new position, which officially begins June 1.
“I need to change gears” after a number of years editing AVN Online, Hymes said.
Hymes' primary duties for the FSC will be to focus on organizational infrastructure for the communications plan with the group’s executive director, Michelle Freridge.
He also will have oversight over the FSC's publication and website and will be responsible for generating public relations materials and advertising outreach.
Hymes also will oversee the formation and advancement of all FSC public education and media advocacy campaigns and materials.
