Free Republic

The lobbying firm whose ties to Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Redlands, are under investigation announced Friday it is splitting into two groups. The three Republican named partners - including Lewis' friend and former California congressman Bill Lowery - will continue to lead the existing firm, while the two Democratic partners will form a separate partnership. A statement from Copeland, Lowery, Jacquez, Denton & White attributed the decision to "the current media focus on the firm." "All the partners remain focused on their client work, discussing issues on Capitol Hill, and working with regulatory agencies every single day," the statement said. "We...

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Jerry Lewis, R-Calif., under federal investigation over his ties to a lobbyist, has hired a high-profile legal team from a Los Angeles-based law firm. Lewis has denied wrongdoing and has said he has not been contacted by federal investigators in the probe, which became public last month and is being run by the U.S. attorney's office in Los Angeles. The team includes former Solicitor General Ted Olson; Robert Bonner, who once led the U.S. attorney's office in Los Angeles and was once head of Customs and Border Protection; Mel Levine, a former Democratic congressman from California;...