By Scott Winchell and Denise Simon
Pay to Play is a disease that may prove to be fatal to citizens and Attorney General Eric Holder et al, are ensuring there is no cure. Its not just the Solyndra scandal, nor is it the newest scandal at Light Squared over GPS systems versus the 4G networks and the alleged arm twisting of General William Shelton, it is becoming increasingly clearer that a systemic problem exists in the Obama Administration.
Its the Ties that Bind, and when you want to see the connection to a fire, follow the smoke trail of the money. Ideology is a strong magnetic force as is political power, and in the case of campaign bundling for Obama, it is common knowledge that Holder figured prominently in the ideological future for the Obama Administration. Now, in the tidal surge of the “Fast & Furious” debacle, another Obama crony, David Ogden, the now former ADA under Holder and Janet Reno has returned to practice law at his former firm, Wilmer Hale in Boston in the shadow of the Fast & Furious storm.
Holder’s former firm, before taking on his current position, was at Sidley Austin, a global law firm, with approximately 1700 lawyers in 17 offices stretching across America. This is also the law firm where the Obamas met. Incidentally, both Michelle and Barak H. Obama, Jr. have since been forced to “voluntarily” request that each person’s law license be suspended prior to assuming residence in the White House. Sidley Austin bundler’s netted the Obama campaign over $600,000.
In the list below, these two law firms figure prominently as two of the top “bundlers” for the Obama Campaign in 2008. And prominent Law Firm/Bundler operation Wilmer Hale LLP has received “bailout funds”. Wilmer Hale had lost a case due to failing to remain within the statute of limitations, and then received $214 million to cover their mistakes in a “bail out”. For $550,000, Wilmer Hale assured itself of the vastly larger payback allegedly.
It does pay, to Pay to Play! Notice that Citibank was also one of the largest contributors, and another “bailout” recipient.
From Open Secrets:
University of California | $1,648,685 |
Goldman Sachs | $1,013,091 |
Harvard University | $864,654 |
Microsoft Corp | $852,167 |
Google Inc | $814,540 |
JPMorgan Chase & Co | $808,799 |
Citigroup Inc | $736,771 |
Time Warner | $624,618 |
Sidley Austin LLP | $600,298 |
Stanford University | $595,716 |
National Amusements Inc | $563,798 |
Wilmerhale Llp | $550,168 |
Skadden, Arps et al | $543,539 |
Columbia University | $541,002 |
UBS AG | $532,674 |
IBM Corp | $532,372 |
General Electric | $529,855 |
US Government | $517,908 |
Morgan Stanley | $512,232 |
Latham & Watkins | $503,295 |