Jack Abramoff, Legal Fee Voyeurism, Money, Williams Mullen

Legal Fee Voyeurism: Doolittle's Lawyers Do a Lot

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We previously put out a call for juicy info about big-ticket legal fees. Consider that discovery request still pending; you haven’t given us much in response.
Instead, we have to rely upon other sources for information about fees. Like NYU law professor Burt Neuborne’s five-million-dollar tab for his work for Holocaust survivors, reported in the MSM. Or this latest news, from the AP:

Republican Rep. John Doolittle of California paid an attorney more than $38,000 in recent months to talk to the Justice Department in connection with the Jack Abramoff lobbying investigation, new campaign finance reports show.

A spokeswoman said the money was spent after Doolittle asked his attorney, David Barger [of Williams Mullen], to contact the Justice Department “to further express the congressman’s willingness to be helpful and satisfy the Justice Department that the congressman has done nothing wrong.”

Interesting. Barger is a very experienced lawyer and former federal prosecutor. We’re guessing he bills out at $500 an hour (at least; correct us if we’re wrong). That comes out to at least 75 hours worth of work, which is not insignificant. Clearly Barger did more than just have a two-hour sitdown with DOJ lawyers to earn almost $40K in fees.
And Barger isn’t Congressman Doolittle’s only counsel:

The campaign finance report also shows Doolittle paying $13,000 in legal fees to a second law firm, Wiley Rein & Fielding LLP, that he has used regularly for years.

Wiley Rein & Fielding, of course, is the top-flight, right-leaning D.C. law firm, with excellent connections within the Administration.
It will be interesting to see how this all unfolds. If you know anything, drop us a line.
Doolittle Paid Lawyer to Talk to Agency [Associated Press]
David G. Barger bio [Williams Mullen]
Wiley Rein & Fielding LLP [official website]
Earlier: Legal Fee Voyeurism: Seeking Submissions

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