NYT: Fred a big fat flop on the campaign trail

Probably because it didn’t happen.

Hollowpoint on October 4, 2007 at 2:30 PM

Yes. It. Did.

A little over three years after Pan Am Flight 103 blew up over Lockerbie, Scotland, Fred D. Thompson provided advice to a colleague about one of his law firm’s new clients: The man representing the two Libyan intelligence officials charged in the terrorist bombing.

The colleague, John Culver, a partner at the Washington firm of Arent Fox Kintner Plotkin & Kahn began advising the two suspects’ Libyan lawyer in February 1992. Mr. Thompson, according to a memorandum from that era written by his secretary, held “discussions with Culver re: Libya” that same month.

At the time, Libya was facing international outrage for refusing to comply with a United Nations demand that the two suspects be extradited to the West for trial in the 1988 bombing, which killed 270 people. Revelations that American firms were representing Libyan interests provoked a furor among the Pan Am victims’ families. Some law firms refused to represent the country or the suspects, while others withdrew.

The involvement of Mr. Thompson, who worked part-time for Arent Fox as a lawyer and lobbyist from 1991 until shortly before his election to the Senate in 1994, never became public. But Arent Fox’s chairman, Marc L. Fleischaker, confirmed that Mr. Thompson, who is now seeking the Republican presidential nomination, briefly provided Mr. Culver with advice about the suspects’ case, billing the firm for 3.3 hours of his time.

The firm was hired to provide guidance on the tense questions surrounding where the two men should be tried, Mr. Fleischaker said, and Mr. Thompson’s background as a former prosecutor, as well as his government relations experience — he had close ties to senior officials in the first Bush administration — “gave him insight on jurisdictional issues such as that.”
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In 1992, Libya was among those countries the United States listed as state sponsors of terrorism for acts that included the 1989 bombing of a French airliner and the 1986 bombing of a Berlin disco that killed two American soldiers.

Arent Fox, in papers it was required to file with the federal government, reported that from February 1992 to August 1993, it provided advice on American and international law to Ibrahim Legwell, the Libyan lawyer appointed by the Libyan Bar Association to represent the two intelligence officials charged with the Flight 103 bombing. Arent Fox received $833,960 in fees and expenses for its work on the case.

Mr. Legwell, reached in Tripoli, said his main goal was to see that his clients were tried in Libya or in a neutral country. He said Arent Fox “contributed a lot” to the defense effort. Mr. Legwell said he had no record of ever speaking with Mr. Thompson but noted: “I remember that this name was mentioned.”

“Some law firms refused to represent the country or the suspects, while others withdrew.” This is the money quote. All jokes aside, there are some people (i.e., terrorists) that even a lawyer won’t help, unless of course your Fred Thompson — he’ll do anything for the $825 in legal fees he charged these terrorists, and don’t forget he must have shared in the $800,000 charged by his partner at Arent Fox.

tommylotto on October 4, 2007 at 3:31 PM

Not on defense tactics but on venue.

doriangrey on October 4, 2007 at 3:37 PM

That is weak. You don’t think it matters whether those scumbags were tried in Libyan or Lockerbee!?! The only defense tactic was venue. If Fred had been successful, those two terrorist would have gotten off scot-free. (no pun intended)

tommylotto on October 4, 2007 at 4:02 PM

Truth hurts, huh?

The fact is, he charged the client/terrorists for 3.3 hours of his time for his advice!!! If he was working to get the terrorists convicted, then it would have been blatantly unethical to charge them for that service wouldn’t it? The advice must have been to help the defense — by definition. It doesn’t take 3.3 hours to tell a terrorist to get out of your office.

His firm was paid over $800,000 to help fight extradition. It worked. For 11 years and only after a UN security counsel resolution and international sanctions, were the good guys able to force a trial.

I am horrified by this. I cannot imagine anything more damning for a candidate than to have helped a terrorist avoid justice. I cannot believe that anyone would even consider Fred a serious candidate as long as this was out there. Those of you who poo poo this are delusional. HE HELPED TERRORISTS!!!!

tommylotto on October 4, 2007 at 5:54 PM

But by your typically dishonest characterization, Rudy voluntarily assocates with known drug smugglers, pedophiles, mobsters, dictators, Islamicists and white collar criminals.

Hollowpoint on October 4, 2007 at 6:28 PM

He is also a national freakin’ hero, Time Magazine’s Man of the Year and Knighted by the Queen of England. So, I suggest that you refer to him as “Sir Rudy.”

Is Fred a knight?

tommylotto on October 4, 2007 at 6:51 PM

What if he advised them to go f*ck themselves?

Ever think of that?

omnipotent on October 4, 2007 at 6:48 PM

How long did it take you to write that? It would have taken Fred even less time to say it. Yet he billed 3.3 hours. You do the math. Not to mention that his firm certainly did not tell them to go f themselves. $800,000 is a lot of attorney time. No, Arent Fox clearly helped obstruct justice in this case by preventing Libyan terrorist from going to trial. What exactly Fred charged them 3.3 hours for is not perfectly clear, but we know it wasn’t just to blow them off.

tommylotto on October 4, 2007 at 6:58 PM