What is up with George Mitchell's lawfirm?

[The Backlash Cometh]

In this 2009 article, his lawfirm is allegedly responsible for representing a defendant who is allegedly accused of child-trafficking children to ride on the backs of camels for camel races:

Jan. 27 (Bloomberg) -- George Mitchell, President Barack Obama’s special Middle East troubleshooter, was chairman of a law firm that was paid about $8 million representing Dubai’s ruler in connection with a child-trafficking lawsuit.

The DLA Piper law firm did legal and lobbying work on the case, which alleged that Dubai’s Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al- Maktoum and another official used children kidnapped from other countries to ride as jockeys in camel races. The firm lobbied federal agencies, members of the U.S. House and about two dozen Senate offices, including those of Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2006 and 2007, according to Justice Department foreign-agent disclosures.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601070&sid=aa7hdtvtfYxc&refer=home


And in this 1997 article from the St. Pete Times, the lawfirm is mentioned again in a dubious deal that involved pardons, and individuals with a Saudi background:

The key to the plan was Samaha's well-connected brother-in-law, Sam Hamra.

Hamra, who lives in Springfield, Mo., owns 21 Wendy's restaurants and has long been a fund-raiser for Missouri Democrats. In the past 10 years, Hamra and members of his immediate family have donated $44,109 to Democratic causes.

After getting a call from Samaha, Hamra made the arrangements for former Senator George Mitchell's law firm in Washington, D.C., to assist him in representing Roberts and Ruder. The charge was $50,000 apiece.

That was on top of a $30,000 "best effort" fee Samaha already had collected. At one point, records show, Samaha called the Ruder family and asked for an extra $500,000.

Prosecutors are not sure how Samaha and Doll planned to split the money, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Mac Cauley, whose office is prosecuting the case.


http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/sptimes/access/17017885.html?dids=17017885:17017885&FMT=FT&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=May+5%2C+1997&author=KELLY+RYAN&pub=St.+Petersburg+Times&edition=&startpage=1.B&desc=Lawyer%27s+career+path+includes+misdeeds

And the person who was mentioned in that article, Sam Hamra, again comes up in 2007 when he's exposed by a Republican Governor because Hamra demanded more public money for construction deals:

Hamra wrote Gov. Matt Blunt on Dec. 11 asking him to use his influence to get the MHDC to approve state subsidies for three of Hamra’s projects. In the letter, Hamra said he had raised $400,000 for Blunt’s campaigns and that he expected Blunt to be loyal to his friends. John Hancock, a spokesman for the Blunt campaign, said Hamra helped raise about $100,000.

Hamra threatened to switch allegiance to Attorney General Jay Nixon, a Democrat who is opposing Blunt, a Republican, in the 2008 governor’s race. Hamra’s letter said Nixon had visited him the day Hamra was writing the letter and was seeking Hamra’s political support.

Blunt rejected Hamra’s letter, saying it was "the most offensive and improper communication I have ever received." In a written response, the governor said the letter asked him to do things "I would never consent to do."


http://www.columbiatribune.com/2007/Jun/20070610News011.asp

What is also interesting, is that Hamra is commended by the Governor for his help with adoptions:

http://www.columbiatribune.com/2007/Jun/0610_Hamra_Blunt_Letter.pdf

I'm just wondering why one good turn is enough to give a person cover for so many other things that don't pass public perception. And I'm wondering, why is George Mitchell's lawfirm involved with such questionnable people? Is this normal?

[Captain Hilts]

1. It's like Al Gore and Ann Richards accepting tobacco money...

you get clients in weird ways.

[The Backlash Cometh]

2. But that's all stateside and doesn't involved foreigners who may have

special skills or connections needed by our side.

[blm]

3. This is the time to get past the old guard who looked out for Dubai/Saudi royals more than us

the last 30 plus years.

People here may cheer Mitchell, but, he was part of Dem leadership in Clinton's first term who wanted to move past further examinations into BCCI. The investigative report specifically stated that FURTHER SCRUTINY was needed, especially on many of the bank/arms deals (Marc Rich, Keating, Kashoggi, AQ Khan, Dubai and $audi dollars).

How did that protection of BFEE and its global cronies throughout the 90s work out for this country in the long run?

[The Backlash Cometh]

4. I think the damage that these kind of connections create for the rest of us

is multi-generational.

And I think that people, like the Clintons, would do well to distance themselves from this old guard, since the person who was expected to give the pardons back in 1997, was Bill Clinton. I don't think it went that far, though. However, with the Rich pardon, it just adds fuel to the fire.

[blm]

5. You must have a more innocent view of Jackson Stephens' role in BCCI than I do. ;)

IMO, there is no distancing themselves for Clintons, as they were THE KEY PLAYERS in the protection of BFEE in the 90s.

[The Backlash Cometh]

6. I doesn't matter what I think.

What matters is that Obama recognizes the connections, so he doesn't get misled into something the way that George Bush II did.

This is a never ending, revolving door. The more they concede to foreigners, allowing those foreigners to get away with transgressions against US civilians on US soil, the more civilians distrust their own government.