Rudy “End Earmarks” Giuliani’s Law Firm Lobbied for EarmarksIt’s hard to believe, but presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani and Giuliani, the law partner and businessman, seem to be at odds:
Giuliani, the Republican presidential front-runner, last month pledged to “get rid of” so-called earmarks, which cost taxpayers about $13 billion this year, saying his party should promote “fiscal discipline.” Just weeks later, Bracewell & Giuliani LLP won $3 million worth of projects for its clients in defense-spending legislation….
In all, Bracewell & Giuliani sought federal earmarks for 14 companies this year, 11 of which hired the firm after Giuliani joined in March 2005, Senate records show. Giuliani, 63, isn’t registered as a lobbyist. The firm paid him $1.2 million last year, according to his personal financial-disclosure form.
The defense-spending legislation approved this month by Congress contained funding for three of those clients, according to Taxpayers for Common Sense, a Washington-based advocacy group that opposes special projects that lawmakers insert in spending bills without public debate.
Now, this is Giuliani’s law firm, not his consultancy Giuliani Partners. But it’s yet another example of why Giuliani has a motivation to keep his business side quiet.
