Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion

Scrolling through Doug Ross' blog, Director Blue, reminded me of a name from the past who seems to have escaped mainstream media scrutiny, much less responsibility, for two of the largest fiascos in our recent history, the intelligence failures which led to 9/11 and the Fannie Mae credit crisis:

So where is Jamie Gorelick today, and what is she doing? Turns out she's in private law practice helping clients navigate the government regulatory structure.

According to the NY Times, Gorelick was a key player in Barack Obama's transition team (shocking), was considered for Attorney General, and played her political cards right:

She contributed $10,000 to Mr. Obama’s presidential political action committee in August, after his nomination was all but assured.

And much like Barbara Boxer, the Times noted Gorelick doesn't like to be called Ma'am:

“You know someone respected you if they called you ‘sir,’ ” Ms. Gorelick said, alluding to the glass ceiling at the Pentagon, where she worked as general counsel in the 1990s. “ ‘Ma’am’ is what you call your mom.”

Gorelick has donated money in the past few months to key Democrats, including at least three on the Senate Judiciary Committee, including Pat Leahy, Sheldon Whitehouse and Al Franken. Oh, and she's part of a team pushing for appointment of D.C. judge Vanessa Ruiz to the federal Court of Appeals, which of course would involve a confirmation proceeding at the Senate Judiciary Committee before Leahy, Whitehouse and Franken.

And there's more. Gorelick, who was instrumental in the Fannie Mae disaster, has been hired by Sallie Mae (the student loan agency) as a lobbyist:

Sallie Mae's key hire was Jamie Gorelick, a former deputy attorney general in the Clinton administration, who signed on in February to lobby White House and Education Department officials on student-loan issues. Gorelick is a partner in the Washington law firm of Wilmer, Cutler, Pickering, Hale and Dorr, which billed Sallie Mae $270,000 for its work in the first half of 2009.

In such capacity, Gorelick will be dealing with the House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank, to whom she donated money in the last election.

Gorelick has made out just fine from her years in government. As for the rest of us, meh.

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Related Post:
Maybe Jay Bybee and Jamie Gorelick Should Be In The Dock Together

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