David Axelrod's Very Big Problem - Conflict of Interest? (Hugh Hewitt/Politico breaking news)

Hugh Hewitt ^ | 08/18/2009 | taildragger

[taildragger]

The allegations in this Bloomberg story --if true-- pose a huge problem for a senior advisor to the president, David Axelrod. This is the heart of the problem:

Axelrod was president and sole shareholder of AKPD from 1985 until he sold his interest after Obama’s victory, government records show. The firm owes Axelrod $2 million, which it’s due to pay in installments beginning Dec. 31. Axelrod’s son, Michael, still works there. He didn’t return a phone call. The firm’s Web site continues to feature David Axelrod’s work on the Obama campaign. (Emphasis added.)

The problem is that Axelrod's former firm is currently receiving huge fees "from Healthy Economy Now, a coalition that includes the Washington-based Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America, known as PhRMA," as well as AARP, the SEIU and other big players in the health care debate. 

If Axelrod has been negotiating any part of any deal involving any of these players which are funneling money to the firm that owes him money, or if he is advising the president on the deals with any of these groups, that's a conflict of interest.  Laundering the money through a "coalition" doesn't remove the conflict much less the appearance of impropriety.  The coalition is in effect partially funding David Axelrod's severance package though its members might have done so unknowingly.  These forthcoming payments to Axelrod are much more significant than the sort of "retained ties"  that Democrats blasted Dick Cheney for vis-a-vis Halliburton even though there was no high level negotiations between the vice president and his former company.

David Axelrod has some tough questions to answer, and according to Politico's Mike Allen, Politico's Ken Vogel will be publishing more on matters Axelrodian tomorrow. (Thetranscript of my interview with Allen will be posted here later tonight.) Vogel's story on Axelrod's son from a few days back casts doubt on the Bloomberg story's accuracy as Bloomberg has Axelrod's son still at Axelrod's old firm, but Vogel has him at The Huffington Post. 

If it was Karl Rove in a similar set of circumstances, the blogs and some in MSM would already be demanding a special prosecutor.  There are lots of questions for Mr. Axelrod, the first one being whether the Bloomberg story is accurate.  if the answer is "yes," the second will be: "Have you lawyered up?"

[smokingfrog]

You forgot to add that we’re all racists.

[Stentor]

” Old news.” /S

[GoldwaterChick]

Bump for later

[mojitojoe]

The entire government is a cesspool of corruption. TERM LIMITS DAMNIT!!! Granted, this administration is there for one reason, to change America so they can line their pockets and live like kings, but don’t fool yourself, both parties are dirty. Clean them all out and start over.

[smokingfrog]

Spot on.

If the dems exercise the nuclear option, all hell is going to break loose! Then look for some false flag event.

[mojitojoe]

Look for a false flag or generated crisis by October. Remember, a wounded pathological narcissist is a dangerous Marxist.

[R0CK3T]

Need a Special Council to investigate his illegal activities.

[mojitojoe]

Creepy!In 2006, David Axelrod wrote an unblinking assessment of Barack Obama as a presidential candidate: "You care far too much what is written and said about you. You don't relish combat when it becomes personal and nasty. When the largely irrelevant Alan Keyes attacked you, you flinched." http://www.politicsdaily.com/2009/07/31/david-axelrod-told-obama-totoughen-up/

[mojitojoe]

http://www.politicsdaily.com/2009/07/31/david-axelrod-told-obama-totoughen-up/

[PghBaldy]

Obama had the name/address correlation feature turned off on campaign website for CC donations. There was money donated by among others, “Palestinians.” Pamela of ATlasShrugs wrote a LOT about it... It is something they did- FEC said they wouldn’t look into it. Probably biggest case of election fraud since 1960.

[cookcounty]

"Vogel's story on Axelrod's son from a few days back casts doubt on the Bloomberg story's accuracy as Bloomberg has Axelrod's son still at Axelrod's old firm, but Vogel has him at The Huffington Post."

No, Axelrod's son DOES work for the Astroturf Farm (Or is it now Astroturf Pharm?). His YOUNGER son, who just graduated from Colorado College (what a hockey team!!) is at the Huffington Pus.

[cookcounty]

"Creepy!In 2006, David Axelrod wrote an unblinking assessment of Barack Obama as a presidential candidate: "You care far too much what is written and said about you. You don't relish combat when it becomes personal and nasty. When the largely irrelevant Alan Keyes attacked you, you flinched."

Sounds like David the Axe had Obama figured out long before we did!

[STARWISE]

Another of Axelrod's 'former' businesses, the one he and Michelle cooked up to move sick folks out the University of Chicago (Michelle's salary: $300+K) ER and bus them to local clinics so the hospital use more beds for more expensive specialized treatments and surgeries, etc.

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Axelrod's Son Hired by Huffington Post

By Howard Kurtz
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, July 28, 2009;

David Axelrod's son is following his father's career path -- that is, the one he had before becoming a political strategist.

Ethan Axelrod is joining the Huffington Post, the liberal Web site that has been largely supportive of President Obama. His dad, now a White House senior adviser, was a Chicago Tribune reporter until he quit in 1984 to help run a Senate campaign (and still has a soft spot for newspapers, though his old one is in bankruptcy).

"I've been interested in journalism for a while," the 22-year-old Axelrod said Tuesday. "I heard through my father that they were expanding, so I applied for it."

The younger Axelrod started yesterday as editor of the Huffington Post's new local edition in Denver, the third of a dozen planned sites that have already launched in New York and Chicago and will next target Los Angeles. He applied for the job, was interviewed by Arianna Huffington along with other candidates, and was tapped after submitting a mockup of the Denver home page. The site goes live in September.

~~~~~~~

Boy ... Arianna sure knows how to suck up.

~~~~~~~~~

His other son sounds like a beaut.

++++

January 24
Talking about How Does Axelrod Get Millionaires to Misbehave?

If Chicago Sun Times columnist Michael Sneed is correct, it now appears that Michael Axelrod & the New York Knicks basketball star Antonio Davis & his wife have come to their senses by agreeing to resolve their differences out of court. What might have been the advice of the elder Mr. David Axelrod? How might Michael's privileged pout play out on the political stage with the March 21st political party primary just around the corner? MAF

Quote How Does Axelrod Get Millionaires to Misbehave?

They say that politics and professional athletics are two sports cut from the same fabric.

Maybe that's why political media consultant David Axelrod's son Michael managed to find himself in the center of controversy with a ring-side seat at a recent Chicago Bulls-New York Knicks basketball game.

Axelrod plans to attend law school & threatens to get off to an early start filing a slander suit against once Bulls player and now New York Knicks shooter Antonio Davis. Player Davis ran in to the stands to defend his wife @ a recent Knicks-Bulls basketball game, defending his move as a chivalrous gesture.

No novice to grabbing front page headlines, the junior Axelrod wants a million dollars for his trouble.

Axelrod claims he's not responsible for causing the fracas @ the United Center in Chicago. He claims that he doesn't drink @ Bulls games. The Knick's Davis claimed that an unruly & intoxicated fan was harrassing his wife, but what could he see in the heat of the contentioius game?

Dwelling on this allegation, Axelrod masterfully diverted attention away from the real issue: did he incite the original incident which led to player Davis' wife--Kendra?

Michael may have become a "public figure" like his father--David Axelrod. The elder Axelrod's exploits include leading The Chicago Tribune & Channel 7 news to make a big deal out of old divorce cases, taunting millionaires Blair Hull & Jack Ryan to misbehave.

Might the younger David Axelrod have figured out that 93% of communication is body language & vocal tonality as he screamed his complaints against referees within the earshot of Davis' ten year old children and their fellow third grader classmates?

Thanks for reminding your fans that it doesn't take a huge campaign budget for your 15 minutes of fame.

Michael, sue Mom if you must for protecting her nest. But how about an apology for the third graders?

Doth the fan proteth too much

[Salvation]

Bookmark

[chris_bdba]

Yep that is what I was thinking! Anything that distracts him and keeps him off message is a good thing to slow down this trainwreck!

[cookcounty]

Go to AKPD Media. They have been running the Democrat Party for the past 10 years out of that little building at 730 North Franklin. I used to go there all the time. Amazing.

[keepitreal]

David’s son, Michael Axelrod works for for AKPD

http://akpdmedia.com/associates/michael-axelrod/

His other son, Ethan Axelrod works for Huffpo

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ethan-axelrod

[timestax]

Did he pay all his taxes, ALL OF THEM? !

Where do these liberal,Communistic Demoncraps get off thinking THEY are somehow exempt from Federal and State and local taxes? Is it an Ivy League College elitesm kind of thing? eh

[kcvl]

http://www.gmmb.com/

David (Smith) has created award-winning social marketing campaigns for a diverse set of clients. He currently directs the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Cover the Uninsured Week, a national campaign to raise awareness about the millions of Americans lacking health insurance. In addition, he has provided counsel to the Coalition to Protect America’s Health Care, Kaiser Family Foundation, Cisco Systems, Americans United for Change, and many others.

Before joining GMMB, David was with Greenberg Research, Inc., where he served as research director for Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential polling operation.

http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:cW9w_6hoEyAJ:www.gmmb.com/about/partners/smith.htm+GMMB+INC.&cd=20&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us