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David Axelrod's Very Big Problem - Conflict of Interest? (Hugh Hewitt/Politico breaking news)
Hugh Hewitt ^ | 08/18/2009 | taildragger

Posted on 08/18/2009 4:04:25 PM PDT by taildragger

Edited on 08/18/2009 4:25:51 PM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]

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?"


TOPICS: Breaking News; Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Front Page News; Government
KEYWORDS: 2milliondollars; agenda; akpd; axelrod; bho44; bhohealthcare; corruption; cultureofcorruption; democratcorruption; democrats; liberalfascism; obama; obamacare; rats; socializedmedicine; taxcheatparty
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To: taildragger

Have we finally got a juicy DC-type scandal? Wouldn’t you know it involved the dang pharma cos/


81 posted on 08/18/2009 6:08:50 PM PDT by browniexyz
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To: taildragger

Thanks for the link. This is a seriously sobering prediction. It would appear that Obama, the democrats and the media have just declared war on the American people. They have no mandate to do any of this....much else the constitutional authority.

The only thing that Celente left out are the enormous amount of weapons that patriots have been storing for just this kind of a threat to our republic. I pray that they reconsider for the sake of our country.


82 posted on 08/18/2009 6:14:19 PM PDT by penelopesire ("The only CHANGE you will get with the Democrats is the CHANGE left in your pocket")
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To: driftdiver

I haven’t heard this before.

What are the circumstances: when, where, for what services, which Arabs? Any references?


83 posted on 08/18/2009 6:19:50 PM PDT by Where is todays Reagan
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To: Where is todays Reagan

“What are the circumstances: when, where, for what services, which Arabs? Any references?”

You hadn’t heard that BO got $780 million dollars during the campaign. We are supposed to believe this was collected $10 at a time from the faithful.

Many documented cases of donations from gaza and other places.

And then there is Soros.


84 posted on 08/18/2009 6:25:47 PM PDT by driftdiver (I could eat it raw, but why do that when I have a fire.)
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To: Uncle Hal

...The MSM will ignore this news. Guaranteed...

Yes, but I think this could be an important, blog-driven news story nevertheless. The question is, who’s driving the news these days, the MSM or political blogs? The blogs are running at least even, if not ahead.


85 posted on 08/18/2009 6:30:05 PM PDT by Califelephant
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To: maggief
Last week, he e-mailed that group’s 13 million addresses with a video from Obama that urged support for the economic stimulus plan.”
86 posted on 08/18/2009 6:33:53 PM PDT by hoosiermama (ONLY DEAD FISH GO WITH THE FLOW.......I am swimming with Sarahcudah! Sarah has read the tealeaves.)
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To: Natural Law

Works for me. As much as the Obama show is managed, I don’t think it will happen though.


87 posted on 08/18/2009 6:38:25 PM PDT by meatloaf (Obama, Obozo ... what's the difference?)
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To: taildragger

I’ve written before that the only conflict of interest Beltway insiders recognize is anything that conflicts with their cashing in on their positions.

Maybe something will come of this, and maybe not, but it’s incredible how many senators and reps have spouses, children and siblings involved in lobbying Congress, sort of like old Tom Daschle’s wife’s lobbying, which of course, never had any influence on how her husband did his work as a senator.

An incredible amount of blatant conflict of interest takes place inside the Beltway, but they’ve just about made it all legal.


88 posted on 08/18/2009 6:52:35 PM PDT by Will88
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To: taildragger

I only wish it were even a little problem. Unfortunately, the drive-bys will cover this corrupt shmuck’s heinie till the cows come home.


89 posted on 08/18/2009 6:54:53 PM PDT by truthkeeper ("Why oh why didn't I take the blue pill?")
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To: mojito
I’m sure Eric Holder is following developments closely.

Yeah. Scouring all of the reports for hints of RAAAAACISM!!!!

Did you know it's possible for hick redneck bitter clinger white crackers to be RAAAACIST towards intelligent, urbane, sophisticated big-city white folk? Well, it is!

/sarc.

90 posted on 08/18/2009 6:55:25 PM PDT by filbert (More filbert at http://www.medary.com)
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To: taildragger; All

I’m pretty sure he actually works at the huff Post, but if true, this is a major problem.


91 posted on 08/18/2009 6:57:44 PM PDT by rwfromkansas ("Carve your name on hearts, not marble." - C.H. Spurgeon)
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To: penelopesire

Jeez, I had to attend a social media seminar and Plouffe was the “star” speaker. What a frikkin’ pansy. His name fits.


92 posted on 08/18/2009 7:17:24 PM PDT by ponygirl
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To: filbert
If I didn't know any better, it looks like our Government is run by scumbags.

Maybe I'm just missing something... I thought Obama was so special.

I'm so .... disappointed.

93 posted on 08/18/2009 7:20:55 PM PDT by PA-RIVER
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To: ponygirl

That’s interesting. He sounds like a real scumbag. We have criminals in charge of every branch of our government right now. Very Scary!


94 posted on 08/18/2009 7:23:07 PM PDT by penelopesire ("The only CHANGE you will get with the Democrats is the CHANGE left in your pocket")
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To: taildragger

Why do these people say such nasty things about this nice man who is emailing me about health care - sounds fishy. I do not know why but Mr Asslerod is so nice to email me and keep me informed about the miracle of Obamercare. Wonder how he got my email address? Funny, I didn’t ask for the emails....


95 posted on 08/18/2009 7:39:07 PM PDT by FlyingEagle
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To: penelopesire
Well, the whole marketing world was just falling at his feet in reverence after the election. Apparently he engineered the "Change" masses into the social media phenomenon that was largely responsible for getting 0 elected. The '08 campaign was the first time social media had ever been used in that manner, and it was wildly successful - extremely useful in illustrating how decrepid and out of touch McCain was/is.

Funny thing is, I was on Facebook before the election and am still on after... the Obama mob has practically disappeared. You can tell when polls start making the rounds and they're very anti-Obama. What happened to the "I bet I can find 1,000,000 people on Facebook who hate Sarah Palin" polls?

And the really cool thing is that Palin has grabbed onto Facebook and isn't letting go. She's workin' it like you wouldn't believe... and it's working for her.

96 posted on 08/18/2009 7:44:43 PM PDT by ponygirl
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To: rintense

Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.


97 posted on 08/18/2009 8:11:31 PM PDT by KirbyMD (Garbage)
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To: kcvl

http://www.fec.gov/DisclosureSearch/MapAppRefreshTran.do?cand_nm_title=Obama,%20Barack&tranType=expendDetail&tranComeFrom=mapApp&d-16544-p=1&d-16544-n=1&d-16544-s=DISB_AMT&cand_id=P80003338&d-16544-o=2


98 posted on 08/18/2009 8:13:19 PM PDT by smokingfrog (No man's life, liberty or property is safe while the legislature is in session. I AM JIM THOMPSON)
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To: jcsjcm

Very cool. :)


99 posted on 08/18/2009 8:15:13 PM PDT by bustinchops
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To: taildragger

Doesn’t matter...isn’t Halliburton! Move along.


100 posted on 08/18/2009 8:18:43 PM PDT by lonestar (Obama is turning Bush's "mess" into a catastrophe.)
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