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Tobacco lawyer and oil company lobbyist Dave Frohnmayer quoted in the NYT

Here, in a story about state AG’s selling out to energy companies, in exchange for campaign contributions:

“When you use a public office, pretty shamelessly, to vouch for a private party with substantial financial interest without the disclosure of the true authorship, that is a dangerous practice,” said David B. Frohnmayer, a Republican who served a decade as attorney general in Oregon. “The puppeteer behind the stage is pulling strings, and you can’t see. I don’t like that. And when it is exposed, it makes you feel used.”

This is the same Dave Frohnmayer who shamelessly restarted his legal career at Harrang, Long, Gary,  and Rudnick while getting paid by UO for a sabbatical that was supposed to be used for research. He then let HLGR use his name to get UO’s lucrative legal contract, which is still costing us about $500K a year, and paying him who knows how much.

He then used his status as a UO Law Professor (which he keeps by teaching one single credit week long pass/fail law course each year) to add credibility to his arguments for big tobacco and against the state of Oregon, as described in Oregonian and in Willamette Week. He then lobbied the Oregon legislature – without registering as a lobbyist – in support of BP’s efforts to keep money from class action lawsuits against them to be used to pay for legal aid for the poor, as described in Oregonian and in Willamette Week:

5 Comments

    • UO Grad Student 12/07/2014

      Thank you for this. It’s really heartening to see so many signatures from all over the world. It’s also a bit of a weird feeling knowing that the strike is being watched by so many when it’s easy to feel like we’re in a bit of a bubble.

  1. Nobody 12/07/2014

    The Frohn’s hypicrosy is so thick you can chew it. I’d like to say I’m surprised, but…..

  2. Anonymous2 12/07/2014

    You are lying again about the sabbatical. Frohnmayer billed approximately one day at HLGR during his entire time on sabbatical, which is far less than he was allowed to pursuant to his sabbatical contract.

    The notion that Frohnmayer “used his status” as a law professor to lobby is just ludicrous. So is the notion that he used his name to score business for HLGR: first, Frohnmayer had no hiring power over the GC’s office; the UO was (and continues to be) free to hire whichever firm it wants for whatever legal needs it has. Second, it’s standard for in-house counsel to hire outside counsel that’s previously worked at the client previously because that outside counsel is already familiar with the client, its needs, the major players involved, etc. Not only is there nothing wrong with that, but it’s actually more efficient from a billing perspective than to hire outside counsel that’s unfamiliar with the client.

    • Clueless 12/07/2014

      Welcome back great defender of the Frohn. Long time no see.

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