Romney re-joins Marriott's corporate board
(CNN) – Marriott International, Inc. announced Monday that former GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney had rejoined their board of directors, a position he held prior to his White House bid.
"It is an honor to once again be able to serve in the company of leaders like Bill Marriott and Arne Sorenson and to support the work of the tens of thousands of Marriott associates who make Marriott International the renowned success that it is," Romney wrote in a statement distributed by Marriott.
The move is one of the first signs of Romney returning to his pre-election life. The former GOP nominee will be subletting space at the offices of his son Tagg's investment firm Solamere Capital in Boston, though he won't be joining the firm himself, aides said.
The former candidate has mostly stayed out of the spotlight since his Election Night remarks in Boston. He was spotted taking in the latest installment of the "Twilight" movie franchise with his family, and on Thanksgiving shared a photo with his wife Ann on his official Facebook page.
He met with President Barack Obama and his former running mate Rep. Paul Ryan in Washington last Thursday, but did not speak to reporters afterwards. A statement from the White House said Romney and Obama discussed American leadership abroad, and vowed to stay in touch.
Romney resigned from Marriott's board in January 2011, a year before the first votes in the GOP primary and caucus season. He served on the board beginning in 1993, leaving in 2002 when he served as governor of Massachusetts. He rejoined the board again in 2009.
"We are delighted that Gov. Romney has agreed to rejoin our board, on which he has served with distinction twice before," J.W. Marriott, Jr. wrote in a statement. "We will benefit from his tremendous energy and capability to guide long-term success in an increasingly complex business environment."
Marriott directors received a base pay of $60,000 and $110,000 in Marriott stock in 2011, the most recent year for which pay has been disclosed to the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition they received $1,250 for every meeting they attended.
Romney has maintained a longtime friendship with members of the Marriott family, who like him are members of the Mormon church and who also own a vacation home on Lake Winnipesaukee in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire.
Speaking during church services at the Wolfeboro branch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in September, J.W. Marriott Jr. credited Mitt Romney with changing Americans' perceptions about Mormonism.
"That's a great tribute to Mitt and Ann and their family for living such an exemplary life," Marriott, the head of the hotel chain, told the congregation gathered in the picturesque New Hampshire hamlet. "Now that we're out of obscurity, everybody is looking at us and saying, 'Are you as good as the Romneys?'"
The Romney and Marriott families have a long-standing friendship. Mitt Romney's father, former Michigan Gov. George Romney, named his son Willard Mitt Romney after J. Willard Marriott, the family's patriarch.
Romney's association with the company was the subject of Democratic criticism during the general election campaign. Obama's team hurled charges – pegged to an editorial on CNN.com - that Romney was involved with the reporting of a $70 million fictional tax loss when he served on Marriot's board in the nineteen-nineties.
While Romney did not face criminal charges, unlike others linked to the scandal, the authors of the editorial wrote "his endorsement of this stratagem provides insight into Romney's professional ethics and attitude toward tax compliance obligations."
CNNMoney's Chris Isidore and CNN's Jim Acosta and Rachel Streitfeld contributed to this report.
As long as he's not in the WhiteHouse, I don't care where he goes.
Keep some jobs open for your GOP Congress buddies because they will be looking for one sooner than they expect because we plan on firing them.
Hmmm – That's interesting. I never heard of this scandal. I wonder why? Especally since everyone else involved was prosecuted!! Doea this make him eligible for their pension program? Their healthcare? Does he collect a Social Security check? I bet there's some money in there he's getting tax free the rest of us are paying 30%!!
Why doesn't Willard and Bill Marriott work towards the dismantling of the mormon cult. Obviously he lose proves the God of Joseph Smith is a false god. Jesus Christ did not preach to American-Indians, Indians are not descendants of some Iraeli tribe, there were no gold tablets, and Joseph Smith and Brigham Young were both rapists. Mormonism is based in freemasonry, elements of various Christian denominations, and their sick perverted history since 1830 know as americana folklore. The 12 apostles of mormon in Salt Lake City only worry about their collection plate. Since both Joseph Smith and Brigham Youg were orignally Methodists why don't they give their chapels and temples to them. Your secret cermonies, secret handshakes and scared underwear mean nothing. I hope mormons get rid of the idea of kolob and Jesus Christ either appearing at Nauvoo, Illinois or Independence, Missouri. Nothing holy about those two places. Always did wonder how many husbands Anne would get on kolob. Maybe the Osmonds will help with the dismantling.
Corporate Mormons sticking with Corporate Mormons.
Good job, but do not raise the rates in Marriott hotels.. If you do iti will never stay in that.
Or they are saying, "do all of you lie like the Romney's?
OK Marriott – Just cut up my Platinum Rewards Card. You want Romney? You got him....but you no longer have my business.
Let alexithymic Mitt BOARD THERE PERMANENTLY.
Maybe he could be a Community Organizer, that would prepare him for another run at the presidency.
Hope he's kind to the 47%!!!!!!
Romney helped companies like Marriott to keep their monies in off shore accounts.
Ahhh...the 2%ers open their arms wide for their hero show-pig. Afterall, he tried his best to bamboozle America for the 2%ers - but America didn't buy the lies this time. The 2%ers will console him over his loss with a $2 million salary. Hope the top rate goes up to 50% for that reason alone.
Anyhow, they won't be paying him with my money. Marriot properties are now off my hotel travel list.
Well, isn't it nice he can go back (and forth) to his day job!
Romney, We told you to keep your day job before the election. You see why now!!
Don't forget Romney saved the oympic
When I lived in Palos Verdes Estates and worked near LAX in 1977, the Marriott hotel near LAX had a bar on each and every floor and a fleet of girls available at each bar. So much for The LDS influence.
"Now that we're out of obscurity, everybody is looking at us and saying, 'Are you as good as the Romneys?"
Are you serious, most people don't exactly think highly of the Romney family, with all the lying and greed.
I am so tired of hearing about this man. The election is over. He lost (thankfully). Please stop writing articles about him!
Back to what he apparently does best–skinning the IRS on "fictional tax losses" and getting away with it.
Boy, we really dodged a bullet last month, didn't we?
Like I said the planet kolob awaits you. I wonder if kolob has Swiss and Cayman Island bank accounts ? Wonder of archangel moroni will resuce everyone when the sun of th planet kolob goes supernova with those flying golden tablets that keep disappearing.Wonder if Willard will Joseph Smith and his 87 wives and also Brigham Young and his 70 wives. Do they have staircases like Independence, Missouri so God can descend to his people ? How many mormon American-Indians are there ? Are the 47 percent poor not there ? Is it cold there so they will need sacred underwear ? Do the past prophets of Salt Lake City live there ? Since there isn't war on women how many husbands will Anne get ? Is Mozart there since he was a fremason ? Willard HELP I can't find the planet kolob on my celestial map ?
At least he'll be able to put food on the table!
That ends my relationship with the Marriot. I usually stay at the Marriot when I travel. I am going to have to find another hotel. I will not let this fool have any of my money. I am going to be facebooking & tweeting this so that everyone will know and make other arrangements for travel.
Because we know if Rom-ney is involved then there has to be some illegal activity going on.
I liked Romney, and hope he does well. And good luck to President Obama with all he has to do, too!