Sunrise Research Corporation

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The Sunrise Research Corporation was a research lobby group established by ex-Senator Robert Packwood after he was forced to resign from the US Senate by the Ethics Committee in 1995.

Three years earlier the Washington Post had carried a story which detailed claims against Senator Packwood for sexual abuse and assault by ten women, chiefly former staffers and lobbyists. Packwood denied the allegations. and the Ethics Committee began wrangling over whether his diary could be subpoenaed or whether it was protected by the Fifth Amendment's protection against self-incrimination ensued.

He did turn over 5000 pages to the Senate Ethics Committee but balked when a further 3200 pages were demanded. It was then discovered that he had edited the diary, removing what were allegedly references to sexual encounters and the sexual abuse allegations made against him. The Senate Ethics Committee unanimously recommended that he be expelled for ethical misconduct.

Packwood's private think-tank, the Freedom of Expression Foundation continued to get support from the tobacco industry [2] an in September 1995 Packwood has finally announced his resignation. Soon after leaving the Senate, Packwood founded the lobbying firm Sunrise Research Corporation using his expertise in taxes and trade and his status as a former Senate Finance Committee chairman to land lucrative contracts with numerous clients, among them Northwest Airlines, Freightliner Corp. and Marriott International Inc.