E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
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."
Leave a Comment:
Here we go.... Santorum talking about starting a war with Iran. Saying that President Obama is a failure. All of these idiots keep forgetting that he caught Osama B. Iran is not attacking us. He is talking a bunch of BS. He hates Iran..He needs to go and fight this war himself. This guy is dangerous for the country
Republicans like war it "makes jobs" (and bodies unfortunately) but lots of $$$$$$$$$$$ by the way for the 1%ers.
So very true!!! It's amazing how one can bitch about food stamps and then talk about getting envolved in more warfare. What education level do you need to see the bigger cost? They would sell there mothers blood for $$ if the potential profits where there! I guess family values comes in so many different shades!
Gingrich is a loon. But so are all of the rest, except maybe Paul.
Newt Gingrich and Family Values:
Using daughters from your first wife to convince everyone that your second wife is lying about your third wife.
Mitt Romney again trashing President Obama...I think that he is scared of Gingrich, so he just throw BS at the President. He wants to cut taxes and Government, but wants to increase the research in NASA. Maybe he can volunteer to be the first monkey in Mars?
We can put him in a rocket on the 4th of July and he will be on his way!
NASA research got us microwaves, tang, solar panels, and many other kikass tech. Without NASA we would probably be still using 30's tech. The high quality of life that can be achieved is primarily due to america, and as far as i can tell america is the only country with a real chance of being able to build a colony on another world.
@ Morlack:
I agree...but they are interested in cutting GOVERNMENT...The last time I looked NASA was part of the Government. That is called Talking on both sides of the mouth!
But only for the GOP'ers. I will keep mine thank you. Maybe it will help them overcome their promiscuity problems.
As for NASA when I left for another agency we were only getting our garbage in our offices dumped once a week. Dub-ya ruined our space program and any type of scientific advancement as other countries are way ahead of us and maybe to the point of no return.
What!? You mean Gingrich is nothing more than another corrupt politician!? I am sooooooooo amazed! (not)
I looked up the following words in the Dictionary:
garbage, filth, slime, gunk, scum, sewage, hypocrisy, excrement, dishonesty, dirt, muck, smut, trash, vomit, puke, barf, immorality, debris, manure, pretense, corruption, debauchery and depravity
Each one of them had picture of Newt Gingrich included in the definition.
And of course, Gingrich trashing the President again ! Saying that the EPA has TOO many regulations. Of Course! he wants to remove all the barriers, because he is part of the POLLUTANTS that are poisoning the country.
Remove the barriers of the EPA and give Big Oil a green light to do all the drilling that they wish, turning the US into a sewer. It already stinks with Gingrich standing in the room. We MUST keep all those regulations to keep our very few green areas. He can go and live in the desert with that gila monster Calista.
These guys are all a bunch of B.S. talking, draft evading chicken hawk punks. What was "Mitts" draft number? What about that punk santoreum. He looks like the most he has lifted is a twinkie. And what was newt the coward doing during Veitnam? These guys are all talk and a big joke.
PRESIDENT OBAMA will be re-elected by a landslide and any republiCON up for re-election will be out. The roadblock will be ended along with the treasonist republiCON party.
Listening to the liberals here trashing potential replacements for an obviously unqualified sitting president tells just how divided our country has become. The media has done their parties well. Everyone here is drinking the koolaid, from both sides..... I think I'll turn on House, at least he his brilliantly nuts.
Look up the word Liberal. If you own a dictionary that is.
I'm a proud right-wing liberal. Figure it out.
I could care less what you are.
Gingrich is a vile, odious individual with no moral compass. Callista better watch out!!
But, but... he can always repent.
A good politician always gives themselves an out.
Boy, Mittens has his claws out tonight. It's the best comedy on TV
Obama should draft Romney,Sandman and Newt. Give them a gun, drop them off on Irans soil.
Drop them off in North Philly, same result.
Sure it is...as are all cities run by democrats...how's that Great Society workin' out?
The voters of S Carolina look even more stupid now.
Amen!
So here we go again! Gingrich bluffs, sidesteps, deflects and sends out sarcastic misinformation to relpy to an important issue and then tries to blame the whole thing on Romney like it's his fault! What a pompous, arrogant and deceitful jerk this moron is.
MItt Romney really sounds ridiculous talking about how much he feels for poor people. Every time that he opens his mouth and says that he wants to remove the barriers to create "wealth", I can only think about that picture where he is with his partners showing $100 bills out of their pockets. He is the poster boy of Wall Street, and the reason that people are camping OWS.
He was paid 25K and then invested and "lobbied" congress to regulate in favor of his investment. He got a little flustered about Romney mentioning the real number over 1 Million.
New front runner? Rick Insanatorum
Everything about Newtered leaves questions. Hopefully he will get the GOP nod and the DNC will win again due to Newt's well known temper, his arrogance and contempt not to mention his ability to be in denial for everything he has done against the beliefs of the moral right crowd. What is one more hypoctrite for them? Anyway Obama 2012! A nod for Newt is a vote for President Obama and a second term. Hands down. Go Newt!
I was mor interested on Newts response on how the Bush tax cuts didn't work. H skirted the answer if the didn't work now, how can they work in the future.
HA-Ha; once you're a LOBBYIST, YA CAN'T BE AN ELECTED OFFICIAL again NEWTY!
New slogan: GET NEWTERED FOR AMERICA
My biggest pisser here was for example the sugar cane ( the farm bill) industry. Newt and Mitt never answered the question, but went off on another tangent of their own, and hoped that people missed the original question. Santorum and Paul at least stayed on the topic.
Romney and Gingrich was a male turned bitch cat fight. Lost any respect at all after tonight, and afraid of what these clowns would do to America if either got the GOP nomination.
I'd rather vote for Santorum or Paul at this point, as mittens or newt could give a sincere rats ass for 98% of America.
Can't wait for all the news reporter's input tomorrow.
These dudes need a 3 year debate on covering all the garbage on them. Ron Paul should be the one asking the questions.
Big surprise that they couldn't find the documents that Newt signed. Repubs like shredding things. Just ask Willard about taking computers after he was Govenor to try to cover-up Romney-care. Same empty suits up on stage tonight. Keep the clown show going.
Anyone in the market of a Republican Governer? We got one, just pushing his new tax code. Anyone making over $250,000 gets $5,600 extra. Anyone making $25,000 to $250,000 haves to pay more. As the world turns.
Newt has answered that question many times. He operated a legal business and consulted with expert attorneys on the matter. He recommended against Freddie Mac/ Fannie May. The responsible party for the housing bubble is well documented. Any one remember Barney Franks, head of the financial committee (Democrat)? Clinton, Bush, Greenspan wanted more oversight over these two identities and Barney Franks pushed hard for these programs. Romney is just desperate. BTW he went to Wall Street to request funds for his campaign. He got over $300,000 (think $359,000) from one of the bailed out companies...Goldman Sachs!
Newt is the biggest pile of garbage, lies, filth, slime, gunk, scum, sewage, hypocrisy, excrement, dishonesty, dirt, muck, smut, trash, vomit, puke, barf, immorality, debris, manure, pretense, corruption, debauchery and all around depravity to ever seek the office of president. Newt Gingrich is the poster child for all that is wrong with politics – not only in this nation but in the entire world.
Sounds like good presidential material to me...
You agree then that Newt is gonna kick odummy's butt then....