Is Curt Clawson Really an 'Outsider' in CD 19 Race?

Curt Clawson is billing himself as an outsider in the race for U.S. Rep. Trey Radel's old seat in Congress, but his connections to lobbyists seem to suggest he's not as removed from lobbying groups as he'd like others to believe.

Clawson has been particularly vocal about standing up to lobbyists and special-interest groups since he announced his run in January.

I think we need to elect Congress people who can challenge thinking of a career politician, lobbyists and special interest groups, he said. I really am an outsider. I never considered running for office before this.

But according to Fox 4 News, the former CEO of Hayes-Lemmerz International worked closely with lobbyists while navigating the company through two bankruptcies. During the second bankruptcy, Clawson paid $30,000 to lobbying group Ben Barnes to "help them with manufacturing and bankruptcy."

Hayes-Lemmerz then dumped $93 million of its underfunded pension plan on the federal government -- and the federal agency that absorbed the unfunded pension plans of Hayes-Lemmerz and other automobile companies is now $5.2 billion in debt.

Clawson served as CEO from 2001-2012.