CREW wants Justice Dept. to investigate Stephen Payne's scheme to sell meetings

[L. Coyote]

CREW wants Justice Dept. to investigate Stephen Payne who may have offered government meetings for contributions to Bush library
14 July 2008 - http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/33262


Today, CREW sent a letter to the Department of Justice asking for an investigation into whether lobbyist Stephen Payne violated any criminal laws by offering to arrange meetings with top administration officials in return for a contribution to the Bush library and a substantial commission for serving as a go-between, and whether any administration officials broke the law by participating in a scheme to sell meetings for contributions. The letter to DOJ can be found here.

The Times of London has reported that a Times investigator asked Mr. Payne to arrange meetings in Washington for an exiled former central Asian president. Mr. Payne can be seen on videotape saying that such meetings can be arranged for “somewhere between $600,000 and $750,000, with about a third of it going directly to the Bush library.” The balance would go to Mr. Payne’s lobbying firm, Worldwide Strategic Partners. When asked which officials might be available to meet for that price, Mr. Payne replied, “Cheney’s possible, definitely the national security adviser , definitely either Dr. Rice or . . . I think a meeting with Dr. Rice or the deputy secretary is possible . . .”

Mr. Payne is a top Bush donor who raised more than $100,000 for the 2000 presidential election and another $200,000 for the president’s 2004 re-election campaign. He is also a member of the U.S. Homeland Security Advisory Council and has accompanied President Bush and Vice President Cheney on foreign trips.

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[truthisfreedom]

1. It's a fucking mafia.

We knew it all along, and as the end days approach, they don't even try to hide it.

[L. Coyote]

2. Rep. Henry Waxman Launches Probe Into Lobbyist Stephen Payne

Henry Waxman Launches Probe Into Lobbyist Stephen Payne Who Allegedly Traded Access For Bush Library Donations
Politico | July 14, 2008 08:55 PM
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/14/henry-waxman-launches-pro_n_112734.html


Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), chairman of the House Oversight and Government Relations Committee, is wasting no time, and has announced that he will investigate Stephen Payne, a GOP lobbyist with ties to the Bush administration who allegedly solicit donations for the library in return for meeting with top administration officials.

Payne was the subject of an article in the Sunday Times of London this past weekend, including video. Payne, a major fundraiser for the Bush campaign in 2000 and 2004, is seen telling "Eric Dos," a Kazakh politician whose full name is Yerzhan Dosmukhamedov, that he can help arrange meetings with top Bush officials ....

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[aquart]

3. Hope the darling got it all on paper, disks, videotape, flash drives....

[JDPriestly]

4. The Republicans would sell the use of our military if they could.

Hey, wait a minute. Does that explain why we have bases in something like 140 countries? Just joking.

[madrchsod]

5. i received an email yesterday from->

http://www.protectsmu.org/

take a minute and help us out keep the library from being built at smu. we no business supporting a man who goes against the values of our church....you do`t really have to be a methodist...

http://www.whatwouldjwdo.net/ yes what would our founder do?


will this revelation about cheney and the lobbyist is going to help in stopping this travesty? let`s hope so.

[Ian David]

6. Self-delete (wrong thread)

[KharmaTrain]

7. Anyone Remember The Clinton Tea Parties?

Ain't this sumtin'...some may remember in the waning days of the Clinton years, the GOOP was frothing at the mouth about Charlie Tri (I think that was his name) and the various "teas" and other "meet and greets" he allegedly arranged for cash that was supposed to go for the Clinton Library. The wingnuts were all atwitter...this surely was ground to impeach and how foreign governments were buying influence (it also tied into an Indonesian contributor). Then there was Al Gore's trip to the Buddist temple...according to the wingnuts, this alone was enough to disqualify him from ever stepping public again. How the worm has turned...

Gotta give the GOOpers credit, they have taken every scam they claim Clinton did (and never could prove) and used it for themselves...and now are getting caught. But Mr. Payne need not worry as he's paid his dues and his pardon is sitting for him if anyone dare to try to prosecute him.