Turns out there is not one but two million-dollar men in the Portals fiasco.
Subpoenaed documents provided to congressional investigators by Tennessee developer Franklin Haney last week supposedly reveal that former Tennessee senator Jim Sasser, before becoming U.S. ambassador to China, pocketed $1 million for Portals lobbying. Sound familiar? Congressional investigators say Sasser refuses to cooperate with them.
Until now, lobbyist Peter Knight owned the million-dollar man title, something he earned in January 1996 for helping Haney secure a 20-year, $400 million lease to house the FCC. Trouble is, the FCC doesn’t want to move there. Meanwhile, the meter is running. Taxpayers are footing a bill that’s up to $14 million on the unfinished Portals building.
Apparently Haney had a change of heart. The House Commerce Committee had found Haney in contempt for refusing to turn over documents subpoenaed in the Portals investigation. His lawyer, Stan Brand, argued the documents being sought violated attorney-client privilege and were beyond the scope of the probe.
But Knight’s law firm caved when it, too, was threatened with congressional contempt, meaning investigators can possibly get what they need with or without Haney’s help. Haney, for his part, faces a possible jail sentence and fine.
The Justice Department is probing whether there is a connection between the $230,000 Haney gave Democrats in 1996 and the Portals lease. They all may be friends of Vice President Gore, but the veep’s office insists he doesn’t have anything to do with the mess. Of course not. He’s trying to make the world safe for Y2K computers.
… David Siddall, wireless adviser to FCC Commissioner Ness, is headed to Verner Liipfert’s law offices. Bring an umbrella Dave. Sen. Dole’s doing a lot of rainmaking over there.
… Ruth Milkman, ex-Hundt aide, turns to telecom law at the Lawler Group and to telecom biz ventures with former FCC chairman Reed Hundt at Charles Ross Partners.
… Departures from CTIA’s lobbying shop. Jonas Neihardt moves to Qualcomm Inc.’s D.C., office. Dana Langley, who headed CTIA PAC, will manage MCI PAC.
… George Carlo found time in his busy WTR schedule to testify as an expert witness last week before a House Science subcommittee on risk assessment in health and safety federal policy making. Tellingly, Carlo went as the chairman of the Science and Public Policy Institute as opposed to the head of a wayward five-year, $25 million cancer research program.
… Congrats to Scott Harris, former FCC Int’l Bureau chief, on his new law office digs.
