Goldman taps ex-White House counsel for help: report

[cory777]

Source: Reuters

(Reuters) - Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS.N) has hired Gregory Craig, a former White House counsel for President Barack Obama, to assist on political and legal matters, website Politico said, citing a source familiar with the firm.

Neither Goldman nor Craig immediately returned Reuters' requests for comment. Craig is now a litigation partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in Washington, D.C.

Politico quoted the source as saying Craig is "clearly an attorney of eminence and has a deep understanding of the legal process and the world of Washington. And those are important worlds for everybody in finance right now."

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE63J0E120100420

[dixiegrrrrl]

1. What happened to the "revolving door" policy change that was promised?

Or did that just apply to lobbying?

[anigbrowl]

2. Just lobbying

An attorney in good standing in a given jurisdiction is entitled to provide legal advice/services to anyone as long as there's no conflict of interest. The bar has always been self-regulating in this respect and it's unlikely this will change.

[Romulox]

3. Give it a break. Larry Summers isn't a lawyer. nt

[anigbrowl]

4. Nor is he a lobbyist.

Anyway, here is a link to the executive order addressing this. Its provisions would likely not be interpreted as presventing an attorney from advising GS or negotiating on their behalf with the SEC. If I'm wrong about this, chances are an amicus brief will be filed about it before long.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/ExecutiveOrder-EthicsCommitments

[Romulox]

5. Just like Tom Daschle "isn't a lobbyist" for the health insurance industry, eh?

http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2009/04/04/summers

[anigbrowl]

6. feel free to start a thread about it

I only posted in this one to clarify the difference between lobbying and legal advice.