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Geoff Fieger's Law Office Searched by Feds

Bump and Update: As I suspected, it was a disgruntled former employee who blew the whistle.

A former associate in trial attorney Geoffrey Fieger's firm said Friday that he and his wife each gave $2,000 to Democrat John Edwards' 2004 presidential campaign on the promise that they would be reimbursed by the firm.....Joseph Bird, an attorney fired from Fieger's firm over the summer, told The Associated Press that about two weeks after he joined the firm in 2003, partner Ven Johnson came into his office, closed the door and told him that he was expected to give to the Edwards campaign.

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original post 12/1:

In what Michigan attorney Geoffrey Fieger says is a politically motivated act, the FBI and IRS today searched his law offices. Fieger is running for Michigan Attorney General.

Agents from the FBI and Internal Revenue Service raided Fieger's Southfield office Wednesday night, seizing boxes of financial documents, Fieger said. He was not present. ''It's McCarthyism all over again,'' he said Thursday.

According to Fieger:

Fieger said subpoenas left by the agents said they were looking into campaign contributions his staff made to 2004 Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry and his running mate, John Edwards.

According to the search warrant return:

Agents were looking for payroll and tax records and documents relating to candidates for elected office, according to a return of the executed search warrant filed in federal court in Detroit.

According to the Times, this is not the same investigation as one that concluded a few months ago:

The investigation is separate from and predates Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox's investigation into whether Fieger illegally funded a $457,000 ad campaign against state Supreme Court Justice Stephen Markman in last year's election, she said.

Cox called a news conference Nov. 9 to acknowledge having an extramarital affair years ago. He accused a Fieger associate of threatening to expose the indiscretion unless he stopped the campaign finance investigation. The Oakland County sheriff's office investigated Cox's allegations against Fieger, but prosecutor David Gorcyca said Nov. 15 that he did not have sufficient evidence to prove extortion.

Update: It looks like the Public Integrity Section is leading the investigation. They may want to determine whether Feiger had his employees contribute to John Edwards' presidential campaign to get around the $2,000. limit and then reimbursed them.

Personally, I think Fieiger is too smart for that. I also wonder if a disgruntled employee didn't call the feds. The AP reports:

In the search of Fieger's offices in Southfield, outside Detroit, agents targeted the law firm's senior bookkeeper and office manager and two employees who work with her, according to a return of the executed warrant filed in U.S. District Court in Detroit. They were looking for employment and compensation records; canceled checks and bank statements "indicating the manner in which the law firm calculated, recorded, and treated the payment of reimbursements or compensation to its employees"; documents relating to Paychex Inc., a payroll services firm; tax records; and documents relating to candidates for federal, state or local office.

Among the 39 seized items listed in the inventory were payroll binders and personnel files, as well as Edwards for President ticket stubs and a Fieger for Gov. folder. Fieger mounted an unsuccessful challenge to Gov. John Engler in 1998.

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    Re: Geoff Fieger's Law Office Searched by Feds (none / 0) (#1)
    by Steven Sanderson on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:35 PM EST
    Geoffrey Feiger is the "big name" in the running for Michigan A.G., however, in my opinion, the best person seeking the job is term-limited democratic state representative Alexander Lipsey. Lipsey's a bona fide progressive with a long, distinguished record of standing up for "the people." I question what kind of integrity Feiger would bring to the A.G.'s office, but Lipsey's integrity would equal, or surpass, that of our highly respected, long serving, former A.G. Frank Kelley.

    Re: Geoff Fieger's Law Office Searched by Feds (none / 0) (#2)
    by Steven Sanderson on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:35 PM EST
    We'll have to wait to see how much, if at all, this investigation has to do with Feiger's alleged blackmail attempt of A.G. Cox, a darling of the religious right, regarding Cox's adultery. Also, will the "Feiger controversy" divert public attention away from Cox's other ethical lapse, the hiring of two spouses of sitting Michigan Supreme Court justices to work in his office even though Cox and his staff argue cases before that court?

    Re: Geoff Fieger's Law Office Searched by Feds (none / 0) (#3)
    by nolo on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:36 PM EST
    (1) It's "Fieger," not "Feiger." (2) This may be a classic illustration of the old adage, "just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you." Fieger's been ranting for years that he's the target of a witch-hunt and that the Republicans in his state (including the Republicans in the judiciary) are out to get him. Paranoia or self-fulfilling prophecy? Who knows? (3) I'd like to think that Fieger's too smart to have funneled money into the Edwards campaign by laundering it through his employees, but hubris can easily trump intelligence. And Geoffrey Fieger's hardly been lacking in hubris these days.

    Re: Geoff Fieger's Law Office Searched by Feds (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:36 PM EST
    Thanks, nolo. I fixed the spelling.