Catastrophe - Dick Morris [104]
$100,000
Dubai Group (re Foreign Investment)†
$110,000
Dubai—Executive Office
$480,000
eBay
$10,000
Emirates Investment & Development
$90,000
Experian Group
$60,000
Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis
$230,000
First Kuwaiti Gen Trading & Contracting
$240,000
Gemological Institute of America
$80,000
General Cigar Holdings
$200,000
Genesee County Drain Commissioner
$200,000
Ghaemi, Saied (Iran human rights)
$150,000
Globe Metallurgical
$430,000
Greenhunter Energy
$190,000
Home Buyers Warranty
$30,000
I Have a Dream Foundation
$0
Independent Fuel Terminal Operators Association
$120,000
Ingersoll-Rand
$0
Interactive Gaming Council
$180,000
Irving Oil
$140,000
JD Irving
$0
Jones Lang LaSalle
$150,000
Kerzner International Resorts
$0
Kiawah Resort Association
$180,000
Kopin Corp.
$0
Kraft Foods
$410,000
Lane Hospitality
$0
Lebanon Renaissance Institute
$530,000
Lehman Brothers
$70,000
Limited Brands
$30,000
Lloyd’s of London
$0
Lockheed Martin
$100,000
Magna Entertainment
$90,000
Maine Veterans Homes
$60,000
Marriott International
$0
Masefield America
$40,000
Medicines Co.
$1,530,000
Merrill Lynch
$210,000
Metropolitan Health Networks
$10,000
Morgan Stanley
$50,000
National Coalition on E-Commerce & Privacy
$190,000
National Employment Opportunities Network
$160,000
National Fraternal Congress of America
$200,000
Northville Industries Corp.
$70,000
Ocean Duke Corp.
$0
Parkwood Corp.
$60,000
PGA Tour
$150,000
Professional Warranty Service Corp.
$30,000
Qualcomm
$290,000
Raytheon Co. Military Funding
$390,000
Recording Industry Association of America
$120,000
Rite Aid Corp.
$160,000
Sanofi-Aventis
$160,000
SleepMed
$20,000
Snoqualmie Indian Tribe
$50,000
Snowsports Industries America
$30,000
Staples
$0
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
$320,000
The Interactive Gaming Council
$190,000
TiVo
$0
Tokyo Electric Power
$0
Towson University
$30,000
Tronox
$10,000
Verizon Communications
$280,000
Vista Print
$10,000
Sources: Center for Responsive Politics; Foreign Agent Registration, U.S. Justice Department.
* * *
The almost $12 million in lobbying fees listed above represent only a minute part of the revenues to DLA Piper. With offices all over the Middle East, the company’s legal fees from businesses in that area are obviously soaring.
All of which raises a simple question: Doesn’t President Obama’s new special envoy have an unquestionable conflict of interest—one that violates Obama’s own rules?
ANOTHER MAJORITY LEADER TURNED LOBBYIST: TRENT LOTT
In late December 2007, the Washington political world was shocked when then-senator Trent Lott announced that he was resigning from the Senate. For decades, Lott had held a series of leadership positions in the Senate, including majority leader, minority leader, and whip. Several weeks after his resignation, he announced that he was forming a lobbying firm with another former senator, John Breaux.
By resigning in early January, Lott managed to circumvent the new lobbying law that prohibited members of Congress from actively lobbying for two years after they leave office. Since he resigned from the Senate days before the new law went into effect in January 2008, Lott was required to wait for only a year before he became a registered lobbyist.
In the meantime, Lott has followed in the footsteps of his fellow Senate leaders, becoming a stealth lobbyist. Here’s the list of clients who have flocked to his new firm in its first year:
* * *
BREAUX LOTT LEADERSHIP GROUP
Total Lobbying Income, 2008: $8,045,000
Client
Total
Algenol Biofuels
$210,000