 EADS
 John
McCain
 Tom
Loeffler
 2008
Election
|
 Susan
E Nelson
SUSAN NELSON News:
20080630
John
McCain - Tom
Loeffler - Susan
E Nelson -  Gordon
England - EADS
-  European
-  Military
-  Aircraft
-  Manufacturing
-  Politics
-  Government
-  Auditors
-  US
- 2008
Election
"McCain’s
Boeing Battle Boomerangs." ... "Government auditors
ruled that the Air Force made "significant errors" when it rebid the [aerial
refueling tanker] contract and awarded the $35 billion project to Boeing's
chief rival, partners European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co. [Company]
(or EADS) and Northrop Grumman. It's likely the Air Force will have to
redo the bid yet again, which analysts say will delay the replacement of
the fleet's 1950s-era refueling tankers. The auditors' ruling has also
cast light on an overlooked aspect of [2008 Election Republican Presidential
Candidate John] McCain's crusade: five of his campaign's top advisers and
fund-raisers—including Tom Loeffler, who resigned last month as his finance
co-chairman, and Susan Nelson, his finance director—were registered lobbyists
for EADS." ... "Critics, including some at the Pentagon, cite in particular
two tough letters McCain wrote to Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England
in 2006 and another to Robert Gates, just prior to his confirmation as
Defense secretary. In the first letter, dated [September] Sept. 8, 2006,
McCain wrote of hearing from "third parties" that the Air Force was about
to redo the tanker competition by factoring in European government subsidies
to EADS—a condition that could have seriously hurt the EADS bid. McCain
urged that the Pentagon drop the subsidy factor and posed a series of technical
questions about the Air Force's process. "He was trying to jam us and bully
us to make sure there was competition by giving EADS an advantage," said
one senior Pentagon official, who asked for anonymity when discussing a
politically sensitive matter. The assumption within the Pentagon, the official
added, was that McCain's letters were drafted by EADS lobbyists. "There
was no one else that would have had that level of detail," the official
said." -By Michael Isikoff
-Newsweek
20080609
John
McCain - Tom
Loeffler - Susan
E Nelson -  Rick
Davis -  Illegal
- 2008
Election - Accounting
- Politics
- Federal
-  Investigation
"Group
files complaint against McCain campaign." ... "A
group that supports public financing of campaigns filed a federal complaint
against [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] John McCain's
presidential campaign Monday, calling for an investigation into two financial
transactions involving two top McCain aides." ... "The Federal Election
Commission complaint by Campaign Money Watch, a group that has received
financing from Democratic leaning donors, questions payments from former
finance chair Tom Loeffler to campaign finance director Susan Nelson. It
also questions the reduction of a debt to a Web services firm co-owned
by McCain campaign manager Rick Davis." ... ""A campaign manager renegotiating
a debt with a company he partly owns raises serious conflict of interest
questions," said David Donnelly, the director of Campaign Money Watch."
... "Donnelly also questioned whether Loeffler's payments to Nelson amounted
to an illegal subsidy to a campaign staffer. Loeffler is a lobbyist and
former congressman and Nelson is a former associate of Loeffler's lobbying
firm." -By Jim Kuhnhenn
-AP via-AJC
20080608
John
McCain - Tom
Loeffler - Susan
E Nelson - Rick
Davis - Illegal
- 2008
Election - Politics
-  French
- US
- Military
- Aircraft
-  Technology
- EADS
Airbus
"McCain
Lobbyist Ties Questioned in Ad, Complaint." ... "The
TV ad from Campaign Money Watch, set to run on Washington, D.C., broadcast
and cable outlets starting Monday, focuses on [2008 Election Republican
Presidential Candidate John] McCain's role in the awarding of an Air Force
contract that would eventually go to the French company Airbus [EADS] instead
of the American company Boeing." ... ""Seven of McCain’s staff and fundraisers
lobbied for Airbus," the
ad says. "And guess what? John McCain intervened, which helped
Airbus get that Pentagon contract. Tell John McCain to kick those lobbyists
off the Straight Talk Express."" ... "The group is also asking the Federal
Election Commission to investigate two other public reports that touch
on McCain's connections to lobbyists: That a lobbying company, the Loeffler
Group LLP, made payments this year to McCain's national finance director,
Susan Nelson; and that a company controlled in part by campaign manager
Rick Davis sliced
more than $100,000 off of McCain campaign's tab, when the campaign
was starved for cash last year." ... "While working for Loeffler, Nelson
lobbied on behalf of Airbus. Newsweek
reported last month that Nelson was rehired early this year as
a consultant for the company, while on the McCain campaign's payroll."
... "Campaign Money Watch alleges that the payments made by the Loeffler
Group and the discount arranged by the company 3eDC could amount to illegal
corporate contributions, according to an FEC complaint to be filed Monday."
-ABCNEWS.com
 WATCH:
"The McCain File" ad claiming, "Some straight talk about John McCain and
his lobbyists' involvement in a deal that landed a French defense contractor
a big-money contract." via FireTheLobbyists.com
and Public Campaign Action Fund's
Youtube
channel.
20080517
-
John
McCain
- Thomas
Loeffler -
 Foreign
- Politics
-  Saudi
Arabia - French
- Aerospace
- Military
- Manufacturing
-  Texas
- US
- 2008
Election - "Mccain
vs. Lobbyists." ... "Stung by the news that two aides
once lobbied for the Burmese junta, [2008 Election Republican Presidential
Candidate] John McCain last week rolled out a sweeping new conflict-of-interest
policy for his campaign, requiring all staffers to fill out questionnaires
identifying past or current clients that "could be embarrassing for the
senator."" ... "One top campaign official affected by the new policy is
national finance co-chair Tom
Loeffler, a former Texas congressman whose lobbying firm has collected
nearly $15 million from Saudi Arabia since 2002 and millions more from
other foreign and corporate interests, including a French aerospace firm
[EADS] seeking Pentagon contracts. Loeffler last month told a reporter
"at no time have I discussed my clients with John McCain." But lobbying
disclosure records reviewed by NEWSWEEK show that on May 17, 2006, Loeffler
listed meeting McCain along with the Saudi ambassador to "discuss US-Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia relations."" ... "Another potential problem: Loeffler's
firm started paying $15,000 a month last summer to one of its lobbyists,
Susan Nelson, after she left to become McCain's full-time finance director,
said a source familiar with the arrangement (who asked not to be identified
talking about sensitive matters)." -By Michael Isikoff
-Newsweek
20080312
-
John
McCain
-
 Corporate
- Politics
- European
- Built
- Planes
- US
- Military
- Government
-  Space
-  Arizona
- Los
Angeles -  California
- Texas
- 2008
Election - "McCain
Advisers Lobbied for Europeans to Win Air Force Tanker Deal."
... "A co-chairman of [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate
and Arizona] Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign and other top
campaign advisers and supporters were lobbyists for the European Aeronautic
Defense and Space Company, part of a group that beat out Boeing for a $35
billion contract to build aerial refueling tankers for the Air Force."
... "Boeing, which has filed an appeal with the Government Accountability
Office, is expected to focus at least in part on Mr. McCain’s role in the
deal, including letters that he sent urging the Defense Department, in
evaluating the tanker bids, not to consider the potential effects of a
separate United States-Airbus trade dispute." ... "That contract was won
by the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company, known as EADS, the
corporate parent of Airbus, and Northrop Grumman, the military contractor
based in Los Angeles [California]." ... "Mr. McCain’s campaign co-chairman,
former Representative Thomas Loeffler, a Texas Republican, also runs a
lobbying firm, the Loeffler Group, which earned $220,000 working for EADS
in 2007. Mr. Loeffler was the McCain campaign national finance chairman
when his firm was hired to lobby for EADS." ... "Two other Loeffler executives
who were registered to lobby for EADS are now top campaign advisers for
Mr. McCain: Susan Nelson, the finance director, and William L. Ball III,
the former Navy secretary. Ms. Nelson and Mr. Ball left the lobbying firm
to join the campaign." ... "Another major money raiser for Mr. McCain,
Wayne Berman, who was named vice chairman of the campaign last year, also
worked for EADS through another lobbying firm, Ogilvy Government Relations,
where he is a partner. Ogilvy earned $240,000 from EADS in 2007." ... "Also
supporting Mr. McCain and lobbying on behalf of EADS was Kirk Blalock,
a national chairman of Young Professionals for McCain and a former aide
to [Republican] President Bush. Mr. Blalock’s lobbying firm, Fierce, Isakowitz
& Blalock, earned $320,000 from EADS in 2007, according to disclosure
forms required by Congress. " -By David
M. Herszenhorn with contributions by Michael Cooper and Steven R. Weisman
-NYTimes
-
John
McCain
- European
- Planes
- Manufacturing
Plant -
 Jobs
- US
- Military
- Lawmaker
- Politics
- Arizona
-  Washington
-  Kansas
- 2008
Election - "McCain's
Role in Plane Pact Spotlights Ties to Lobbyists."
... "To show that he's a crusader against wasteful spending and congressional
corruption, [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate and Arizona
Senator] Sen. John McCain repeatedly brags about his leading role in stopping
a scandal-plagued air tanker contract between the Air Force and Boeing
in 2004." ... "Four years later, a $35 billion contract has been awarded
to Europe's Airbus consortium to build the latest generation of tanker
planes. The decision has sparked anger from Boeing's congressional supporters
and critics of outsourcing. It has also focused attention on McCain's reliance
on lobbyists in his campaign for president because his finance chairman
and several other top advisers lobbied for Airbus last year when it was
in fierce competition with Boeing for the Air Force contract." ... "McCain
has spoken out for years against the influence of special interests in
Washington, but his campaign includes a number of prominent Washington
lobbyists, including campaign manager Rick Davis, who founded a lobbying
firm, and top political adviser, Charles R. Black Jr., chief executive
of a well-known Washington firm. Neither of them lobbied for Airbus." ...
"McCain finance chairman Thomas G. Loeffler and Susan E. Nelson, who left
Loeffler's lobbying firm to be McCain's finance director, both began lobbying
for Airbus's parent company in 2007, Senate records show. William L. Ball
III, a former secretary of the Navy and frequent McCain surrogate on the
trail, also lobbied for Airbus, as did John Green, who recently took a
leave from Ogilvy Public Relations to serve as McCain's legislative liaison."
... "Democratic and Republican lawmakers in Washington state, where Boeing
has long had a significant presence, have lambasted McCain for laying the
groundwork for a decision that will cost their economy thousands of aerospace
jobs. Lawmakers in Kansas, where Boeing has a plant, have also been critical."
(1, 2)
-By Michael D. Shear and Matthew Mosk with contributions
by Jeffrey H. Birnbaum -WashingtonPost
20080311
-
John
McCain
- US
- European
- Military
- Plane
- Manufacturing- Politics
- 2008
Election - Arizona
- Texas
-
 Illinois
- "McCain
Advisers Lobbied for Airbus." ... "Top current advisers
to [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate and Arizona Senator]
Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign last year lobbied for a European
plane maker that beat Boeing to a $35 billion Air Force tanker contract,
taking sides in a bidding fight that McCain has tried to referee for more
than five years." ... "Two of the advisers gave up their lobbying work
when they joined McCain's campaign. A third, former Texas [Republican Representative]
Rep. Tom Loeffler, lobbied for the European Aeronautic Defence and Space
Co. while serving as McCain's national finance chairman." ... "EADS is
the parent company of Airbus, which teamed up with U.S.-based Northrop
Grumman Corp. to win the lucrative aerial refueling contract on Feb. 29.
Boeing Co. Chairman and CEO Jim McNerney said in a statement Monday that
the Chicago[Illinois]-based aerospace company "found serious flaws in the
process that we believe warrant appeal."" ... "EADS retained Ogilvy Government
Relations and The Loeffler Group to lobby for the tanker deal last year,
months after McCain sent two letters urging the Defense Department to make
sure the bidding proposals guaranteed competition." ... "According to lobbying
records filed with the Senate, Loeffler Group lobbyists on the project
included Loeffler; Susan Nelson, who left the firm and is now the campaign's
finance director and former Secretary of the Navy William Ball III, who
has campaigned for McCain. Ogilvy lobbyist John Green, who was assigned
the EADS work, recently took a leave of absence to volunteer for McCain
as the campaign's congressional liaison." ... "So far this election cycle,
[EADS] company employees have donated $120,350 [in political contributions].
Of that, McCain's presidential campaign has received $14,000, the most
of any other member of Congress this election cycle." -By
Jim Kuhnhenn and Matthew Daly with contributions by Glen Johnson and Libby
Quaid -AP
via -SeattleTimes
|
 |
Susan Nelson News Sources:
Search Susan Nelson News:
News
Search
<Susan
Nelson>
in:
<AllTheWeb-[News]>
<AltaVista-[News]>
<Google-[News]>
<MSN-[News]>
Specialty search:
<Google's
U.S. "Uncle Sam," .gov and .mil>
Search:
<Susan
Nelson News>
in:
<Google>
<MSN>
<Yahoo>
Search Google:
<Susan
Nelson Loeffler>
<Susan
Nelson McCain>
|
