What is Lanny Davis Doing?
by BooMan
Mon Aug 18th, 2008 at 01:28:59 AM EST
You know, Lanny Davis is right. Sen. Ted Stevens, like all individuals under federal indictment, is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Ted Stevens has been indicted by a grand jury for committing seven felonies. And last Thursday, in new filings in the case, prosecutors revealed that Ted Stevens turned a $5,000 investment into a $155,000 profit through the use of an $31,000 interest-free loan that was both improper and never disclosed in his senate filings.
I don't disagree with Lanny Davis about the importance of the principle of presumed innocence. But I do wonder why Lanny Davis wrote a column defending Ted Stevens in the Moonie Times. At the bottom of the column, it is noted that Lanny Davis:
"...is a prominent Washington lawyer and a political analyst for Fox News. From 1996 to 1998, he served as special counsel to President Clinton. From 2005 to 2006, he served on President Bush's five-member Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board."
But it does not say that Lanny Davis, or his firm, has been retained by Ted Stevens or that Lanny Davis is being paid to represent Ted Stevens. But I wonder. Lanny Davis was probably the most high profile person that has never held public office to advocate for the Hillary Clinton campaign. Hillary Clinton is a Democrat. Ted Stevens is a Republican. Ordinarily, Democrats do not race out to write opinion pieces in right-wing rags reminding people of the principle of the presumption of innocence when high-ranking members of the Republican Party get indicted. I don't begrudge the point that Mr. Davis is making. Ted Stevens deserves a fair trial, competent counsel, and all the civil rights that Americans have been taught to expect are their birthright.
But why is Lanny Davis offering this free service to Ted Stevens? Is it really a free service? Is it possible that he and the Moonie Times neglected to disclose something here? I don't know any lawyers as exalted as Lanny Davis but my understanding is that their services don't come cheap. I can see how Mr. Davis might be moved by friendship and political affinity to donate his services as an advocate to the Clinton family. But it's harder for me picture exactly why Mr. Davis would do the same for an 84-year old Republican from Alaska.
more...
http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2008/8/18/1757/25605