Lobbying For Violent Video Games: Tom Ritter

ICYMI, Jon Lender’s Sunday story took a look at the lobbyists stepping up to fight reform efforts in the wake of the Newtown tragedy:

One of those filings, on Thursday, showed that the Washington, D.C.-based Entertainment Software Association — which represents producers of computer and video games, and whose website denies any “link between computer and video games and violence” — has agreed to pay $36,000 by June 30 to Brown Rudnick Government Relations Strategies, the lobbying firm of former Democratic state House Speaker Thomas D. Ritter.

… Ritter remains prominent in Connecticut politics and government — he is a member of the University of Connecticut Board of Trustees — and maintains ties with key officials in the state House, Senate and governor’s office, which all are under Democrats‘ control. Also, the current House minority leader, Rep. Lawrence Cafero, R-Norwalk, is an attorney at the Brown Rudnick law firm, which he and Ritter have said in the past is separate from its lobbying arm. Ritter declined comment Friday.

The game association’s website is already engaged in the national debate, saying: “Blaming video games for violence in the real world is no more productive than blaming the news media for bringing violent crimes into our homes night after night. Numerous authorities have examined the scientific record and found that it does not establish any causal link between media content and real-life violence.”