Newly Elected Arizona Rep. Dentist Paul Gosar Chooses Retired Alaska Dentist as Chief of Staff
Dentist and newly elected Arizona Congressman Paul Gosar
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s endorsement helped Rep.-elect Paul Gosar (R) win a seat in Congress, and now he’s rewarding the man who introduced the pair with a plum staff position.
Gosar, who unseated Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D) in Arizona’s 1st district, has named retired dentist Rob Robinson as his chief of staff. Robinson left his son in charge of his Wasilla, Alaska-based dental practice to move to Arizona in 2009 and become Gosar’s campaign manager, treasurer and chief adviser.
Gosar told Roll Call that Robinson introduced him to Palin. Robinson got to know Palin from being politically active in their 7,000-population town, where Palin served as mayor. “I know he was very involved in the politics in Alaska and very involved in the politics of Wasilla,” Gosar said.
Gosar and Robinson are colleagues in the American Dental Association. Both have served as officers of the group’s Council on Government Affairs. Gosar first announced his intent to run for Congress at the association’s 2009 national conference in Washington, D.C.
Robinson, who will work from Gosar’s Arizona district office, isn’t the only person with Palin ties on the fledgling payroll.
Gosar hired Palin family attorney Thomas Van Flein to be his legislative director and deputy chief of staff. Van Flein graduated from the University of Arizona College of Law in 1989, according to his profile on his law firm’s website. Van Flein’s Alaska law firm, Clapp, Peterson, Van Flein, Tiemessen & Thorsness, helped Palin and her family navigate the Troopergate scandal when she was governor. Van Flein also represented Palin-endorsed tea party Senate candidate Joe Miller. Palin paid Van Flein a hefty retainer over the course of 2010, with the most recent payment of $10,000 coming on Oct. 28, according to her Federal Election Commission filings.
Robinson and Van Flein could not be reached for comment, but Gosar told Roll Call that even though the men have no Congressional experience, he hired them because of trust.
“Trust. A series of promises kept,” Gosar said Thursday. “They are battle-tested with me and things we have to take on with regards to dentistry.”
“We were always looking at somebody that we trust,” Gosar added. “Be able to watch your back and think the same way you are and Rob does a lot of those things with me.”
Van Flein also represents the Alaska Dental Society, which boasted in a newsletter to members about Robinson, the group’s former president, and his role in the Gosar campaign.
So, big deal.
The two dentists met while working on the ADA’s Council on Government Affairs. And, the older Dr. Robinson who retired from dentistry some time ago is from Wasilla, Alaksa, where Sarah Palin lives and was Mayor.
Maybe Dr. Robinson or his son who now runs the Wasilla practice is Sarah Palin’s dentist.
Oh the horrors!