Deloitte’s Political Contributions Pay Off – Still Pending

Update April 4, 2007: No response yet from either the Press Secretary to Rep. Conyers or Irvin Nathan on who is really working with Arnold and Porter on this contract.

Update: I received a note almost immediately after making this post from Deloitte’s Director of National Public Relations. She stated that Deloitte has declined this engagement. I will be following up with both the Washington Times and the office of Congressman Conyers to see what happened and why this story got so far before Deloitte distanced themselves.

But how does it work when you give big money to both Democratic leaders and George Bush? Where is the objectivity? Is their only loyalty to the money?

Dems: More lawyers needed for Bush probes

“House Democrats are set tomorrow to bring in private sector lawyers — at a cost of up to $225,000 over the next nine months — to help committee staff investigate the Bush administration. House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers Jr., Michigan Democrat, has drawn up a contract with Washington law firm Arnold & Porter for help in his investigation of the firing of eight federal prosecutors last year, according to an unsigned copy of the contract obtained by The Washington Times.

The contract specifies that Arnold & Porter will subcontract with another firm, Deloitte & Touche, to “assist Democratic members of the Committee on the Judiciary with issues related to the termination of U.S. attorneys by the Bush administration, possible misrepresentations to Congress, interfering with investigations and matter related thereto.”

The House Judiciary Committee already has as many as 30 paid staff positions, not including staff of subcommittees, aides said. The committee’s contract is for a sum “not to exceed $25,000 per month, plus authorized traveling expenses,” and is set to expire Dec. 31, 2007.

The contract specifies that Irvin B. Nathan, a partner at Arnold & Porter, will be “principally responsible” for the contract. The contract also specifies that two Deloitte & Touche employees — Michael Zeldin, a former independent special prosecutor in the early 1990s, and David K. Gilles, a former Treasury Department official — will become part of the House investigation.”