Doolittle Aide Leaves for Prison Gig

As a spokesman for Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA), Gordon Hinkle earned his salt answering reporter’s questions about whether his boss was on his way to prison. Now Hinkle will put that experience to work:

Gordon Hinkle, 34, was named deputy press secretary for the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, according to a statement issued Wednesday by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s office….

Hinkle has been Doolittle’s communications director and senior field representative since February. He was among a handful of aides who received subpoenas in September from a Washington grand jury investigating Doolittle for his ties to jailed lobbyist Jack Abramoff. He was asked to turn over documents but was not required to testify.

For those curious at home, if Doolittle, who is under investigation for his ties to lobbyist Jack Abramoff, were in fact convicted of bribery charges, he’d end up in a federal penitentiary, not one in the California state system, so the two aren’t likely to be reunited. Oh, well.

Hinkle is the third senior Doolittle aide to jump ship in recent months.