RNC Candidate's Firm Got Clients Stimulus Funds

Written by Tim Mak on Wednesday December 15, 2010

FF has learned that RNC Chair candidate Reince Priebus' firm lists him as a lawyer on a team which helps clients secure federal stimulus funds.

FrumForum has learned that Reince Priebus, the state chair for the Wisconsin GOP and a current RNC Chair candidate, is listed as working as a lawyer on a team which helps clients secure federal stimulus funds.

Despite multiple listings on his law firm’s website, Priebus tells FrumForum that he has never worked with his firm’s ‘Stimulus and Economic Recovery’ group.

Priebus is a partner for the law firm Michael Best & Friedrich LLP in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In February 2009, his firm announced the creation of a ‘Stimulus Legislation Team’, of which Priebus was listed as a member.

One of the client alerts co-authored by Priebus describes the team’s role as such:

…The Michael Best Stimulus and Economic Recovery Team is prepared to assist you in understanding the implications and in developing and implementing a strategy to secure the benefits of this unprecedented legislation. Specifically, we will assist you to identify opportunities, prepare appropriate proposals and make targeted contacts to secure funds.

The Wisconsin state chair is listed in the original announcement as being able to help clients on regulatory and compliance issues, as well as on transportation and infrastructure projects.

In response to an inquiry, Priebus denied any involvement with the team, despite his name being listed in conjunction with the team on several places on his law firm’s website.

"I have never worked on or been involved with that group or any group that involves stimulus money in any way. I'm not involved with any effort to secure any funds from the stimulus bill, period. I have discovered that the link on my bio page was put there in error. The link will also be removed as soon as possible," he said to FrumForum.

Priebus’ assertion comes despite the fact that the ‘Stimulus and Economic Recovery’ is listed as one of his services on his biography; his co-authorship of four client alert briefings for the Stimulus and Economic Recovery Team; and his name listed on the announcement of the creation of the team.

“I'm co chair of the Government Practice Group, so my guess is that I was simply listed,” said Priebus.

Republicans generally opposed the stimulus package that was passed as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. House Republicans opposed it unanimously, and the only Republican Senators to support it were Sen. Susan Collins, Sen. Olympia Snowe and Sen. Arlen Specter – Specter switched to the Democratic Party in April 2009.

Now as a candidate for the chairmanship of the Republican National Committee, Priebus may need to explain his involvement with a group securing stimulus funds for clients, especially to the more hard-line conservatives on the Committee that he does not support the stimulus.

Priebus currently leads the pack of current RNC Chairmen contenders with twelve endorsements.

Update: "The errors are being rectified by the law firm right now," says Priebus.

Screenshots below show the listings of Priebus as a member of the group: