Hugh Rodham - Return To Law

Return To Law

After losing the election, Rodham returned to law, while also trying his hand at hosting a syndicated talk radio show around 1996. During 1995 through 1997 Rodham started working on a very large tobacco lawsuit with other attorneys; observers were puzzled as to Rodham's involvement, given his limited experience in the area, and speculated that influence peddling might be the reason. The massive case eventually failed to gain Congressional approval.

In 1999, Hugh and brother Tony Rodham entered into a $118 million venture to grow and export hazelnuts from the Republic of Georgia. The U.S. State Department and National Security Advisor Sandy Berger became upset, however, when the Rodhams' local business connection in Batumi turned out to be Aslan Abashidze, a major political opponent of Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze, then a key U.S. ally in the region. After initial resistance, Berger and the Clintons prevailed upon the Rodham brothers to drop the deal. Hugh Rodham stated that he was only acting as a lawyer for the venture and did not have money invested in it.

Episodes such as these led Hillary Clinton's White House staff to refer to Hugh and Tony as "the Brothers Rodham", extending the American tradition of troublesome presidential siblings to the brother-in-law category; one senior White House official would be quoted as saying, "You never wanted to hear their name come up in any context other than playing golf."