Harris blasts, and takes money from, Epstein's law firm

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Kamala Harris bemoaned the influence of the powerful and connected elite last Tuesday when she called on top Justice Department officials to recuse themselves from any matter related to Jeffrey Epstein. She said their former law firm’s work on behalf of the financier accused of sexual abuse “calls into question the integrity of our legal system.”

Yet the same day, Harris’ husband headlined a Chicago fundraiser for her presidential campaign that was hosted by six partners of that firm — Kirkland and Ellis, according to an invitation obtained by The Associated Press.

Harris, a California senator and Democratic presidential candidate, was one of several White House hopefuls to blast the handling of Epstein’s case in Florida a decade ago, when his lawyers negotiated a deal with federal prosecutors that allowed him to avoid the possibility of years in prison. But her decision to move ahead with the fundraiser hosted by Kirkland and Ellis partners while criticizing the firm underscores the tension that can arise when a politician’s rhetoric collides with his or her need to raise money to sustain a presidential campaign.

“If any connection with Kirkland and Ellis is a stain on (senior Justice Department officials), why isn’t a connection with the law firm for the receipt of campaign contributions a stain on her own campaign?” said Paul S. Ryan, an attorney for the good-government group Common Cause.

Ian Sams, a Harris spokesman, said there wasn’t a problem with accepting the campaign contributions because the firm is big and the partners who hosted the fundraiser didn’t work on Epstein’s plea agreement.

“The people involved in that case have not supported her campaign, and she wouldn’t want that support anyway,” Sams said.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/harris-blasts-and-takes-money-from-epsteins-law-firm/ar-AAEmxBN?li=BBnb7Kz

[highplainsdem]

1. The statement there from Common Cause's Paul S. Ryan nails the problem:

“If any connection with Kirkland and Ellis is a stain on (senior Justice Department officials), why isn’t a connection with the law firm for the receipt of campaign contributions a stain on her own campaign?” said Paul S. Ryan, an attorney for the good-government group Common Cause.

[Cha]

5. Thanks for the statement

from Paul S Ryan.

Biden is getting Vetted up the ying yang.. why are other candidates not subject to the same scrutiny?

[SidDithers]

2. LOL...

this was posted, and shown for the piece of garbage reporting that it is, yesterday. In fact, it's still on the front page.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1287202842

Try to keep up.



Sid

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

3. I did a search prior to posting this

Nothing came up

[highplainsdem]

4. There are a number of news stories on this from different MSM sources. This is the only one

I've seen quoting that Common Cause lawyer, and I believe his statement is relevant.

Btw, although a lot of news outlets covered this story, there'd been a thread earlier about only one other outlet's story, and it isn't unusual here to see people post different news sources about the same event, or even multiple threads about the same exact story from the same source.

[Kaleva]

6. More detail of what Harris said

"“In light of your professional ties to the firm that previously represented Jeffrey Epstein . . . , I respectfully request that you recuse yourselves from any and all matters related to his case in order to ensure and maintain the integrity of the criminal proceedings,” wrote Harris.

Harris continued, “In our democracy, no one—no matter how powerful or well-connected—is above the law. Yet Epstein’s [2008] deal, secured by his lawyers at Kirkland & Ellis, calls into question the integrity of our legal system and undermines the public’s confidence that justice will be served. Now that Epstein faces new charges, the Department must do everything in its power to ensure that his prosecution is fair, just, and insulated from external pressures.”

In her letter, Senator Harris underscored that “both Attorney General Barr and Deputy Attorney General Rosen practiced at Kirkland & Ellis, the firm responsible for negotiating Epstein’s 2007 plea deal. At the time he was nominated to lead the Justice Department, Attorney General Barr was Of Counsel at Kirkland & Ellis; a role he also held in 2009. Deputy Attorney General Rosen has a long history at the firm: he worked as a partner in the firm’s Washington, DC office from 1988 to 2003, and again from 2009 to 2017; earlier in his career, he worked as an associate from 1982 to 1988.”"

https://www.harris.senate.gov/news/press-releases/harris-demands-barr-rosen-recuse-from-epstein-case

The full letter is at the bottom of the link.

[Kaleva]

7. Having read Harris's entire letter, I fail to see where she "blasts" anyone.

To be sure, she is critical but "blasts"? Harris lays out her case that AG Barr and Deputy AG Rosen recuse themselves in a logical, professional manner.

Headlines like this are meant to attract clicks. The entire purpose of the MSM is to make a profit and one might have to do some more reading beyond the article in order to get more of the facts.