Dem. Seeks Records on Ex-Labor Official

[maddezmom]

BOSTON - A senior House Democrat pressed the Labor Department (news - web sites) on Thursday for records relating to a former official who oversaw the drafting of new overtime regulations then joined a law firm that advises business clients on their implementation.



"It is your responsibility to ensure that critical policy decisions ... are made in the public interest, free from individual conflicts of interest," Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., wrote the agency's top legal official in requesting information about Tammy McCutchen.


In a letter to Howard Radzely, the department solicitor, Miller asked whether McCutchen recused herself from work on the new regulations in advance of any negotiations with the firm that hired her.


"As you may be aware, the firm of Dickstein, Shapiro announced publicly on June 15, 2004, that Ms. McCutchen ... will focus her practice on counseling clients on employment matters, particularly those related to wage and hour issues, including the new FSLA (overtime) regulations," he wrote.

~snip~
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=519&ncid=696&e=4&u=/ap/20040723/ap_on_re_us/democrats_overtime

reminds me of the medicare legislation...:eyes:

[whistle]

1. Is this what is known as a "Sweetheart deal"......

...among republicans? They make the rules real confusing, but very restrictive, then provide hidden loopholes and special case circumstances that only very special clients can by-pass. Then the authors of the regulations get cushy jobs at very attractive salaries and perks so that they get set for life. :wtf:

[pnorman]

2. Dickstein Shapiro??

That rang a bell. That outfit was once the legal counsel for my own union, as well as other maritime unions. They were the "enablers" of some truly corrupt practices by our former officials. That resulted in a rank & file democracy movement that threw those bums out, as well as getting rid of Dickstein Shapiro. Those leaders ended up with RICO convictions, but Dickstein Shapiro kept clear of the heat. But up until now, I had thought they were still a "labor" firm. Apparently not; here's from their web-page:

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Employment

Dickstein Shapiro counsels corporations in matters concerning employment; conducts training for employers and employees in equal employment opportunity compliance, including sexual harassment prevention training; drafts employee policy manuals; and represents companies in all aspects of discrimination and wrongful termination claims from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission stage up to and including trial. The Firm also counsels and represents companies, trade associations, and employee benefit plans on Employment Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) matters, including ERISA counseling of single-employer and multiemployer plans, and in ERISA litigation, particularly suits alleging breach of fiduciary duty and violation of prohibited transaction provisions.
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I'll pass this on to more knowledgable people and see what I can find.

pnorman

[struggle4progress]

3. Looking forward to hearing more! eom