Emails: White House worked with health industry to send business to Axelrod’s firm

Daily Caller ^ | June 26, 2012 | Alex Pappas

[bobsunshine]

The charge that the Obama administration coordinated with the health-care industry in 2009 during the Obamacare fight to send a good chunk of business to the consulting firm founded by presidential adviser David Axelrod has resurfaced in the news media.

At issue is whether the White House worked with officials inside the industry to form the outside group, “Healthy Economy Now,” which ran pro-Obamacare ads with the help of Axelrod’s former political consulting firm, AKPD Message and Media.

In 2009, the firm not only still employed Axelrod’s son, but it still owed the presidential adviser money as part of his buy-out deal with the firm ahead of leaving to work in the White House.

New details have emerged with the House Energy and Commerce Committee recently releasing a barrage of emails showing communications between the administration and the industry sent ahead of the push for Obama’s health care overhaul.

The emails — which have been reviewed by The Daily Caller — include the revelation that the AKPD consultants were being described as “[White House] WH-designated folks.”

“They have been put in charge of the campaign to pass health reform,” Pharmaceutical Research and Manufactures of America (PhRMA) consultant Steve McMahon wrote of a group of consultants, including those from AKPD. The emails also show how the health-care industry was concerned in 2009 about the revelation in the media that they were partnering with AKPD.

“I want to alert everyone to a potential problem,” wrote Ken Johnson, the senior vice president of PhRMA, in an email to colleagues on June 30, 2009.

[unixfox]

And the corruption just keeps on comin...

[WellyP]

It’s the “Chicago way”...help your friends and yourself and SCREW everyone else!

[GOPJ]

The Chicago way...

[Hotlanta Mike]

All in the notion of fairness according to Obama...