Biglaw

Biglaw Firm Being Investigated By F.B.I. Over Lobbying Contract

According to sources, federal investigators at looking at travel expenses.

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Polsinelli is facing a federal investigation over work it did for Jackson County, Missouri. The F.B.I.’s looking into the lobbying contract between the county and the 800-lawyer Biglaw firm. The fact of the investigation came out during the sentencing of former Jackson County Executive Mike Sanders and aide Calvin Williford when Western District of Missouri Judge Roseann Ketchmark referred to it.

According to sources for the Kansas City Star, while the exact scope of the investigation is unknown, federal investigators are looking at travel expenses the firm signed off on. Apparently it was the practice of Polsinelli partner Pete Levi to sign off and expense travel costs for elected Jackson County officials:

Travel records obtained by The Star under an open records request show that Levi signed off on thousands of dollars of travel, accommodations, meals and other expenses for elected officials and other county employees in 2015 and 2016.

Chief among them was Williford, who until his resignation in 2017 was executive director of the Rock Island Rail Corridor Authority and before that chief of staff to both [Jackson County Executive Frank] White and Sanders. Records show that Williford racked up large bills on expensive hotels and air travel.

(According to LinkedIn and Polsinelli press releases, Levi is a shareholder in the firm, but he is conspicuously absent from the firm’s directory.)

At issue are tens of thousands of dollars in travel expenses approved by Levi. The contract between Jackson County and the firm called for the firm to cover “costs relating to educational and fact-finding activities engaged in by county officials pursuant to the goals for the scope of work.” When the new County Executive became aware of the practice in 2016, he says he ended it:

“When the County Executive became aware he informed staff that this was not a practice that he wished to continue and directed that the practice cease,” White said in a statement Wednesday. “In addition, representatives from Polsinelli were contacted and agreed to remove that provision from any subsequent contract and reduce the contract cost accordingly.”

The general counsel for the firm, Doug Laird, said they are cooperating with the investigation:

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“Polsinelli is aware of an investigation and we have fully cooperated,” said Doug Laird, general counsel for Polsinelli. “We believe our engagement by the county with the federal lobbying work complied with all applicable rules and law.”

headshotKathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, and host of The Jabot podcast. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).

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