greg craig
=<div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.vox.com/2018/8/31/17805310/sam-patten-mueller-plea-manafort">https://www.vox.com/2018/8/31/17805310/sam-patten-mueller-plea-manafort</a></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><p id="VKfryZ" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: inherit; vertical-align: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Mueller investigation has resulted in yet another plea deal. Sam Patten, a Republican lobbyist, pleaded guilty Friday to violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act in his unregistered work for a Ukrainian politician and a Ukrainian oligarch — and agreed to cooperate with the government.</b></font></p><p id="QiCz3w" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: inherit; vertical-align: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Patten was charged by the US attorney’s office for the District of Columbia. But Mueller’s team referred the investigation there and Patten’s <a href="https://twitter.com/awprokop/status/1035580701779812352" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: inherit; vertical-align: inherit; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: color 0.1s ease 0s, background-color 0.1s ease 0s, fill 0.1s ease 0s; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; font-weight: 600; background-color: transparent !important;">plea agreement</a> specifically says he must cooperate with the special counsel’s office. Andrew Weissmann, an attorney on Mueller’s team, <a href="https://twitter.com/ShimonPro/status/1035543565156450304" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: inherit; vertical-align: inherit; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: color 0.1s ease 0s, background-color 0.1s ease 0s, fill 0.1s ease 0s; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; font-weight: 600; background-color: transparent !important;">attended Patten’s hearing</a> Friday.</font></p><p id="fNxTgN" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: inherit; vertical-align: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">There are several similarities between Patten’s work and the unregistered Ukrainian lobbying allegations against Paul Manafort. Like Manafort, Patten worked for Ukraine’s pro-Russian political faction. Like Manafort, his payments went through offshore accounts in Cyprus.</font></p><p id="g0TJA8" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: inherit; vertical-align: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Also like Manafort, Patten worked closely with Konstantin Kilimnik, a Russian national who Mueller claims is tied to Russian intelligence services. (Mueller <a href="https://www.vox.com/2018/6/8/17442614/mueller-manfort-kilimnik-indicted-russia" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: inherit; vertical-align: inherit; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: color 0.1s ease 0s, background-color 0.1s ease 0s, fill 0.1s ease 0s; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; font-weight: 600;">indicted Kilimnik</a> alongside Manafort this year for attempted witness tampering, but he is overseas and has not been arrested.)</font></p><p id="LADo6V" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: inherit; vertical-align: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Weissmann, who attended the Patten hearing, is Mueller’s lead attorney handling the prosecution of Manafort. Manafort was convicted of eight counts of financial crimes in Virginia last week, but he is scheduled to face another trial on conspiracy, unregistered lobbying, and witness tampering charges in Washington, DC, next month.</font></p><h3 id="57qWQU" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: inherit; vertical-align: inherit; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px 0px 0.6rem; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">What Sam Patten pleaded guilty to doing</font></h3><p id="SYsxAn" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: inherit; vertical-align: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">According to the <a href="https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/4806572/Patten-Information-20180831.pdf" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: inherit; vertical-align: inherit; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: color 0.1s ease 0s, background-color 0.1s ease 0s, fill 0.1s ease 0s; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; font-weight: 600;">criminal information document</a> filed by the DC US attorney’s office, Patten and Kilimnik (who is not named but referred to as “Foreigner A”) founded a lobbying and consulting company together. They did campaign work in Ukraine and lobbying work in the US, and were paid over $1 million between 2015 and 2017.</font></p><p id="B6y57A" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: inherit; vertical-align: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Specifically, the document claims that Patten contacted members of Congress and their staffers, State Department officials, and members of the press on behalf of his Ukrainian clients — all without registering under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, as required by law.</font></p><p id="UmdFjq" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: inherit; vertical-align: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Patten also admits to helping his Ukrainian oligarch client get around the prohibition on foreign donations to Donald Trump’s inauguration committee. </b>The oligarch sent $50,000 to Patten’s company, and then he gave that money to a US citizen, who bought the four tickets. The tickets were given to the oligarch, Kilimnik, another Ukrainian, and Patten himself.</font></p><p id="HvqJTI" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: inherit; vertical-align: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Finally, Patten also admits to misleading the Senate Intelligence Committee and withholding documents from them during testimony this January.</font></p><h3 id="vNclWC" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: inherit; vertical-align: inherit; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px 0px 0.6rem; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Who is Sam Patten?</font></h3><p id="VJijYg" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: inherit; vertical-align: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Patten worked for George W. Bush’s State Department, and according to his <a href="http://officeofsampatten.com/experiences/ukraine/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: inherit; vertical-align: inherit; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: color 0.1s ease 0s, background-color 0.1s ease 0s, fill 0.1s ease 0s; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; font-weight: 600; background-color: transparent !important;">website</a>, he’s <a href="http://officeofsampatten.com/experiences/ukraine/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: inherit; vertical-align: inherit; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: color 0.1s ease 0s, background-color 0.1s ease 0s, fill 0.1s ease 0s; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; font-weight: 600; background-color: transparent !important;">done work in</a> Ukraine, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Iraq, and Russia. He also worked as the Eurasian program director at Freedom House, a group that promotes democracy and human rights, between 2009 and 2011.</font></p><p id="6DLW4S" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: inherit; vertical-align: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Patten’s ties to Kilimnik were known publicly and described in profiles by the <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/accused-russian-intel-asset-teamed-up-with-gop-operative-3" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: inherit; vertical-align: inherit; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: color 0.1s ease 0s, background-color 0.1s ease 0s, fill 0.1s ease 0s; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; font-weight: 600; background-color: transparent !important;">Daily Beast’s Lachlan Markay</a> and the <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/04/a-dc-operatives-long-relationship-with-a-suspected-russian-spy/557438/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: inherit; vertical-align: inherit; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: color 0.1s ease 0s, background-color 0.1s ease 0s, fill 0.1s ease 0s; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; font-weight: 600; background-color: transparent !important;">Atlantic’s Natasha Bertrand</a> earlier this year. Indeed, Patten even publicly defended Kilimnik in the press when he came under Mueller’s scrutiny this year.</font></p><p id="1LTASZ" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: inherit; vertical-align: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Intriguingly, Patten is also tied to the controversial political consulting firm <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/3/21/17141428/cambridge-analytica-trump-russia-mueller" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: inherit; vertical-align: inherit; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: color 0.1s ease 0s, background-color 0.1s ease 0s, fill 0.1s ease 0s; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; font-weight: 600; background-color: transparent !important;">Cambridge Analytica</a>. Patten <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/accused-russian-intel-asset-teamed-up-with-gop-operative-3" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: inherit; vertical-align: inherit; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: color 0.1s ease 0s, background-color 0.1s ease 0s, fill 0.1s ease 0s; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; font-weight: 600; background-color: transparent !important;">told the Daily Beast earlier this year</a> that he worked with the company in its 2014 US elections work and on “several overseas campaigns.”</font></p><p id="7BwurG" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: inherit; vertical-align: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Cambridge later did work for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and came under investigative scrutiny for, <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/3/21/17141428/cambridge-analytica-trump-russia-mueller" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: inherit; vertical-align: inherit; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: color 0.1s ease 0s, background-color 0.1s ease 0s, fill 0.1s ease 0s; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; font-weight: 600;">among other things</a>, its use of <b>Facebook data</b>. Mueller’s team <a href="https://www.apnews.com/aeb8b38a3573406e9e207ef184376552" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: inherit; vertical-align: inherit; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: color 0.1s ease 0s, background-color 0.1s ease 0s, fill 0.1s ease 0s; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; font-weight: 600;">reportedly looked</a> into Cambridge Analytica in their Russia probe, but has not charged any matter related to the firm.</font></p><h3 id="apeNcF" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: inherit; vertical-align: inherit; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px 0px 0.6rem; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">This is the third known referral by Robert Mueller to other Justice Department offices — but now, Patten is cooperating with Mueller</font></h3><p id="eiGyEz" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: inherit; vertical-align: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Either because of lack of resources or a desire to avoid expanding his probe too much beyond the central players in the Russia investigation, Mueller is now known to have referred several potentially criminal matters he has discovered to other offices in the Justice Department to investigate.</font></p><p id="1RD9eQ" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: inherit; vertical-align: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The special counsel <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/31/politics/mueller-investigation-foreign-agent-referrals-new-york/index.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: inherit; vertical-align: inherit; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: color 0.1s ease 0s, background-color 0.1s ease 0s, fill 0.1s ease 0s; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; font-weight: 600;">reportedly referred</a> another inquiry of prominent Washington figures’ Ukrainian lobbying to the US attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York (SDNY), this one concerning Tony Podesta, Vin Weber, and <b>Greg Craig. (This trio worked with Manafort and his associate Rick Gates on some of their Ukraine projects.)</b></font></p><p id="HI6ObS" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: inherit; vertical-align: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Mueller also referred the investigation of Michael Cohen for tax and campaign finance violations <a href="https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/04/why-robert-mueller-handed-off-the-michael-cohen-raid.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: inherit; vertical-align: inherit; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: color 0.1s ease 0s, background-color 0.1s ease 0s, fill 0.1s ease 0s; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; font-weight: 600; background-color: transparent !important;">to SDNY</a> (though he appears to have <a href="http://thehill.com/policy/international/392194-ukraine-politician-says-mueller-focused-on-cohen-in-interview" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: inherit; vertical-align: inherit; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: color 0.1s ease 0s, background-color 0.1s ease 0s, fill 0.1s ease 0s; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; font-weight: 600; background-color: transparent !important;">continued investigating Cohen</a> on matters related to Russia). Cohen pleaded guilty on eight counts in the SDNY case last week.</font></p><p id="ODHbra" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: inherit; vertical-align: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The charge here — not registering as a foreign agent under FARA — is believed to be widespread in Washington, but it is rarely prosecuted. Mueller’s probe, however, seems to have turned up a plethora of evidence of such violations, even for figures he hasn’t closely focused on.</font></p><p id="svDc8Z" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: inherit; vertical-align: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Patten investigation is the third known probe Mueller has referred. Yet this does not seem to have been a complete handoff, since his plea agreement specifically mentions he must cooperate with the special counsel’s office. So Patten has become Mueller’s newest cooperator.</font></p></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</div><div>=</div><div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 18px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; font-family: roboto; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); --baseline-multiplier: 0.17; line-height: 28px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bolder; color: rgb(48, 49, 51);">see: <a href="http://www.atlargely.com/atlargely/2009/11/karl-roves-buddy-resigns-post-as-wh-counsel.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; outline: 0px; border: 0px; color: rgb(77, 150, 212); touch-action: manipulation; transition: color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86), background-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86), border-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86);" /><a data-taxonomy="person" title="Karl Rove" data-termid="7522" class="termlink" href="http://www.constantinereport.com/person/karl-rove/" style="box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; outline: 0px; border: 0px; color: rgb(77, 150, 212); touch-action: manipulation; transition: color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86), background-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86), border-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86);">Karl Rove</a>'s buddy resigns post as WH Counsel</span></p><h3 style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.15; margin: 30px 0px 20px -2.13px; font-family: Roboto; color: rgb(48, 49, 51); --baseline-multiplier: 0.22; letter-spacing: -0.015em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bolder;">Obama's White House Counsel Has Ties to Republican PR Firm</span></h3><h3 style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.15; margin: 30px 0px 20px -2.13px; font-family: Roboto; color: rgb(48, 49, 51); --baseline-multiplier: 0.22; letter-spacing: -0.015em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bolder;"><a href="http://constantinereport.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/new_logo.gif" style="box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; outline: 0px; border: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(0, 51, 102); touch-action: manipulation; transition: color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86), background-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86), border-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86);" /></span></h3><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 18px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; font-family: roboto; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); --baseline-multiplier: 0.17; line-height: 28px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="http://constantinereport.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/new_logo.gif" style="box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; outline: 0px; border: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(0, 51, 102); touch-action: manipulation; transition: color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86), background-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86), border-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86);"> The Obama administration's White House counsel has financial ties to a Republican-oriented government-relations firm in Washington, D.C., according to a whistleblower in the </a><a data-taxonomy="post_tag" data-termid="814" class="termlink" href="http://www.constantinereport.com/tag/don-siegelman/" data-title="Don Siegelman" title="Don Siegelman" style="box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; outline: 0px; border: 0px; color: rgb(77, 150, 212); touch-action: manipulation; transition: color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86), background-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86), border-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86);">Don Siegelman</a> case.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 18px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; font-family: roboto; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); --baseline-multiplier: 0.17; line-height: 28px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a data-taxonomy="person" title="Greg Craig" data-termid="13783" class="termlink" href="http://www.constantinereport.com/person/greg-craig/" style="box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; outline: 0px; border: 0px; color: rgb(77, 150, 212); touch-action: manipulation; transition: color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86), background-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86), border-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86);">Greg Craig</a>'s most recent financial-disclosure form shows that he was paid by <a data-taxonomy="post_tag" title="Ogilvy Government Relations" data-termid="2009" class="termlink" href="http://www.constantinereport.com/tag/ogilvy-government-relations/" style="box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; outline: 0px; border: 0px; color: rgb(77, 150, 212); touch-action: manipulation; transition: color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86), background-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86), border-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86);">Ogilvy Government Relations</a>, says Alabama attorney <a data-taxonomy="person" title="Jill Simpson" data-termid="12770" class="termlink" href="http://www.constantinereport.com/person/jill-simpson/" style="box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; outline: 0px; border: 0px; color: rgb(77, 150, 212); touch-action: manipulation; transition: color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86), background-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86), border-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86);">Jill Simpson</a>. The firm had been known as the Federalist Group before changing its name in 2007 after Democrats took over the U.S. House of Representatives.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 18px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; font-family: roboto; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); --baseline-multiplier: 0.17; line-height: 28px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Simpson's revelations come on the heels of a report yesterday in the Wall Street Journal that Craig might soon step down from his role in the Obama White House.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 18px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; font-family: roboto; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); --baseline-multiplier: 0.17; line-height: 28px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Simpson has firsthand knowledge of Ogilvy/Federalist Group. She served as a Republican opposition researcher and participated in a conference call about GOP plans to coordinate a political prosecution of Siegelman and former HealthSouth CEO <a data-taxonomy="person" title="Richard Scrushy" data-termid="23584" class="termlink" href="http://www.constantinereport.com/person/richard-scrushy/" style="box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; outline: 0px; border: 0px; color: rgb(77, 150, 212); touch-action: manipulation; transition: color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86), background-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86), border-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86);">Richard Scrushy</a>. Simpson testified under oath that Alabama Republican operatives, led by Business Council of Alabama CEO <a data-taxonomy="person" title="Bill Canary" data-termid="12768" class="termlink" href="http://www.constantinereport.com/person/bill-canary/" style="box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; outline: 0px; border: 0px; color: rgb(77, 150, 212); touch-action: manipulation; transition: color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86), background-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86), border-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86);">Bill Canary</a>, had worked out the plan with Bush White House strategist <a data-taxonomy="person" title="Karl Rove" data-termid="7522" class="termlink" href="http://www.constantinereport.com/person/karl-rove/" style="box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; outline: 0px; border: 0px; color: rgb(77, 150, 212); touch-action: manipulation; transition: color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86), background-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86), border-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86);">Karl Rove</a>.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 18px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; font-family: roboto; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); --baseline-multiplier: 0.17; line-height: 28px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Simpson also has firsthand experience with <a data-taxonomy="person" data-termid="13783" class="termlink" href="http://www.constantinereport.com/person/greg-craig/" data-title="Greg Craig" title="Greg Craig" style="box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; outline: 0px; border: 0px; color: rgb(77, 150, 212); touch-action: manipulation; transition: color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86), background-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86), border-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86);">Greg Craig</a>. Then a lawyer with the D.C. firm of Williams & Connolly, Craig talked with Simpson about representing her prior to her testimony before the House Judiciary Committee in fall 2007. Simpson shared her story about Rove's role in the Siegelman case before Craig backed out, saying he had a conflict.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 18px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; font-family: roboto; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); --baseline-multiplier: 0.17; line-height: 28px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">After learning that Craig had represented Rove professionally and been a longtime personal friend, Simpson wrote a letter to Craig, demanding that he step down from any matters in the Obama White House related to the Bush administration. Simpson also voiced her suspicions that Craig violated legal ethics by sharing her privileged information with Rove.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 18px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; font-family: roboto; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); --baseline-multiplier: 0.17; line-height: 28px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Craig's ties to Ogilvy/Federalist Group should be a concern to anyone who hopes to see the Obama administration govern in a progressive manner, Simpson says. In fact, she is quite familiar with the firm's two principals--Stewart Hall, an Alabama native, and Wayne Berman:</p><blockquote style="box-sizing: border-box; border-color: rgb(61, 209, 236) rgb(61, 209, 236) rgb(61, 209, 236) rgb(221, 221, 221); margin: 60px 0px 60px 20px; padding: 20px 0px 40px 60px; border-left-width: 3px; border-left-style: solid; font-size: 26px; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, " segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" arial="Arial" sans-serif="sans-serif" apple="Apple" color="Color" emoji="Emoji" symbol="Symbol" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; line-height: 28px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: roboto; --baseline-multiplier: 0.17; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">The Federalist Group had close ties to the Bush White House. In fact, the gentlemen who ran it are Stewart Hall and Wayne Berman, who are very close to <a data-taxonomy="person" title="Karl Rove" data-termid="7522" class="termlink" href="http://www.constantinereport.com/person/karl-rove/" style="box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; outline: 0px; border: 0px; color: rgb(77, 150, 212); touch-action: manipulation; transition: color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86), background-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86), border-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86);">Karl Rove</a> and <a data-taxonomy="person" title="George W. Bush" data-termid="7514" class="termlink" href="http://www.constantinereport.com/person/george-w-bush/" style="box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; outline: 0px; border: 0px; color: rgb(77, 150, 212); touch-action: manipulation; transition: color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86), background-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86), border-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86);">George W. Bush</a>. In fact, (Berman's wife) worked as the social secretary to both Mrs Cheney and Mrs Bush.</p></blockquote><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 18px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; font-family: roboto; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); --baseline-multiplier: 0.17; line-height: 28px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Simpson has stated under oath that Hall is friends with Rob Riley, an Alabama attorney and son of Governor <a data-taxonomy="person" title="Bob Riley" data-termid="13538" class="termlink" href="http://www.constantinereport.com/person/bob-riley/" style="box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; outline: 0px; border: 0px; color: rgb(77, 150, 212); touch-action: manipulation; transition: color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86), background-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86), border-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86);">Bob Riley</a>. In fact, Federalist Group played a major role in <a data-taxonomy="person" title="Bob Riley" data-termid="13538" class="termlink" href="http://www.constantinereport.com/person/bob-riley/" style="box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; outline: 0px; border: 0px; color: rgb(77, 150, 212); touch-action: manipulation; transition: color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86), background-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86), border-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86);">Bob Riley</a>'s 2002 campaign, the one that ended with <a data-taxonomy="post_tag" title="Don Siegelman" data-termid="814" class="termlink" href="http://www.constantinereport.com/tag/don-siegelman/" style="box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; outline: 0px; border: 0px; color: rgb(77, 150, 212); touch-action: manipulation; transition: color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86), background-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86), border-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86);">Don Siegelman</a> mysteriously losing votes overnight in south Alabama, giving Riley the victory. Says Simpson:</p><ins class="adsbygoogle" data-ad-layout="in-article" data-ad-format="fluid" data-ad-client="ca-pub-4632912838938953" data-ad-slot="8354443499" data-adsbygoogle-status="done" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(119, 119, 119); font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, " segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" arial="Arial" sans-serif="sans-serif" apple="Apple" color="Color" emoji="Emoji" symbol="Symbol" font-size="font-size" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" display="display" block="block" text-align="text-align" center="center" height="height"><ins id="aswift_1_expand" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-table; border: none; height: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 1049px; background-color: transparent;"><ins id="aswift_1_anchor" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; border: none; height: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 1049px; background-color: transparent; overflow: hidden; opacity: 0;"><blockquote style="box-sizing: border-box; border-color: rgb(61, 209, 236) rgb(61, 209, 236) rgb(61, 209, 236) rgb(221, 221, 221); margin: 60px 0px 60px 20px; padding: 20px 0px 40px 60px; border-left-width: 3px; border-left-style: solid; font-size: 26px; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, " segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" arial="Arial" sans-serif="sans-serif" apple="Apple" color="Color" emoji="Emoji" symbol="Symbol" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; line-height: 28px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: roboto; --baseline-multiplier: 0.17; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">Many may remember my testimony about Mr. Hall being close friends with young Mr. Riley. Well basically it is that office that helped run <a data-taxonomy="person" title="Bob Riley" data-termid="13538" class="termlink" href="http://www.constantinereport.com/person/bob-riley/" style="box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; outline: 0px; border: 0px; color: rgb(77, 150, 212); touch-action: manipulation; transition: color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86), background-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86), border-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86);">Bob Riley</a> for Governor in 2002, and it is where many got together to plan for <a data-taxonomy="person" title="Bob Riley" data-termid="13538" class="termlink" href="http://www.constantinereport.com/person/bob-riley/" style="box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; outline: 0px; border: 0px; color: rgb(77, 150, 212); touch-action: manipulation; transition: color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86), background-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86), border-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86);">Bob Riley</a> to get elected.</p></blockquote><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 18px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; font-family: roboto; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); --baseline-multiplier: 0.17; line-height: 28px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">At the time, Mr. Craig . . . was the lawyer for all of <a data-taxonomy="person" title="Richard Shelby" data-termid="12551" class="termlink" href="http://www.constantinereport.com/person/richard-shelby/" style="box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; outline: 0px; border: 0px; color: rgb(77, 150, 212); touch-action: manipulation; transition: color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86), background-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86), border-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.785, 0.135, 0.15, 0.86);">Richard Shelby</a>’s business endeavors and apparently the lawyer for Stewart Hall and Mr. Berman. So when we aren't getting any help (from the Obama White House on justice issues), <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bolder; color: rgb(48, 49, 51);">one only has to look at Mr. Craig’s financial statements to see that he was paid a large portion of his last year's (income) before going into the White House by the Alabama gang who work at Ogilvy and also who had an interest in Digital Fusion</span>.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />And what is Digital Fusion? Simpson explains:</p><blockquote style="box-sizing: border-box; border-color: rgb(61, 209, 236) rgb(61, 209, 236) rgb(61, 209, 236) rgb(221, 221, 221); margin: 60px 0px 60px 20px; padding: 20px 0px 40px 60px; border-left-width: 3px; border-left-style: solid; font-size: 26px; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, " segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" arial="Arial" sans-serif="sans-serif" apple="Apple" color="Color" emoji="Emoji" symbol="Symbol" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; line-height: 28px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: roboto; --baseline-multiplier: 0.17; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">Digital Fusion is a company in Huntsville that got a $117 million contract guarding missiles and is invested in by certain individuals out of the Federalist Group/Ogilvy PR firm. I suspect that is why we have not received to date any relief from the White House in the Siegelman matter. A sad reality in Washington is that often money speaks louder than words about truth and justice.</p></blockquote><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 18px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; font-family: roboto; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); --baseline-multiplier: 0.17; line-height: 28px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">http://legalschnauzer.blogspot.com/2009/08/obamas-white-house-counsel-has-ties-to.html</p></ins></ins></ins></div><div>===</div></div>