Steven Foti | |
Office: | Majority Leader of the Wisconsin State Assembly |
Term Start: | January 6, 1997 |
Term End: | January 3, 2005 |
Predecessor: | Scott R. Jensen |
Successor: | Michael Huebsch |
Office1: | Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly |
Constituency1: | 38th Assembly district |
Term Start1: | January 4, 1993 |
Term End1: | January 3, 2005 |
Predecessor1: | Stephen Nass |
Successor1: | Joel Kleefisch |
Constituency2: | 33rd Assembly district |
Term Start2: | January 7, 1985 |
Term End2: | January 4, 1993 |
Predecessor2: | Robert Goetsch |
Successor2: | Daniel P. Vrakas |
Constituency3: | 66th Assembly district |
Term Start3: | January 3, 1983 |
Term End3: | January 7, 1985 |
Predecessor3: | Mary Wagner |
Successor3: | Cloyd A. Porter |
Party: | Republican |
Birth Date: | 3 December 1958 |
Birth Place: | Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, U.S. |
Children: | 3 |
Occupation: | Lobbyist |
Steven M. Foti (born December 3, 1958) is an American lobbyist and Republican politician from Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. He served 22 years in the Wisconsin State Assembly (1983 - 2005), and was majority leader for four terms, from 1997 to 2005. He now works as a lobbyist for Michael Best Strategies.[1]
Foti was one of several state legislators charged in a 2002 scandal in which public employees were found to have been performing campaign work. Foti pleaded to a misdemeanor, was sentenced to 60 days in jail, and ordered to reimburse the state $300,000 in staff salaries and benefits.
Steven Foti was born and raised and lived much of his life in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. He graduated from Oconomowoc High School and went on to attend University of Wisconsin–Whitewater, but did not complete a degree.[2] He worked as a real estate salesman and bartender before serving in the Wisconsin State Assembly for 22 years.[3] In the fall of 2002, Foti and other legislative leaders were ensnared in a caucus scandal. He was charged with one felony count for using his public office to campaign on state time. He pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor, and was sentenced to 60 days in jail with two years of probation.[4] [5]
After leaving the Wisconsin Legislature in 2005, Foti became a lobbyist.[6]