  Lilpup Member Username: Lilpup Post Number: 2640 Registered: 06-2004 |
oops http://www.nytimes.com/aponlin e/us/AP-Fieger-Indicted.html "Attorney Geoffrey Fieger, best known for representing assisted suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian, was indicted on charges of conspiring to make more than $125,000 in illegal contributions to the 2004 presidential campaign of Democrat John Edwards. The indictment was returned Aug. 21 and unsealed Friday. It names both Fieger and Vernon Johnson, a partner in Fieger's Southfield-based law firm." | ||
Iheartthed Member Username: Iheartthed Post Number: 1452 Registered: 04-2006 |
I guess we can scratch that name off the potential next mayor list. | ||
Dabirch Member Username: Dabirch Post Number: 2378 Registered: 06-2004 |
The plaintiff bar at its best...gotta support your brethren. | ||
Sstashmoo Member Username: Sstashmoo Post Number: 301 Registered: 02-2007 |
I'm sure he's getting a good laugh out of this. | ||
Thejesus Member Username: Thejesus Post Number: 1928 Registered: 06-2006 |
I hate that this guy is the face of the legal profession in Michigan...he's a total embarrassment to honorable members of the bar whose images are unfairly tarnished through association by this clown...if he's convicted of this, he could have his law license revoked for a few years...not that I'd wish that on any attorney except for in extreme cases, but it wouldn't be all bad if that happened | ||
Waz Member Username: Waz Post Number: 173 Registered: 11-2006 |
I'm sure gonna miss that commercial where he talks about he and John Edwards are fighting for rights of trial lawyers. | ||
Novine Member Username: Novine Post Number: 70 Registered: 07-2007 |
Feiger is like Kwame, never bet against him when he's down. | ||
Johnnny5 Member Username: Johnnny5 Post Number: 581 Registered: 06-2005 |
http://www.freerepublic.com/fo cus/f-news/1048234/posts | ||
Rb336 Member Username: Rb336 Post Number: 1537 Registered: 02-2007 |
never bet against him ESPECIALLY when he's down. he's been building this notion of a vendetta against him for years, with a fair amount of success. of course, since he's been charged, he must be guilty. oh, wait, the guy in charge is a known liar...and why did it take two years since the raids? one year i could maybe see, but two? maybe they had it much earlier but didn't want to risk losing during the election year... (Message edited by rb336 on August 24, 2007) | ||
Docmo Member Username: Docmo Post Number: 286 Registered: 10-2005 |
Just like with Michael Vick, the conviction/plea rate with Federal indictments is 95%. This couldn't happen to a bigger asshole. Go Feds! | ||
Sstashmoo Member Username: Sstashmoo Post Number: 303 Registered: 02-2007 |
"I don't like him but I'm voting for him" Had to be the stupidest catch phrase of all times for anyone trying to get elected for governor. Or any office for that matter. | ||
Jjaba Member Username: Jjaba Post Number: 5522 Registered: 11-2003 |
American reformers are always vilified in lifetime. In death, they'll name a law school for him. Give him some credit for taking on Dr. Kevorkian who railed against the established order bigtime. jjaba, Westside Bar Mitzvah Bukkor. | ||
Ccbatson Member Username: Ccbatson Post Number: 2541 Registered: 11-2006 |
He can't have meant to knowingly break the law, he is not that dumb. Maybe he was arrogant enough to think he was above the law, or "too important" to be prosecuted. Just desserts. | ||
Lefty2 Member Username: Lefty2 Post Number: 34 Registered: 07-2007 |
Jeffrey Fieger knew exactly what he was doing. He took on Jack K. because he couldn't buy all the free publicity he got. I can't for the life of me understand why anyone, except other lawyers, would vote for Edwards, a slip and fall lawyer for president. | ||
Alan55 Member Username: Alan55 Post Number: 395 Registered: 09-2005 |
No one is getting the big picture on this. Fieger is a John Edward's campaign supporter in Michigan. We have all been listening with amazement and disbelief about the story of Attorney General Gonzo firing 8 federal prosecutors for not pursuing political prosecutions. This is the flip side of that story, about the 85 federal prosecutors (including the one in southeast Michigan) having no problem with using their office for political ends. What better way to smear Edwards in a state than to smear his most visible supporter? I would suspect that the Feds will be be "investigating" Feiger for the next 15 months, (including regularly-timed "leaks" to the Nolan Findlays of the world spaced every 6 to 8 weeks) and then quietly drop the investigation about, oh November 15, 2008. Like Carl Marlinga, Fieger will be found not guilty, but by then the damage will have been done. Yeah, I know, Fieger is loud, egotistical, loves publicity, and none of you like him, but if that is the criteria for putting politicians in jail than L. Brooks should be serving a 40-year sentence. | ||
Lilpup Member Username: Lilpup Post Number: 2647 Registered: 06-2004 |
So you're buying Fieger's spin that this is Bush targeting? I don't buy that - it's already been publicized that Edwards didn't know (which is entirely plausible with the way it was done) and Edwards isn't a leading candidate, especially in Michigan, no matter how much the mainstream likes to call him one. For all his bluster Fieger's barely a blip on the political radar screen. (Message edited by lilpup on August 26, 2007) | ||
Alan55 Member Username: Alan55 Post Number: 396 Registered: 09-2005 |
You are assuming that the Bush administration will only be targeting the Democratic front runners. Rather than try to predict who the eventual Democratic candidate is, it is easier for them to cover all of their bases and take their shots where they can get them, and as many as they can get. Fieger is an easy target. The fact that it's been publicized that "Edwards didn't know" is irrelevant. The Detroit News has already splashed this story all over the front section of their paper, taking pains to link the names of "Fieger" and "Edwards", firmly linking the two in the public's mind. As when Marlinga was prosecuted, the News had two or three full pages of related articles, including full color pictures and pundit's opinions. When Marlinga was acquitted, they posted an article or two. Whether you like him or not, Fieger did not get rich and successful by making this kind of freshman mistakes. | ||
Lilpup Member Username: Lilpup Post Number: 2648 Registered: 06-2004 |
quote: I think it was purely ego driven. | ||
Buyamerican Member Username: Buyamerican Post Number: 154 Registered: 02-2007 |
(Message edited by Buyamerican on August 26, 2007) | ||
Karl Member Username: Karl Post Number: 9606 Registered: 09-2005 |
To Fieger as well as what's left of Edward's presidential hopes: "Bye bye baby, baby goodbye, bye baby baby bye bye..." -The Four Seasons | ||
Alan55 Member Username: Alan55 Post Number: 397 Registered: 09-2005 |
Rudy Vallee would fit into your demographic better, old man. Heh, heh, heh. (Good news - banana pudding for dessert in the dining hall!! No messing up your dentures!!) | ||
Gnome Member Username: Gnome Post Number: 12 Registered: 08-2007 |
Mr. Fieger must really be pleased about this. Ask a undergrade he majored in theater at Central Michigan, so playing the role of "victim" comes at just the right time in his fading acting/lawyer career. Congrats to Geoffy, even if he loses, he wins in his ongoing attempt to unseat 1 800 call sam as the first call for the dog bitten. | ||
Alan55 Member Username: Alan55 Post Number: 401 Registered: 09-2005 |
"Ask a undergrade he majored in theater at Central Michigan..." You assume this is a bad thing. Take off the blinders - acting (even bad acting) has served the right-wing well - note Ronnie Reagan, Arnold, and that all time great Republican statesman, Fred Grandy (aka Gopher on "The Love Boat"). Look at Fred Thompson - He's made good money acting when he has absolutely no acting skills (and also questionable political skills, based on his Senate career.) Maybe Fred should have taken acting lessons in school. | ||
The_rock Member Username: The_rock Post Number: 1934 Registered: 11-2003 |
Central? I thought he went to Michigan. | ||
Ccbatson Member Username: Ccbatson Post Number: 2648 Registered: 11-2006 |
He is not brilliant by any definition. He is very aggressive and ambitious (from a positive perspective). He is obnoxious and shallow from the negative point of view. | ||
Gnome Member Username: Gnome Post Number: 14 Registered: 08-2007 |
Alan55- I don't assume being an actor is a bad thing, not at all, I simply want to point out that our dear friend Geoffry's flair for the dramatic comes from a grounding in the theater. Many folks here have called into question Fieger's character, I assert that he is simply an actor that plays the part of victim quite well. It is a role he has played over-and-over, and he has practiced it in court rooms all across our fair land. It takes practice to get a role just right; think about John Wayne, he played the same role 150 times before he got it right in "True Grit". I happen to think that theater training is great for any attorney - or political aspirant. Finally, Alan55, you failed to mention Sonny Bono, a true quadruple threat: singer, actor, congressman and - of course - skier. | ||
Swingline Member Username: Swingline Post Number: 883 Registered: 11-2003 |
I do not doubt that the Fieger investigation was politically motivated. The Bush administration has perpetrated countless abuse of executive power for political purposes. That said, what is Mr. Fieger's defense to the alleged crimes? Yes, Mr. Fieger has been singled out for something that is also common among Republicans as well. If the Justice Department wanted, it could find dozens of local well-to-do Republicans who funnel money to Republican candidates through their closely held businesses by bundling "contributions" from their management employees who get reimbursed through a "bonus." It's also a rampant practice for local and state elections in the real estate development and construction industries. Regardless for Mr. Fieger, it's still illegal. The feds have the financial documents. So then, what is his defense? Because most of the facts about the reimbursements will likely be undisputed, it would appear that Mr. Fieger will need to attack the campaign finance laws as unconstitutional, or he will have to exploit some kind of technical flaw in the charges in order to escape a conviction. An interesting battle for the lawyers. Will Mr. Fieger keep things high profile or will the case proceed quietly? Anybody have a link to the indictment? | ||
Lilpup Member Username: Lilpup Post Number: 2654 Registered: 06-2004 |
Fieger's a small fish in a huge ocean - Bush wouldn't bother with him when there are bigger fish to fry. Fieger hasn't been effective in any of his political undertakings. | ||
Jjaba Member Username: Jjaba Post Number: 5530 Registered: 11-2003 |
This is pure politics, plain and simple. Feiger is an American hero. He is a popular, sarcastic rockstar lawyer on national tv. He's the William Kuntzler and Jerry Spence, Mark Garegos of our times. He loves a fight and loves even more, the camera. A bad day for Fieger is a day out of the spotlight. He hates the Greek Isles because he can't talk to anybody and there's nothing but beach to walk on. jjaba, observer. | ||
56packman Member Username: 56packman Post Number: 1688 Registered: 12-2005 |
don't forget the state's number 1 theater major--Gov. peroxide! In five years, you are going to be BLOWN AWAY! | ||
Jiminnm Member Username: Jiminnm Post Number: 1389 Registered: 02-2005 |
Alan, you've got to be kidding - Edwards a front runner? He's a distant 3rd and will be passed by Richardson before long. He has apparently undertaken a slow course of self destruction by being even more blatantly duplicitous about himself and his actions than most politicians and made himself even more laughable by sending his wife out to claim he's more of a woman than Hillary and more black than Obama. | ||
Gnome Member Username: Gnome Post Number: 15 Registered: 08-2007 |
I didn't know Ms. Granholm was a theater major. Tell us more | ||
Alan55 Member Username: Alan55 Post Number: 405 Registered: 09-2005 |
Gnome: "Many folks here have called into question Fieger's character..." Wow, what news. Attacking a high-profile politico's character, Gnome. Let's work really hard and try to come up with one modern politician whose character hasn't been attacked. And Swingline, you had it right in your first line, "alleged crimes". From there, you had Feiger already convicted, requiring him to defend himself, and from there, having convicted him, requiring him to attack the law he ALLEGEDLY broke. (Interestingly, you then agreed that most probably this was a political prosecution.) Look, you may not like Fieger; what has that have to do with a politician's electability and success? Can anyone with a straight face actually say they LIKED Engler, and thought he had a "good character"? If that were the political criteria, then Engler would still be on the farm having spent 35 years shoveling out stalls. The Bush prosecutor is taking on high-profile liberals where he can find them. Last year Marlinga, this year Fieger, next year, who knows. Partisan politics aided by your tax dollars. | ||
Rb336 Member Username: Rb336 Post Number: 1602 Registered: 02-2007 |
As far as I know, it is not illegal to pool support in the way feiger did. they will have to prove, beyond reasonable doubt that a)the donations were coerced or b) employees were given bonuses for donating. both of those are pretty hard to prove | ||
Lilpup Member Username: Lilpup Post Number: 2656 Registered: 06-2004 |
I don't think the coercion is a necessary point, just that the donors were repaid the donated amounts by Fieger's firm. | ||
Alan55 Member Username: Alan55 Post Number: 406 Registered: 09-2005 |
Allegedly. | ||
Lilpup Member Username: Lilpup Post Number: 2657 Registered: 06-2004 |
I meant that repayments are what needs to be proven, not the coercion. | ||
Ccbatson Member Username: Ccbatson Post Number: 2676 Registered: 11-2006 |
Rb, if it were not illegal, an indictment would not have been issued. | ||
Jjaba Member Username: Jjaba Post Number: 5536 Registered: 11-2003 |
In the Fieger topic, what do we know about Dr. Death out of prison? Where is he? What's he doing? jjaba. | ||
Farrer Member Username: Farrer Post Number: 616 Registered: 12-2003 |
Hey don't anybody speak for me. I like Geoff. Like Dr. Jack, too. Met 'em both at the Knack concert @ St. Andrews 'bout ten years ago, along with Geoff's brother Doug singing and playing a mean lead guitar. Geoff was campaigning at the time and we had some pretty good yucks down front. This is pure politics. I hope Geoff comes back swinging with some combinations of his own. "Can anyone with a straight face actually say they LIKED Engler, and thought he had a "good character"? If that were the political criteria, then Engler would still be on the farm having spent 35 years shoveling out stalls. " HAH! | ||
Alan55 Member Username: Alan55 Post Number: 410 Registered: 09-2005 |
Batty: "Rb, if it were not illegal, an indictment would not have been issued" Oh, please!! Just crawled out of the turnip patch, did you? | ||
Gnome Member Username: Gnome Post Number: 16 Registered: 08-2007 |
Allan55 Why so harsh? Do you get pleasure from slapping around everyone that doesn't toe the line to your point of view. Tell me, is it tough being liberal AND closed minded at the same time? | ||
Swingline Member Username: Swingline Post Number: 884 Registered: 11-2003 |
Alan, what's your point? Are you trying to say that Mr. Fieger did not commit the acts alleged in the indictment? You are deluding yourself if you think that Mr. Fieger did not assemble various "straw" donors to the Edwards campaign and then reimburse them for their donations. These facts will be relatively easy to prove. By suggesting that I have Mr. Fieger "already convicted," you would be wrong if you think that I do not understand that the government has to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt. Satisfying that standard is often difficult, but this case might be easier than many. The government will have plenty of direct evidence that will consist of financial documents that provide proof of the reimbursements, and it will have the testimony of many of the "donors." These people are not going to stroll into federal court and perjure themselves by testifying that they received no quid pro quo from Mr. Fieger or that Mr. Feiger had nothing to do with their $2,000 contributions to Mr. Edwards. This won't be a case where the defendant can rest without calling any witnesses and then attempt to persuade the jury that some kind of reasonable doubt exists. I generally agree with Mr. Fieger's politics and admire his skill as an attorney. I'm not enjoying the fact that he's been indicted. But his hand got caught in the cookie jar, so to speak. He has to come up with a defense, and I don't think it will be that he wasn't taking any cookies. | ||
Danny Member Username: Danny Post Number: 6406 Registered: 02-2004 |
What happen to LAWyers these days? They can be crooked as a politician. Just bend the rules of the U.S. Constitution and the defend themselves. LAWyers can't be above the law and the same goes for everyone, even diplomats. | ||
Ccbatson Member Username: Ccbatson Post Number: 2754 Registered: 11-2006 |
These days?? Have you been living under a rock?? | ||
Al_t_publican Member Username: Al_t_publican Post Number: 202 Registered: 06-2004 |
I did expert witness testimony once for Fieger's law firm and he tried to stiff me on my fee by repeatedly ignoring my calls and bills. His wife alluded to the cheapskate aspect of his personality in jest a few times when he had his Detroit radio show years ago. A lawyer told me that Fieger was a notorious deadbeat on small ticket items like my witness fee and that I should threaten to file a complaint with the lawyer grievance commission if he doesn't pay. Three days after I spoke to his office manager and threatened to file said type complaint I had a check arrive in the mail. I do not have an ongoing axe to grind with Fieger but he provides substance to the bumpersticker that goes: Ninety percent of lawyers give the other ten percent a bad name. | ||
Toledolaw05 Member Username: Toledolaw05 Post Number: 80 Registered: 04-2006 |
I haven't read Fieger's indictment but it appears similar to what Tom Noe here in Toledo was indicted for and who is now serving jail time. I still don't understand the its not illegal argument. "One of the indictment accused Mr. Noe of giving money to 24 friends and associates, who then made the campaign contributions in their own names. In that way, he skirted the $2,000 limit on individual contributions, prosecutors said. “The indictment also alleges that Noe wrote several checks in the amounts slightly less than the maximum allowable amount so as to avoid suspension. All together, Noe allegedly contributed $45,400 of his own money through 24 "conduit” donors, the prosecutors said. Federal investigators also allege Mr. Noe made his friends and associates fill out contribution cards and forms falsely certifying they were making the contributions themselves. http://www.toledoblade.com/app s/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/200510 27/DEVELOPINGNEwS/51027023 Tom Noe, the GOP fund-raiser at the heart of Ohio's biggest political scandal in a generation, was sentenced today to 27 months in a federal prison for illegally funneling money into President Bush’s re-election campaign. U.S. District Court Judge David Katz also ordered Noe to pay $136,200 in fines for sending more than $45,000 into a 2003 Bush fund-raiser by using two dozen friends and associates — including several current and former local Republican elected officials — in violation of federal election laws. http://www.toledoblade.com/app s/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/200609 12/BREAKINGNEWS/60912029 | ||
Gnome Member Username: Gnome Post Number: 24 Registered: 08-2007 |
A contact in the Federal prosecutors office told me that the whole investigation was the result of a former Fieger employee, a law student/intern, who didn't want to contribute to Edwards. | ||
Unclefrank Member Username: Unclefrank Post Number: 88 Registered: 03-2006 |
Him and Lonnie Bates can share a cell | ||
Lefty2 Member Username: Lefty2 Post Number: 82 Registered: 07-2007 |
Geof Fieger, mr. mean, will slander anyone to get his own way. An attorney who was deceived because he felt compelled to contribute( they asked his wife and kids also) because he would be reimbursed the contributions. He found out it was illegal so he asked to to get the money back from the Edwards campaign(he did get it back $4,000. And another thing, why would anyone in their right mind contribute to Edwards? | ||
Ramcharger Member Username: Ramcharger Post Number: 450 Registered: 05-2006 |
quote: Because he is one of the few Democrats running that has a ghost of a chance of winning the general election. American voters are never going to elect a woman or a black man to be President of the United States and the Republicans know it. That's why they are doing everything they can to sabotage Edward's candidacy. |
