SCHAUMBURG – Last week, a CBS news affiliate in Chicago reported that Marie Newman, who was elected in November to represent the 3rd congressional district in Illinois, had months earlier entered into a contract which sought to exchange public employment for electoral support. The contract came to light in a complaint that alleges its breach.
“The contract itself violates federal law, irrespective of breach,“ W. Thomas Olson, a candidate for the US senate alleges. “The language at 18 USC Sec 599 is clear in this regard. It appears candidate Newman hired a few lousy lawyers to help get elected. It’s not a watershed among politicians from Illinois.”
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The Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT) also filed a complaint against Newman, but in the form of a petition to the US House of Representative’s Office of Congressional Ethics.
“This is not a matter for an office of congressional ethics to pursue,” Olson insists, “notwithstanding congress members unblemished record of upholding ethical standards. Neither should an ethics office take up matters related to members who traffic in sex with minors, for example,” Olson contends. “Marie Newman and Matt Gaetz, however dim the former or grotesque the latter, both broke the law. Recourse to their ethics is to conceal their criminality.”
The petition filed by FACT is addressed to Omar Ashmawy, chief counsel of the Office of Congressional ethics. Its author, executive director of FACT Kendra Arnold, indicated on the petition that a copy would be supplied also to the Assistant Attorney General in the criminal division at the US Department of Justice.
“The letter to the office of ethics is misaddressed,” Olson maintains. “Ethics and crimes now and then intercede, but bureaucrats employed by the Congress haven’t the authority to impose punishments. With respect to the copy sent to the criminal division at DOJ, it was sent by email and bears the name of no one at DOJ.”
According to the US Department of Justice, Nicholas L. McQuaid is presently an Acting Assistant Attorney General of the criminal division. Olson adds, “The petition might have been copied as well to the criminal division’s Public Integrity Section.”
Despite the parties having entered into the Faustian contract before Newman was elected, the accused congress member is being represented by the Office of General Counsel of the House of Representatives, including Douglas Letter among others.
Letter and his team of sycophantic lawyers filed a curiously incriminating motion to dismiss on behalf of the “Honorable Marie Newman,” arguing the agreement “is unenforceable because Ms. Newman did not have the authority to enter into such an agreement, and the agreement violates public policy. Moreover, Congresswoman Newman could not breach the contract in her individual capacity because she could only hire Mr. Chehade to work in her Congressional Office in her official capacity.”
Olson is dismissive, “The agreement doesn’t violate public policy, it violates federal law. The same team of legal locusts lobby an argument based on a rule of procedure which ‘compels dismissal of this case because the doctrine of sovereign immunity bars Mr. Chehade’s claim against Congresswoman Newman.’” Olson adds, “Sovereign immunity for a member of Congress, now that’s rich.”
Representing the defendant in the defendant’s personal capacity is Ed Mullen of Chicago. In addition to the Letter, those also representing the defendant in the defendant’s official capacity include Todd B Tatelman, Sarah Clouse, and Brooks M Hanner.
