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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
KAN. U.S. SEN. CANDIDATE JIM SLATTERY HAS DEEP LOBBYIST TIES
Democrat Jim Slattery Worked for Powerful Lobbying Firm for Over 15 Years
Jim Slattery, a Kansas U.S. Senate candidate running against Republican Sen. Pat Roberts has deep ties to the lobbying industry. Slattery, who has lived in Virginia for over 15 years, is a partner at Wiley Rein, LLP a Washington, D.C. law firm located on K-street. The lobbying firm employs over 230 lawyers and describes Slattery as one of its top lobbyists.
Slattery joined the lobbying firm Wiley Rein & Fielding after losing a bid to become the Governor of Kansas in 1994 to Republican Bill Graves with a 24-point deficit. After losing that election, Slattery moved to Virginia to began his work for the Wiley Rein & Fielding lobbying firm. Wiley Rein is widely considered a powerful lobbying firm in Washington, D.C with the typical firm partner earning approximately $4.5 million a year. The lobbying firm has previously described Slattery as one of the top telecom lobbyists in Washington D.C. Slattery has also represented steel, energy and insurance companies while working for the lobbying firm.
The lobbying firm changed it’s name to Wiley Rein, LLP after senior partner Fred Fielding left to become Chief Counsel to President Bush, following the departure of former Chief Counsel Harriet Miers. Prior to leaving Wiley Rein, Fielding was heavily involved with aiding the Bush administration in developing policy and was a key figure in the confirmation of Donald Rumsfield as Defense Secretary. Upon becoming Chief Counsel to the President, Fielding has filled White House legal offices with numerous other lawyers from Wiley Rein.
In addition to Fred Fielding, the firm also employs other controversial political figures such as current FCC Chair, Kevin Martin. The lobbying firm was also slapped with a multi-million dollar fine last year for withholding policy information from policyholders affected by the World Trade Center attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. The firm has also courted controversy by seeking to limit insurance coverage for Hurricane Katrina victims by arguing that the damage caused was flood damage rather than hurricane damage and therefore claims were not legitimate.
According to Legal Times, the firm "represents as perfect a merging of public policy and corporate America as exists in Washington." Current corporate Wiley Rein clients include AT&T, Time-Warner, CBS, Viacom, Gannett, United Parcel Service, Spirit Airlines, Philips Electronics, UNOCAL, the Kansas City Southern Railroad, Intelsat, and Motorola, Belo, Emmis, Gray Television, and Motorola.
Slattery will face fellow Democrat Lee Jones to determine who will be the Democratic candidate to face Sen. Roberts in November. Jones is a railroad engineer living in Overland Park and has advocated issues relating to working families, workplace and transportation safety, healthcare and retirement security at both the state and federal levels as a former Vice President of Governmental Affairs for the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. Jones has stated, “I will not represent insurance companies, the oil industry, pharmaceutical companies or any other big business. I will represent the needs of the small businesses in Kansas, the hardworking family farmers of Kansas and the average Kansan."
Contact: Lou Ann Kempf
Contact Number: 913-385-0281
Email: campaignmanager@leejones.com
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
U.S. SEN. CANDIDATE LEE JONES NAMES CAMPAIGN LEADERSHIP
Democrat Lee Jones Builds Campaign as he Gains Grass-root Support in Kansas
U.S. Senate candidate Lee Jones picks up grassroots support. Democrat Lee Jones has continued to pick up support among state Democratic Party activists. Jones recently announced his campaign will be co-chaired by former Kansas Speaker of the House Marvin Barkis and Shirley Jacques, a former member of the Democratic National Committee. Sue Peachey will serve as treasurer and Lou Ann (Swarens) Kempf as campaign manager.
Former Kan. Speaker of the House Marvin Barkis of Louisburg is serving as co-chairman of Jones’ 2008 U.S. Senate campaign against Pat Roberts. Barkis is a 14-year veteran of the Kansas House and established himself as an advocate for health, welfare and education during his time in the Kansas legislature.
Shirley Jacques of Salina will serve as campaign co-chairwoman for Jones’ Senate campaign. Jacques’ is a former member of the Democratic National Committee. Jacques currently serves as the First District Vice-Chair for the Kan. Democratic Party and has received awards from the Kan. Democratic Party for her service to Democratic candidates and the party.
Lou Ann (Swarens) Kempf will be working as campaign manager for Jones’ Senate bid. Kempf is a veteran of numerous congressional campaigns in Kansas, Missouri and Nevada. Kempf (Swarens) previously served in campaign management roles for local, state and national elections and was active in both the Gore campaign in 2000 and Clinton campaign in 1996. Kempf (Swarens) has also been active in promoting democratic values by establishing and supporting grassroots democratic organizations and networks throughout the country.
Sue Peachey of Pratt is serving Jones’ campaign as treasurer. Peachey is active in many local and regional organizations and currently serves as co-Chair of the Pratt County Democratic Central Committee and precinct person for township 12. Peachey has worked to elect many candidates at the local, state and national levels.
Since announcing his campaign, Lee Jones has also established his campaign web site, www.leejones.com. Jones has also recognized the importance of using online social networking tools such as Facebook and Myspace to connect with young voters in this election and has begun to establish his online presence in that domain as well.
Contact: Lou Ann Kempf
Contact Number: 913-385-0281
Email: campaignmanager@leejones.com
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SEN. PAT ROBERTS’ VOTE COST BOEING’S AIRFORCE CONTRACT
2003 Vote Authorized Dept. of Defense to Seek Foreign Bids for Military Contracts
Senators' votes allowed opportunities for Kansas to fly by when in 2003, in a 50-48 vote, Kan. Sen. Pat Roberts voted to authorize the Department of Defense to seek bids on military contracts from companies based in foreign countries.
If Roberts and fellow Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback had voted against the amendment, it would have failed and Boeing would have retained the contract to manufacture the aircraft.
Roberts reacted with “disappointment” and “shock” following Boeing’s lost bid to supply 179 tanker aircraft to the U.S. Air Force in February. Roberts said the lost contract would have “meant up to 3,800 Kansas jobs and $145 million a year economic impact.” Roberts has said the decision “will be at the cost of American jobs and American dollars, if not our national security.”
Boeing has supplied Air Force tankers to the Defense Department for 50 years and was favored to win the contract, but an amendment approved by Roberts and Brownback in 2003 allowed the department to waive domestic production requirements for such contracts and instead hire foreign manufactures to build U.S. military projects. Instead of being awarded to the Chicago-based Boeing Co., which operates facilities in Kansas, the $35 billion contract will go to Northrop Grumman/European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. with the planes being almost entirely manufactured in Europe by a French company.
In 2003, Sen. John McCain introduced Senate Amendment 783 to amend Senate Bill 1050, the defense appropriations bill being debated at that time. The proposed amendment would allow the Department of Defense to waive any domestic production requirements for military construction contracts and allow the department to acquire contracts with companies in foreign countries. That amendment passed 50-48 on May 21, 2003 with the full support of Roberts. Roberts later forcefully spoke on the floor of the Senate in support of the bill and urged his fellow senators to support the legislation, which passed the following day.
Lee Jones, Sen. Pat Roberts’ Democratic opponent for the U.S. Senate race in Kansas has commented, “Roberts may be reacting with shock and disappointment now but he was a key vote in a close decision that allowed the Dept. of Defense to give the contract to a foreign company.” In fact, in October 2007, Roberts gave a speech praising the department’s process of considering foreign contracts saying,
“I also hope that the Air Force will continue with its winner-take-all strategy. … (T)o do otherwise would be an incredible disservice to our airmen and women. … In closing, I must commend the Air Force for their efforts in conducting an open and fair competition. To date, I have been nothing but impressed with their obvious desire to provide the best aircraft to the American people.”
Jones, a Democrat, pointed to the failure by saying, “Kansans have their own Republican Senators to thank for the loss of jobs and economic opportunity the Boeing contract would have awarded. Without the votes of Roberts and Brownback, the amendment would have failed and Boeing’s contract would have stayed with Boeing. Roberts voted in 2003 without the interests of Kansas in mind and the people of Kansas will suffer the consequences of his vote today and into the future.”
Jones, a railroad engineer also stated, “Roberts was asleep at the switch and has derailed the whole tanker project for Boeing and its workers. Sen. Roberts not only wrongly voted for the McCain amendment, but to add insult to injury, went to the floor of the U.S. Senate and urged his fellow senators to vote for the amendment. He now knows that he is in trouble and is trying to cover his tracks.” Jones clarified his own stance by stating, “I never would have voted for the amendment in the first place. It was wrong for Kansas and it was wrong for our national defense.”
Contact: Lou Ann Kempf | Campaign Manager
Contact Number: 913-385-0281
Email: campaignmanager@leejones.com
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