He may never have to pay for another cigarette again.
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Boehner, who served almost five years as speaker, was famous in the halls of Congress for his smoking habit, with a penchant for Camel Ultra Lights.
Boehner, R-West Chester, who retired from the House previous year, is now a director at Reynolds American Inc., the tobacco company that makes Camel and Newport.
Boehner and another newly elected board member, Jean-Marc Levy from Europe, “bring valuable new experience and insights to the board in a dynamic environment”, Thomas Wajnert, the board’s chairman, said in a statement.
Reynolds American Inc., based in Winston-Salem, N.C., owns R.J. Reynolds, the second-largest USA tobacco company whose brands include Newport and Camel.
In addition to not worrying about reeking of smoke at his next big meeting, Boehner’s new gig should carry a sweet raise, too. One of directors hauled in almost $1 million. It’s a big jump from the former speaker’s previous year salary of $174,000.
Before Boehner joined Congress in 1990, the Ohio Republican had a business background as president of a sales company in the packaging and plastics industry.
The former OH representative, a longtime smoker, will be on the board’s corporate governance, nominating, and sustainability committees. His replacement, House Speaker Paul Ryan, told NBC’s “Meet the Press” previous year that he was working to clean out the cigarette smell in Boehner’s former office.
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“I just hate getting that smell in my clothes”, Ryan said.
