Microsoft Finds Legal Defender in Justice Dept. (influence for sale)

[wtmusic]

"Nearly a decade after the government began its landmark effort to break up Microsoft, the Bush administration has sharply changed course by repeatedly defending the company both in the United States and abroad against accusations of anticompetitive conduct, including the recent rejection of a complaint by Google.

In the most striking recent example of the policy shift, the top antitrust official at the Justice Department last month urged state prosecutors to reject a confidential antitrust complaint filed by Google that is tied to a consent decree that monitors Microsoft’s behavior. Google has accused Microsoft of designing its latest operating system, Vista, to discourage the use of Google’s desktop search program, lawyers involved in the case said.

Before he joined the Justice Department in 2004, Mr. Barnett had been vice chairman of the antitrust department at Covington & Burling. It represented Microsoft in the antitrust case and continues to represent the company.

A big factor has been the Bush administration’s hands-off approach to business regulation. For its part, Microsoft, which spent more than $55 million on lobbying activities in Washington from 2000 to 2006 and substantially more on lawyers, has become a more effective lobbying organization."



http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/10/business/10microsoft.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&hp

This guy makes how much peddling influence, and he can't even buy a good toupee? :shrug:

[blogslut]

1. So typical. So not surprised.

grrrrr

[alfredo]

2. I remember when MS was negotiating a settlement the DoJ offered MS

more than what it was asking for.

At that time Ashcroft was the AG. When he was running for office, MS was a big contributor. Top campaign Advisor, Ralph Reed, was a lobbyist for MS and Enron. During his time as advisor to bush's campaign, he was still receiving a salary from MS and Enron. It was obvious to me that Reed was a donation in kind to the bush campaign.

[wtmusic]

3. This has been MS's MO from day one

but there is a silver lining:

"Mr. Barnett’s memo appears to have backfired, state officials said. Prosecutors from several states said they intended to pursue the Google accusations with or without the federal government. In response, federal prosecutors are now discussing with the states whether the Justice Department will join them in pursuing the Google complaint."

[alfredo]

4. If Justice does join them it will be to sabotage their case.