Miers Firm Received Bush Campaign Payments

[NVMojo]

Is this legal?? Seems like there is a conflict of interest here ....

WASHINGTON (AP) -

George W. Bush's rising political fortunes provided a windfall for Harriet Miers' law firm.

Campaign records show Bush's Texas gubernatorial campaigns paid Miers a total of $163,000 in legal fees, most of it for work done during the future president's 1998 re-election bid.

Some senators are planning to explore Miers' legal work for Bush during her confirmation process to be the newest Supreme Court justice, but the White House says it won't release any memos detailing that work.

"I think people across the country recognize the importance of attorney-client privilege," said White House spokesman Scott McClellan.

more...

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/bw-scotus/2005/oct/21/102107194.html

[NVMojo]

1. did * and company think nothing was ever going to come out??

"I'm baffled," said Randall B. Wood, a partner in the Austin firm of Ray, Wood and Bonilla, and former director of Common Cause of Texas. "I've never seen that kind of money spent on a campaign lawyer. It's unprecedented."

[wishlist]

2. Covering up Bush's past legal troubles and Natl Guard record cost money

Costs lots of money to buy coverup and silence to ensure Georgies' past indiscretions and mistakes stayed under wraps. I'll bet several other people were paid big money for their roles in enabling him to stay afloat and prevent his past from catching up with him.

[w13rd0]

3. And all done under attorney-client priveledge...

...so the evidence can't emerge during, say, a confirmation hearing. So Miers role on the Supreme Court will be to ensure that Bush is able to conduct his "war on terror" unimpeded by the law or his past...

[banana republican]

4. Service on the Supreme Court is a Privilege NOT a Right.

Sorry, but THIS IS A CONFLICT OF INTEREST......

DISQUALIFYING HER FROM THE POSITION (PERIOD). (END OF STORY).

DO NOT PASS GO.

on edit: spelling

[NVMojo]

5. it sort of comes across as a bribe or a silencer payback ...

added: a hush payment ...

[rucky]

15. Wasn't Clinton the precedent on that one? n/t

[Selteri]

6. Deeper and thicker - Kick NT

[Sgent]

7. Umm...

This doesn't particularly surprise or concern me.

Bush's personal lawfirm and lawyer -- also a major Texas firm, were paid $160k for performing campaign related duties... Why is anyone surprised? I had assumed all along that this had happened -- and 160K doesn't seem to be out of line for a major Govenor's campaign and Presidential exploration.

[NVMojo]

8. what, pray tell, would someone need an attorney for in a campaign?

[salin]

9. If Karl Rove were running your campaign - don't you think you

would want a lawyer on contingency?

[NVMojo]

17. yeah, I agree, I was asking the previous poster who said it wasn't

a big deal.

[Sgent]

18. To answer your question

you need an attorney to track FEC law and decisions, and make sure your following them. Also state rules, hard/soft money rules, etc. You also need a lawyer (or have to do it personally) to insure you are properly registered for ballots, etc.

Anyone who were to conduct a multimillion dollar campaign w/o a lawyer would be suspicious to me (as not being very wise) on that basis alone.

160K at 300/hr (a reasonable cost given the type of firm) comes out to just over 500 hours -- IMHO a reasonable amount billed and not particularly excessive.

I have a lot of problems with Bush nominating his personal attorney to the supreme ct -- but I don't have a problem with him paying his personal attorney's.

[pinerow]

11. All sorts of reasons...with election laws and financial

disclosures...you can't really concentrate on a campaign and watch for potentially damaging actions on the part of the re-election committees'...I am not defending, just merely trying to answer the previous poster's' question.

[alcibiades_mystery]

21. a lot of stuff

you're joking with that post, right?

everything from contracts to consultation on election law. don't be naive.

[deminks]

10. Missing records again.

Also, this from the article:

Former Texas Land Commissioner Garry Mauro, a Democrat who was defeated handily by Bush in the 1998 campaign, said both the amount and the timing of the payments are curious. In late September, when Miers' firm received the first of two $70,000 payments, Mauro said he trailed Bush in the polls by 35 points.

"If they're spending that kind of money," said Mauro, now an Austin attorney who estimates he spent less than $20,000 on legal fees during the campaign, "they're spending it to protect themselves from something."

I absolutely believe that Miers is a plant to further protect Smirky should anything come up the pike -- you know, like torture, tribunals, criminal charges, and the like. What a bribe -- a seat on the SCOTUS! She must be all grateful.

[KittyWampus]

20. Silence Money Indeed.

[wordpix]

23. don't forget the land deals for TX Rangers stadium

I recall Bushie moved people off their land who didn't want to move on an eminent domain claim---I'm sure there are some shady dealings on up through the presidency that Miers knows about.

[VaYallaDawg]

12. Wonder whose nightstand the billing records will be found on?

[DeepModem Mom]

13. Does it annoy anyone else how often Scottie speaks for you?

He's always saying, "the American people" this, and "the American people" that. This time its "people across the country." BS! He never speaks for me, and I wish he'd stop presuming to.

[liveoaktx]

14. Yes! The American People Want Us To.... blah blah blah

[progressivebydesign]

24. He should say, "the mindless partisan Americans think.." n/t

[leesa]

16. Didn't the Reuplicans work to destroy attorney-client privilege in the

bogus P.A.T.R.I.O.T. Act?

[insane_cratic_gal]

19. Can he nominates someone who doesn't

have attorney-client privilege.

Seems like a bullshit excuse to work around releasing the criminal Cabal that is BushCO.

[Festivito]

22. She'd have to recuse herself if Bush were on trial. /nt