Funny business with lawyers. (Update). From an eagle-eyed legal advisor to wbp.org: Riza got a Republican lawyer, Wolfowitz a Democrat one. Update with questions and comments on who is paying for Paul Wolfowitz's lawyer.

When Shaha Riza needed a lawyer, she looked among the usual right wing Republican circles and came up with Victoria Toensig. As Riza's new lawyer, Toensing makes all Riza's statements to the press about the Wolfowitz affair, her salary and other part time jobs and so on. Toensing is used to the press - she is one of Bill Clinton's main enemies in the Lewinsky affair. Toensing appeared on American TV over 300 times to make accusations about Clinton.

However, now Wolfowitz has appointed his own lawyer. The embattled Neocon
banker decided not to look in the same Republican circles. Instead he
hired Robert Bennett, who worked for Clinton as a defence lawyer in the
Lewinsky scandal. It looks like Wolfowitz, desperate to keep his job, is trying
to distance himself from all that Republican history.

Or is this just Kramer vs. Kramer?

Update, 25 April, Alex Wilks
Old friend David Woodward at New Economics Foundation in London (if you look at his bio you'll see he also used to work at the UK ED's office) writes in with this good question:
"Has anyone thought to ask who's paying Wolfie's hideously expensive lawyer for "several weeks" work? If it's the Bank, it's an abuse of public funds; if he's getting help from the White House, it's political interference; and if it's coming from his salary, we're paying him too much!"

David follows up with two afterthoughts.

First, “political interference” is an under-statement – this amounts to corruption. Second, this is recoginised in PW’s contract, which says:
“In view of the international character of your position, it is expected, of course, that you will not accept any gift or fee from any government or from any party external to the Bank.”

So ONLY if PW is paying out of his own pocket, at full cost, is this consistent with his contract.

Jeff Powell ~ April 24, 2007

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