Recent Updates
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Lobbyists skirt Obama's earmark ban
Legal News Feed 01/26/2009President Barack Obama's ban on earmarks in the $825 billion economic stimulus bill doesn't mean interest groups, lobbyists and lawmakers won't be able to funnel money to pet projects. They're just working around it — and perhaps inadvertently making...
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Much in Obama stimulus bill won't hit economy soon
Legal News Feed 01/20/2009It will take years before an infrastructure spending program proposed by President-elect Barack Obama will boost the economy, according to congressional economists.The findings, released to lawmakers Sunday, call into question the effectiveness of co...
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Obama, Biden, to visit Supreme Court Wednesday
Legal News Feed 01/14/2009President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden plan to make a preinaugural visit to the Supreme Court. The Obama transition team said the two will visit the court Wednesday afternoon at the invitation of Chief Justice John Roberts.It...
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Burris denies Senate-seat deals, waits for court
Legal News Feed 01/09/2009Roland Burris raised his right hand in a committee room at the Illinois Capitol, swearing to tell a room full of lawmakers the truth about his appointment by embattled Gov. Rod Blagojevich to the state's vacant U.S. Senate seat.With his promise that ...
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Burris' best bet could be federal court
Legal News Feed 01/08/2009If Senate Democrats stick to their refusal to seat Roland Burris as a senator from Illinois, his best bet could be getting a federal judge to force open the Senate's doors.Burris would be relying on a constitutional provision listing just three, easi...
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Burris lawyer prods Senate Democratic leaders
Legal News Feed 01/03/2009A lawyer representing the man appointed to the Senate by embattled Gov. Rod Blagojevich has written to Senate Democratic leaders asking them to seat his client. Attorney Timothy Wright also tells the Chicago Tribune he plans to go to court if the Sen...
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Lobbyist Sues NY Times for Defamation
Legal News Feed 01/02/2009Washington lobbyist Vicki Iseman sued The New York Times on Tuesday, claiming the newspaper defamed her in an article "falsely communicating that Ms. Iseman and Sen. John McCain had an illicit 'romantic' and unethical relationship in breach of the pu...
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Nevada's No. 2 pleads not guilty to money charges
Legal News Feed 12/31/2008Nevada's lieutenant governor pleaded not guilty Tuesday to four felony charges accusing him of mishandling a multibillion-dollar state college savings program when he was state treasurer.Republican Brian Krolicki, who is considering a 2010 run agains...
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Mo. governor to join Massachusetts equity company
Legal News Feed 12/31/2008Missouri's outgoing governor has been hired by an equity firm led by a son of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.Solamere Capital said Tuesday that Blunt will be a senior adviser at the Massachusetts firm, led by Tagg Romney. It cited his experien...
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Gov's lawyer asks panel to subpoena Obama staff
Legal News Feed 12/26/2008An attorney for the Illinois governor has asked the legislative committee considering whether to impeach the governor to subpoena President-elect Barack Obama's incoming chief of staff and a senior adviser.Ed Genson told the Chicago Sun-Times for a s...
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Sen. Craig loses appeal in airport sex sting case
Legal News Feed 12/09/2008Idaho Sen. Larry Craig has lost his latest attempt to withdraw his guilty plea in the Minneapolis airport men's room sex sting that effectively ended his Senate career.A three-judge panel of the Minnesota Court of Appeals on Tuesday rejected the Repu...
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Court won't review Obama's eligibility to serve
Legal News Feed 12/08/2008The Supreme Court has turned down an emergency appeal from a New Jersey man who says President-elect Barack Obama is ineligible to be president because he was a British subject at birth.The court did not comment on its order Monday rejecting the call...