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Subscribe to RSSThe consulting firm founded by Newt Gingrich on Monday night released a copy of its 2006 contract with Freddie Mac showing it was paid $300,000 to provide unspecified "consulting and related services" for one of the federally sponsored housing agency's top lobbyists.
The contract between the Center for Health Transformation, an arm of the Gingrich Group, and Freddie Mac shows that Gingrich reported directly to to Craig Thomas, who at the time served as the agency’s director of public policy and was one of its registered lobbyists on Capitol Hill.
But a spokeswoman for the firm said it was unable to find an earlier contract dating to 1999 and renewed until 2002. The spokeswoman, Susan Meyers, also could not say whether Gingrich or any of its employees produced any written reports for Freddie Mac as part of the nearly $1.8 million in consulting fees it was paid.
"I have no idea if there were any written reports," she said. "This is all we are authorized to release."
The 15-page contract, signed with a Gingrich Group executive, sheds little light on what Gingrich actually did for Freddie Mac -- a question that has become an issue in the presidential campaign. It states only that the Gingrich Group will that provide unspecified consulting services for Thomas.
One of the provisions states that consulting "will provide status reports" to Freddie Mac on its work and supply it with copies "of any disclosures or reports it may be required to file by law, such as reports filed under the Lobbying Disclosure Act."
Gingrich, who originally said he provided advice "as a historian," has adamantly denied he did any lobbying for Freddie Mac, an assertion repeated by Nancy Desmond, the CEO of the Center for Health Transformation.
“As noted under the scope of work section on Page 14, the contract was solely for consulting purposes and not lobbying," she said in a statement posted along with the contract on the group's website.
According to Meyers, the firm originally signed a contract with Freddie Mac in late 1999 for the same $25,000 a month, which was renewed until 2002. The firm was unable to locate that document and the renewals, she said. After lapsing, the Freddie Mac consulting agreement was signed again in 2006 and was renewed in 2007.
All Freddie Mac reports are now controlled by the Federal Housing Finance Agency. The agency did not respond to requests for comment Monday. It recently rejected a Freedom of Information Act request filed by Judicial Watch, a conservative watchdog group, for any and all records that Freddie Mac may have had on the Gingrich Group, stating in a Dec. 6, 2011 letter: "A search of FHFA records located no documents responsive to your request."
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To get specifics on his contract, certainly is not a difficult thing to do. So called reporters could probably get the true details this afternoon or by Wednesday morning if they made a slight attempt to do so. Since Newt didn't provide it them, who ever countered signed the contract has their copy, if for no other reason than for tax purposes. Did Newt show it to an attorney BEFORE he signed, if so then surely the attorney has a copy signed or unsigned. There's just no excuse for the so called journalists not to have followed up in this length of time.
They just don't want to.
Let's see now. His company is signed to a consulting contract. They get paid for that consulting. They consult, Freddie does NOT listen, and Gingrich does no lobbying. Gingrich's consulting firm, with all of it's employees gets paid 1.8 million dollars OVER 8 years.
Solyndra gets 500 Million dollars almost solely because their CEO is a bundler for Obama. They go bankrupt within ONE year and the taxpayers have to pick up the tab for that half BILLION dollars, while the CEO and their board members lost NOTHING.
All of you on the left, you tell me who's the one with the problems.
Oh wait, that's right. It must be Gingrich because he had a contract for $300,000 a YEAR to consult, while the White House and the Department of Energy, run by an Obama appointee, rolled over 75% of the TENS OF BILLIONS of taxpayer dollars for "green"energy to Obama staff members and supporters.
What a bunch of hypocrites you on the left are. You turn a blind eye to the tens of BILLIONS of TAXPAYER dollars in payoffs to the unions, Obama staff members, and Democratic supporters, but attack Gingrich for taking a whole 1.8 million dollars from a company that was NOT at the time supported with any taxpayer dollars.
Solyndra was a Bush administration initiative.
Gingrich was lobbying.
"There is no questions about Newt , this lowlife is a Crook. Taking tax payers money is greed and not Cool.
That's neat, Cheryl. Newt gets well over a million to give advice to a firm that collapses and has to be bailed out by you and me - the taxpayers. You say they didn't follow his advice? Where's the record of that, Cheryl? We have yet to see the records from Freddie Mac prior to 2006 when the Repuclicans had control over it...and, coincidentally, were OK with paying Newt $25,000.00 a month.
What advice did Newt give Freddie Mac? Why aren't you asking for the complete records of his involvement? Don't you care that you and I got stuck with the bill? Can you say with documented proof that Newt was NOT a part of the housing collapse? Are you confident in a candidate whose advice may have triggered the recession??
Why aren't you not asking these questions of your candidate, Cheryl??? Is it just easier for you to blame the black and the gay guys?
I'll take your crony capitalism and raise you. We have the case of Halliburton, a firm that was headed by Dick Cheney and is still paying him deferred benefits. They received $8B for building facilities in Iraq with no competitive bidding. In some of their facilities, soldiers were electrocuted while taking showers and their families are not able to sue Halliburton. We also have the case of the Bush TARP, headed by former Goldman Sachs CEO Hank Paulson, that handed out nearly a trillion dollars to his Wall Street friends (AIG alone got $170B) after they nearly wrecked the national economy with risky gambles. Incidentally, the failure of Solyndra is based entirely on heavily subsidized competition from Chinese firms, not on malfeasance by Obama or any of his "bundlers". Save your outrage for that.
OK, let's play numbers...
You raise:
...rolled over 75% of the TENS OF BILLIONS of taxpayer dollars for "green"energy to Obama staff members and supporters. ...tens of BILLIONS of TAXPAYER dollars in payoffs to the unions...
I'll see that and raise you a war based on lies that cost at least $2 TRILLIONS (we may never know the real cost - Bush hid as much as he spent); Fannie and Freddie costs of $170 Billion so far and working on another $100 Billion in the next month; $700 Billion in bank bailouts; "The Fed didn’t tell anyone which banks were in trouble so deep they required a combined $1.2 trillion on Dec. 5, 2008" The list just goes on and on and on...
What a hypocrite you are! Like Republicans are such savers!
Very good analogy and statement. TARP should have never happened. Period. They have not done one thing to repair the economy they destroyed with hedging their bets on failures. Real ethical people that was demonstrated even after the bail out.
We ALL (even the GOPeaParty) know what Gingrich has been peddling: whatever influence remains for a disgraced (and disliked) former Speaker of the House.
Gingrich has been doing EXACTLY what we all find despicable in our legislators. Yet, the GOPeaParty, because they are dredging the bottom of their barrel of candidates, is obliged to defend him.
This will come back to haunt you GOPeaParty.
Everyone seems to have forgotten the mantra that was in the news a few months ago. "Anyone but Romney". Saturdays results just prove that the sentiment of that llittle 'un spoken' descrimination against Mitt's religion is firmly in place.
Brute invented the "divide & conquer" strategy which created the sheeple's hate for the real American dream and the disposal of the terms 'common good' and 'tax and regulate' from the founding documents of our country as guidelines for our leaders to legislate.
Brute Gingrinch is the worst excuse for a human being I can remember running for president and I am no kid. Of course that could be because repugnicrites are nasty over all every single time.
THE QUESTION IS ...
WILL MONEY AND LIES WIN OVER THE AMERICAN PUBLIC'S ABILITY TO SEE WHAT THESE MONSTERS ARE UP TO????
Most people love drama. They are more interested in Romneys looks and yachts, and Gingrich's "spin" on truth, even though Gingrich is on the record for wanting to replace our Constitution. They believe that Santorum will forgive them for all of their sins as he abolishes birth control and abortions, believing that doing so will end all welfare.
Ron Paul speaks the truth. He does not bash his opponents. He stays precisely on topic. His opponents can't trip him, because they know that Ron Paul is right. In fact, every one of the candidates are now taking Pauls positions and using them in their speeches, including Obama.
Ron Paul 2012!
You are 100% correct, and these bed weters are going to help Obama get re-elected.
ProudAmericanFirst.......
Rep. Paul seemed to come closer than ever (last night) to confirming his serious consideration of a 3rd party candidacy. Do you agree?
I believe that Ron Paul would like to remain on the Republican ticket for two reasons:
1. He will have more opportunity to directly debate the other candidates during this time.
2. Some Republicans "feel" better voting for Paul because they remain committed to the "R" after the name.
I'm not sure what Pauls intentions are. He hasn't come right out and said that he would run 3rd party, but he did leave that option on the table. If he remains in the race, whether I or R, I will follow and support him to the end. If he drops out, I am stuck because all of the remaining Republican candidates as well as Obama are anti-Constitution. I will throw a vote to some other 3rd party candidate.
Ian, that is a great question. Maybe we voters should make it loud and clear right now that we will back him either way, just so that the people who like him but are afraid to vote for him will know that Paul can remain a serious contender.
Ron Paul 2012!
ProudAmericanFirst.......
Hypothetical: Ron Paul does not win the GOP nomination and the GOP nominee is incompatible with his principles. Rep. Paul runs an Independent campaign and is elected.
1. Does Dr. Paul Preside as an independent or as a Republican?
2. If Dr. Paul Presides as an independent, how does he manage his relationships with Congress?
3. How does Dr. Paul avoid becoming isolated on day 1 of his administration (given that he may have no (or few) political allies (in Washington or in the states)?
Actually, Ron Paul would be the Lone Ranger even if he won the GOP nomination. Regardless of his intentions and of whether he's right or wrong, he has zero following in Congress and would become totally irrelevant as President.
Newt is no different now than he was when he was Speaker of House, and before that as well. No matter which hole it comers out from his body it still....S..H...@...T. He said he was a Historian consultant for Freddie Mac....ya sure!!!!! I don't know of any historians that make $25,000 a month Newt???? Again, this is all...S...H...@...T coming from Newt's holes!!!!!
Actually, Gingrich has a perfect defense available to him. He can cite multiple authoritative and credible sources that report that Freddie & Fanny toxic mortgages were actually less of a factor in the mortgage crisis than those of private banks like Countrywide and Washington Mutual. He could also point out that the default on mortgages would have resulted in a manageable problem if the Wall Street gamblers hadn't created the Derivatives House of Cards that caused the meltdown. Of course, he can't use either of these facts in his defense because they would discredit his (and those of most of the GOP) previous efforts to smear Barney Frank and other Democrats by claiming that they were repsonsible for the whole problem. You just have to love it when you get caught by a lie and can't get out with the truth.
Joe Walsh from the Tea Retard party said on MSNBC that the 1% should pay 0% in taxes when the overwhelming majority Americans want the 1% to pay more. This lowlife is disgusting and beyond stupid and their weak minder followers support this trash. This is not a person we need in Congress.
Well, my fellow patriot, at least it is very clear who he represents. The question then is how do you get elected with 1% of the vote, unless you have a lot of people who expect to win the lottery and will need the tax break.
Newt sdmitted to $1.6 million from Freddie and Fannie.
From Wikipedia:
Mechanism of control?? Really? with the help of a polster? (how much did Lutz contribute to Gingrich war chest?
This is NOT the kind of individual I want to represent me or my country to the rest of the planet. I say again, where have all the good candidates gone? It is to weep.
I don't begrudge Mitt his wealth or the fact that he is only paying %15 percent in taxes. Most of his earnings came in the form of capital gains, which are taxed at %15 percent, for now. I'm not too fond of how Mitt gained his wealth, but he did it, as far as can be told, within the framework of the law. My problem with Mitt and with the rest of the Republicans is the never changing platform which is clinging to failed ideas like trickle down economics, small government and a huge defence and their litmus test for all potential candidates of being Pro Life. I don't know of anyone who is pro-abortion. Republicans are attacking the effect, not the cause. You don't stop abortions by making them illegal, you stop them by making them unnecessary. The only way to do that is by education young people on how to protect themselves through sex education and organizations like Planned Parenthood. But instead, they focus all of their efforts in trying to overturn Roe V Wade, but then they defund Planned Parenthood and ostracise schools for teaching sex ed. Do you really want people with this warped sense of how to accomplish their goals running the country??? I know I don't. Obama2012. America's only real choice.
It is despicable that Newt is still running with all his family values in the septic tank ??????????????
"Nutty Newt" has alot of questions that he is unable to answer himself. He has so many disturbing mental health issues, and he has so many "Anger Management" Issues. His unearned donations from Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae as an "Historian" raises many questions. "Nutty Newt's" tax returns will bring up even larger questions for his to answer. "Nutty Newt" has many questions about his family loyalties, ethical behaviors, and his disturbing views on Chid Labor Laws. "Nutty Newt" the "Liittle Spewer" has many troubles. That is fact!
If Newt has his way, people like Mitt Romney will pay ZERO taxes and ZERO into the social security system.
If Newt has his way, Johnathan Pollard will be released from prison in exchange for his financial support from Sheldon Adelson.
Who wants this? Speak up.
It's just an out-and-out lie to say the earlier contract can't be found. Only a grossly incompetent or intentionally dishonest organization would "lose" a document worth $1.5 million.
Newt peddles influence. Newt wants an open marriage.
Newt is simply putting on a good face right now as per the advise of his advisers.
Remember the old Newt. That is who you would be electing.
Newt is a slimy, corrupt, good ol' boy,...who will be peddling his presidential influence for the sake of his rich, corporate cronies.
If Newt gets in office,....look out.