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FrumForum has learned that Reince Priebus, the state chair for the Wisconsin GOP and a current RNC Chair candidate, is listed as working as a lawyer on a team which helps clients secure federal stimulus funds.
Despite multiple listings on his law firm’s website, Priebus tells FrumForum that he has never worked with his firm’s ‘Stimulus and Economic Recovery’ group.
Priebus is a partner for the law firm Michael Best & Friedrich LLP in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In February 2009, his firm announced the creation of a ‘Stimulus Legislation Team’, of which Priebus was listed as a member.
One of the client alerts co-authored by Priebus describes the team’s role as such:
…The Michael Best Stimulus and Economic Recovery Team is prepared to assist you in understanding the implications and in developing and implementing a strategy to secure the benefits of this unprecedented legislation. Specifically, we will assist you to identify opportunities, prepare appropriate proposals and make targeted contacts to secure funds.
The Wisconsin state chair is listed in the original announcement as being able to help clients on regulatory and compliance issues, as well as on transportation and infrastructure projects.
In response to an inquiry, Priebus denied any involvement with the team, despite his name being listed in conjunction with the team on several places on his law firm’s website.
“I have never worked on or been involved with that group or any group that involves stimulus money in any way. I’m not involved with any effort to secure any funds from the stimulus bill, period. I have discovered that the link on my bio page was put there in error. The link will also be removed as soon as possible,” he said to FrumForum.
Priebus’ assertion comes despite the fact that the ‘Stimulus and Economic Recovery’ is listed as one of his services on his biography; his co-authorship of four client alert briefings for the Stimulus and Economic Recovery Team; and his name listed on the announcement of the creation of the team.
“I’m co chair of the Government Practice Group, so my guess is that I was simply listed,” said Priebus.
Republicans generally opposed the stimulus package that was passed as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. House Republicans opposed it unanimously, and the only Republican Senators to support it were Sen. Susan Collins, Sen. Olympia Snowe and Sen. Arlen Specter – Specter switched to the Democratic Party in April 2009.
Now as a candidate for the chairmanship of the Republican National Committee, Priebus may need to explain his involvement with a group securing stimulus funds for clients, especially to the more hard-line conservatives on the Committee that he does not support the stimulus.
Priebus currently leads the pack of current RNC Chairmen contenders with twelve endorsements.
Update: “The errors are being rectified by the law firm right now,” says Priebus.
Screenshots below show the listings of Priebus as a member of the group:
Posted at 8:20pm
Add Tim on twitter: www.twitter.com/timkmak
This just in, GOP teabagger exposed as huge hypocrite.
In other breaking other news, the sun is expected to rise in the east and set in the west tomorrow.
I am still waiting for someone to tell me which freshman Congressmen/women are going to be refusing their government funded healthcare.
So really, no kidding he is a hypocrite. But, thanks for the specifics!
1. So what?
2 This is what you get when you have clueless college kids writing for your failed blog. I’ve got news for you, Mak, this is precisely how the marketing departments of big law firms work. If you are a partner they stick your name into any practice group that is remotely related to your practice. That’s how you cross-market the firm.
3. Attorneys in big law firms are specialized. Mr. Priebus appears to be a construction attorney who focuses on litigation. With this background he sure as hell doesn’t handle stimulus contracts. That work would go to the government contracts group.
This is beyond pathetic.
Money talks and we know what walks. Since when does a politican have to explain being unable to say no to money, anybody’s money? Are we really expecting consistency, principles, etc ? Get real. Why are campaign finance laws and disclosure laws toast? Please.
Would I be saying the obvious that I find the whole situation hypocritical and failing in moral and ethical values?
It’ a game of “let’s play both sides of the fence to get the most for ourselves” while we disclaim the other political side. It’s disgusting and morally vacuous.
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[...] that Priebus attempted to flush the evidence down the Internet memory hole. In fact, when contacted by Tim Mak of Frum Forum, Priebus denied working on the “Stimulus Legislation Team&#… at his Milwaukee firm, Michael Best & Friedrich LLP — but Mak produces abundant [...]
The American Spectator : AmSpecBlog : Who Torpedoed Steele's RNC Rival Reince Priebus // Dec 15, 2010 at 11:54 pm
[...] from two different ideological directions — the stimulus story being reported Tuesday by both Tim Mak at the "centrist" Web site Frum Forum and by conservative Dan Riehl at Andrew Brietbart's [...]
CO Indie: I guess that means if you’re a judge in the anti Obamacare case, you can have a financial stake in an anti Obama care consulting group and still be impartial.
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/12/health_care_judges_interest_in_anti-health_care_pr_shop_raises_questions.php
Doesn’t that sound just a bit fishy ?
Priebus in the firm, he socializes in the firm, talks to other people in the firm, he’s an expert on “construction” matters (like you said). Why would he not be asked about construction related stimulus programs ? Why is he listed as an author in some of those advisory letters ? I’m sorry but it looks like there’s really too much going on here to claim “no contact”. Res ipsa loquatium as they say.
Are You Kidding?… RNC Candidate’s Firm Worked to Secure Stimulus Funds For Clients | The Gateway Pundit // Dec 16, 2010 at 9:31 am
[...] we find out that Priebus’s firm helped clients secure Obama Stimulus funds. Frum Forum reported: FrumForum has learned that Reince Priebus, the state chair for the Wisconsin GOP and a [...]
>> Priebus in the firm, he socializes in the firm, talks to other people in the firm, he’s an expert on “construction” matters (like you said). Why would he not be asked about construction related stimulus programs ? Why is he listed as an author in some of those advisory letters ? I’m sorry but it looks like there’s really too much going on here to claim “no contact”. Res ipsa loquatium as they say.
Andy, attorneys don’t write “Client Alerts” like those posted on the web. The marketing department writes them. Then they put the names of partners whose practice is related to the subject matter on the Client Alert and distribute the Alert to their clients by email or by snail mail in hopes that someone at the client will call the partner to inquire about the Alert. That’s how you generate business. It’s likely that Priebus first saw these client alerts when they arrived in his email box as a function of the mass emailing.
And if you think attorneys in big law firms have time or inclination to socialize with one another then you’re really crazy. They are too busy trying to make hours to socialize. And even if they had time they wouldn’t socialize with one another because they all hate each other.
I don’t know Priebus or anything about him, nor do I care who wins the RNC election, but anybody who has worked in a major law firm would instantly recognize this story as being absurd. Mak is either completely clueless or is guilty of staging a hit job on Priebus on behalf of Steele. At firs I suspected the former but now I suspect it is the latter.
And even if Priebus did help his clients get stimulus money, so what? He’s a private attorney doing his job for his clients. If there is stimulus money available for his clients to obtain and his clients requested his help in obtaining it then he’s just doing his job for his clients. Attorneys have to do things for their clients that are inconsistent with their personal or political values all the time. That’s part of the job. Attorneys represent clients.
“FrumForum has learned that Reince Priebus, the state chair for the Wisconsin GOP and a current RNC Chair candidate, is listed as working as a lawyer on a team which helps clients secure federal stimulus funds.”
GOPork
rbottoms // Dec 15, 2010 at 8:13 pm
This just in, GOP teabagger exposed as huge hypocrite.
In other breaking other news, the sun is expected to rise in the east and set in the west tomorrow.
Well said!!
Co Indie: We’ll be arguing this until the cows come home but all I’ll say is a good lawyer would not hesitate to pin those letters on him and make him prove otherwise. Let’s say someone took the firm up on the offer, got the shaft somehow and decides to sue. He’s going to sue the WHOLE firm, not just the inner group and the writer. Once again, sorry, I’m not buying ingnorance. After all, ignorance of the law is no defense.
Coming from a Military backgound I’ve always believed when you put your name on something you are behind it 100%. I guess that may not apply to law firms… As a partner in the firm he would be “responsible” for what the firm puts out. Even if he did “not write it” he should have stopped the matter right after the first one, and put out a legal disclaimer.
andydp ,
No point arguing with rino teabbagers like CO Independent . Folks like him will never consider facts…just angry rhetoric.
Andy, with all respect your post doesn’t make any sense. It doesn’t appear that you even read the screen shots. These are not legal documents; they are just marketing documents. There’s nothing in them to “pin” on anyone. There’s no offer, no legal opinion or even legal substance. There’s nothing in them which would generate liability for the firm. There is no law of which he could have been ignorant. Nothing you wrote makes any sense.
Again, to anyone who has worked in a big law firm or is remotely familiar with the way they work, there’s just no story here. Every major law firm set up a stimulus funds group and marketed that group to their clients. It appears that Priebus represents construction clients and local governments, who would naturally be interested in stimulus funding. It was entirely appropriate that, as a partner in the firm whose clients have an interest in stimulus funding, Priebus was placed on the committee.
The only question this article raises is whether Mak is clueless or on the take for Steele. Care to address that question, Mak??
CO -Independent – “It was entirely appropriate that, as a partner in the firm whose clients have an interest in stimulus funding, Priebus was placed on the committee. ”
He could have said no to committee. Please don’t make up stupid excuses.
americanconservativenews.com » Blog Archive » Are You Kidding?… RNC Candidate’s Firm Worked to Secure Obama Stimulus Funds For Clients // Dec 16, 2010 at 10:21 pm
[...] we find out that Priebus’s firm helped clients secure Obama Stimulus funds.Frum Forum reported: FrumForum has learned that Reince Priebus, the state chair for the Wisconsin GOP and a [...]
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[...] RNC Candidate's Firm Got Clients Stimulus Funds | FrumForum [...]
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5 Things To Know About New RNC Chair Reince Priebus | Listicles // Jan 18, 2011 at 4:08 pm
[...] Here’s a report about Priebus’ involvement on the team, which he refutes. [...]