House Ethics Office Investigates Rep. Schmidt's Ties To Turkish-American Interest Group

[deminks]

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/02/house_ethics_office_investigates_rep_schmidts_ties.php?ref=fpblg

The Office of Congressional Ethics is looking into the legal assistance that Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-OH) is allegedly receiving from a Turkish-American interest group, according to a report in Roll Call.

Bruce Fein, an attorney for Schmidt, told the Capitol Hill newspaper, that he is responding to an OCE request but would not say whether or how Schmidt is paying for his legal services.

(snip)

Fein was a former counsel to Congress in the Iran-Contra probe and a deputy attorney general in the Reagan administration.

The crux of Krikorian's complaint takes issue with whether Fein is being paid to represent Schmidt. It points to a statement Schmidt's Ohio-based attorney Donald Brey wrote in making a request to allow Fein to appear in an Ohio court on Schmidt's behalf. In the statement, according to Roll Call, Brey says the Turkish Coalition of America is funding Fein's legal fees associated with representing Schmidt.

(end snip)

[Suich]

1. Oh, goody! n/t