I was off grid in court all day yesterday -- and a major story broke, one that crosses deeply into two of the core narratives of this blog. [I need not link it -- as every major outlet has mentioned it. These are matters of substantial public concern. I will link this silly overnight side car -- from McDermott Will -- as it does indeed deserve more critical mention, and wider circulation. But it doesn't change the thrust of the narrative -- one iota. Note that none of that undercuts the Novartis (and AT&T) "no consult" consulting "work" payments theme. Those two public multi-billion dollar companies have made public statements largely admitting to the below.]
Okay. Normally I won't call out an individual pharma company by name, any longer -- unless it is related to the legacy companies that generated this blog. Today, I make an exception -- and make that company the masthead feature.
You see, at the same time this company was signing a $1.2 million "consulting" agreement (with a guy who looks like he'd mostly be capable of. . . stealing the mints, from front desk, at the local doctors' offices, as opposed to having dink competent, to say -- about US health care delivery policy) -- its then-Chairman was being elected to lead PhRMA.
He is no longer leading Novartis, but Novartis never listed this as a lobbying relationship -- under existing LDA disclosure provisions, nor complied with the rules mandating a public transparency form in the office of the US Senate. Relatedly, Mr. Cohen never disclosed he was lobbying Mr. Trump -- never registered as a lobbyist, again violating federal criminal law (a five year stint -- Mr. Cohen cannot, as a licensed lawyer, claim ignorance of the LDA's provisions).
Normally at this point in the story, I would make some (hopefully humorous) snark-laden remark -- to drive home a subtle point -- but these (now established) facts are so starkly unlawful, I will just leave this all hanging, in the air. . . right here.
[Almost trivially, at this point -- this narrative intersects with the Mueller Russia investigation. And the portrait now emerging, based on public admissions from the likes of AT&T and Novartis. . . is that Messrs. Cohen and Trump were secretly putting our nation's governance up for auction -- to the highest bidder -- IN ADDITION to selling votes on international policy to the mobbed-up Russians connected to. . . ole' Vlad.]
And, tragi-comically, I am now old enough to remember when real Republicans would have been furious about such. . . brazen graft. These small r republicans taunt Mr. McCain -- long one of their own, as he fades into his illness and eventual death, for now finally telling the truth.
Stay away from Mr. McCain's eventual memorial Mr. Trump. You are no Republican -- nor are any of your defenders, at this point. You are all just. . . thieves. [Note that I did not -- in relation to Russia -- and need not. . . call it treason -- as being bribe-able used to be. . . disqualifying.]
Onward. This is the end-game, now.
नमस्ते
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And a snarky Rudy911 update tonight -- his firm has dumped him -- per the NYT:
. . .The New York Times asked Greenberg Traurig about those [Giuliani] remarks early this week. Shortly after Mr. Giuliani’s resignation was announced, the firm responded. . . .
“We cannot speak for Mr. Giuliani with respect to what was intended by his remarks,” said a spokeswoman, Jill Perry. “Speaking for ourselves, we would not condone payments of the nature alleged to have been made or otherwise without the knowledge and direction of a client. . . .”
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