" 

 How about this: ""For the next three decades, Goldschmidt was widely considered the most influential figure in Oregon politics, both in his capacity as an elected public official and as a private lobbyist and policy consultant."" (Please note that this is intended to ""pair"" with the following sentence, which clearly indicates that his reputation took a hit from the revelation of the statutury rape and coverup.) Also, the intro needs to cover the big points, but not back them up fully  I think it's fine if nuances are left to the sections below. Agreed? - "