Official Who Lobbied For Saddam Donated Heavily To GOP Committees

John Venners, a Washington D.C. based public relations man who aided an influence effort to ease international economic sanctions against the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein, made $40,000 in campaign contributions since 2004 to the Republican House and Senate Campaign Committees, according to public records.

Venners was a partner in the influence venture on behalf of Saddam Hussein's regime with William Timmons, a Washington lobbyist who was tapped by John McCain to play a leading role in his presidential transition team, according to federal court records and pubic investigative reports by the United Nations.

As first disclosed by Huffington Post, Timmons played a central role over a five year period in the lobbying campaign on behalf of Saddam's regime to ease sanctions against Iraq shortly after the end of the first Gulf War.

Timmons declined to comment for that article as well as for this one. Venners did not respond to messages seeking comment at his office, or that of his wife, a Washington political consultant.

Samir Vincent, an Iraqi born American citizen who Timmons and Venners worked closely with on the influence campaign, pleaded guilty to criminal charges in January 2005 that he acted as an unregistered agent of Saddam Hussein's regime. Tongsun Park, a second lobbyist who Timmons and Venners also worked closely with, was convicted by a federal jury in July 2006 on charges that he too violated the Foreign Agent Registration

During the same period beginning in 1992, when Timmons and Venners worked closely with Vincent and Park on the lobbying campaign, they were also attempting to negotiate a contract with the Iraqi government to purchase and resell Iraqi oil. The four men stood to share at least $45 million if the business deal went through. In the end, the arrangement failed because the sanctions were not lifted.

Federal campaign finance records, some of which are available online, show that between 2004 and 2008, Venners made some $40,000 in campaign contributions to the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee, which raise money to finance, respectively, Republican Senate and House candidates. Between 2006 and 2008, Venners made more than $16,000 in additional campaign contributions to individual campaigns of House and Senate Republicans, according to public records. He contributed during the same period to a single Democrat during that period, Sen. Max Baucus, of Montana, whom he gave $1,000.

On its website, the NRSC says of itself: "The National Republican Senatorial Committee is the only political committee solely dedicated to electing Republicans to the U.S. Senate, and re-taking the majority in 2008.

"The NRSC provides invaluable support and assistance to current and prospective Republican U.S. Senate candidates in the areas of budget planning, election law compliance, fundraising, communications tools and messaging, research and strategy."

The National Republican Congressional Committee does much the same thing for Republican House candidates.

Timmons and Venners were cooperating witnesses in the federal investigations of Vincent and Park and were never charged by prosecutors with wrongdoing. And information made public during the case indicated that Vincent and Park often engaged in illegal activity--such as acting as middlemen on behalf of the Iraqi regime to pay millions of dollars in bribes to U.N. officials to ease economic sanctions against Iraq-- without Timmons and Venners knowing what Vincent and Park were up to.

But other evidence made public during the trial demonstrated that Timmons knew that he and Vincent were working closely with top aides to Saddam Hussein in the lobbying campaign to ease or lift economic sanctions against the Iraqi regime.

Testimony and records made public during Park's criminal trial detail that virtually everything Timmons did while working on the lobbying campaign was within days conveyed by Vincent to either one or both of Saddam Hussein's top aides, Tariq Aziz and Nizar Hamdoon. Vincent also testified that he almost always relayed input from the Iraqi aides back to Timmons.

Talking points that Timmons produced for the lobbyists to help ease the sanctions, for example, were reviewed ahead of time by Aziz, Vincent testified in court. Proposals that Timmons himself circulated to U.S. officials as part of the effort were written with the assistance of the Iraqi officials, and were also sent ahead of time with Timmons' approval to Aziz, other records show.

Timmons' activities occurred in the years following the first Gulf War, when Washington considered Iraq to be a rogue enemy state and a sponsor of terrorism. His dealings on behalf of the deceased Iraqi leader stand in stark contrast to the views his current employer held at the time.

John McCain strongly supported the 1991 military action against Iraq, and as recently as last month described Saddam Hussein as a one-time menace to the region who had "stated categorically that he would acquire weapons of mass destruction, and use them whenever he could."

Related:

Murray Waas, "McCain Transition Chief Aided in Saddam Lobbying Campaign," Huffington Post, Oct. 14, 2008.

Douglas Frantz and Murray Waas, "Iraq Used American-Built Plant to Develop A-Arms," Los Angeles Times, August 9, 1992.

Murray Waas and Douglas Frantz, "Saudi Arms Link to Iraq Allowed: Under Reagan and Bush, U.S. Weapons were Secretly Provided to Mideast," Los Angeles Times, April 18, 1992.

Murray Waas and Douglas Frantz, "Despite Ban, U.S. Arms Are Sold to Pakistan," Los Angeles Times, March 6, 1992.

About the writer:

Glenn Greenwald, "Salon Radio: Murray Waas," Salon.com, Sept. 26, 2008.

Jim Boyd, "Editorial Pages: Why Courage is Hard to Find," Nieman Reports, Summer 2006.

Liz Halloran, "A Muckraker's Day in the Sun," U.S. News & World Report, May 15, 2006.

Howard Kurtz, "Reporters in Glass Houses," Washington Post, April 17, 2006.

Jay Rosen, "Murray Waas is Our Woodward Now," PressThink, April 9, 2006.

Dan Froomkin, "A Compelling Question," Washington Post, March 31, 2006.

Murray S. Waas, "Jack Anderson: An Appreciation," the Village Voice, Oct. 13, 2005.

Murray Waas can be contacted via his Facebook page. He is the author, with Jeff Lomonaco, of "The United States v. I. Lewis Libby."

He will be writing more about this on his personal blog.

Comments

[NotWaldo]

When he was captured, Saddam Hussein said three things :

"Anyone have a mint? Is this about the illegal music downloads? Am I going to be on 'Cops'?"

[Frenbar]

Let's not lose sight of the fact that the sanctions were immoral and counterproductive, regardless of this man's hypocrisy.

[roshni]

Who's been pallin' around with terrorists again?

[Rule Of Law]

Why this hasn't hit the MSM is anyone's guess. Great picture of Mel Gibson, though.

[demfriend]

During this campaign there has been so many times that I wished, hoped and prayed Obama would find it in himself to go a little bit nasty as McCain has donein massive amounts with glee and hate/racism/lies with no bounds flying and spewed by both the GOP camp and ticket. But Obama went clean and not so much negative as responding to the ads and speeches. If I could have had my way every single one of those who are within the circle of friends who would put the Ayers connection to be nothing compared to McCain's slimefest. Iran-Contra, Liddy with Watergate and every single lobbyist and all of their very closely related to many dictators and terrorists, I would have painted them all bright colors andrepeated the connections over and over until everyone across the US knew them well. I also would have not rested until every connection McCain has still with those in the Keating group was shown as it still is today. I also would have had vets and soldiers who can tell the truth about what little McCain has done for them in support and votes. But I am not BArack Obama and he is not the same level of slime that John McCain has always been at, and I would have made sure everyone knew that too!!!

[zyxt]

"a dark, foreboding, and ruthless figure. One of the pivotal rulers of the Empire, he mercilessly attempts to destroy the Rebel Alliance, which is waging a long and desperate war to free the galaxy from the Empire's evil clutches."

[honestpolitician]

LISTEN ALL: Please Go Vote! There has been confirmed reports of voter disenfranchisement and election fraud with the Republican Party and it's supporters. Obama is need of all the votes necessary to create a landslide. Let's make sure that our state turns blue! Bring your friends and family - make it a group thing! Wouldn't you want to say 1 year from now, 5 years from now, or even 20 years from now that you contributed to the most highlighted election in US history? Wouldn't you be proud to tell your kids/grandkids years from now that you voted for this election? It will be the most talked about election for centuries. Voting is a right and a privilege. Let's all make history together!

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[realityczech4u]

Ah, yes, Saddam-the other Hussein...­.....

[grf67]

If money or contributions are involved, the republicans are big supporters of freedom of speech.

[LoveYouBack]

Does it sound familiar??????LINE BY LINE PAGE BY PAGE??????That comes from our OBAMA so keep the news coming his way.It will be less OBAMA will have to check into as he has a LONG LIST ALREADY OF ALL MCCAINS LOBBIESTS!!! WAKE UP AMERICA!!!!!!! VOTE OBAMA ?BIDEN

[talkingclock]

Again a double standard, why is this not on the front page of newspapers and television about the republicans?

[Gidster]

Where are the hours of rabid pundits wondering aloud if this means McCain supported Saddam Hussein's ethnic cleansing? Where are the insinuations at McCain's loyalty? Where is the outrage, that McCain palled around with dictators?

[Vere15]

Certainly we have to remember that Cheney personally supported Saddam's gassing of the Kurds over the objections of the United Nations and yet for some strange reason was not tried along with Hussein...­and Cheney just endorsed McCain

[lagumbo]

Why should anyone of us be surprised. This is what the republicans do. Just wait until OBAMA takes office and then the investigations will take place. We will find out who Bush and Channey were pallin around with too, in the dark of night.

[progressivepam]

Seems the GOP has been pallin' around with terrorists­...

[Abby1]

This is the GOP's secret on preventing future terrorist attacks.

[Emlyn]

I still wonder if the reason we never caught Ben Liden was because Bush didn't want us to?

[zenaby56]

this info's been around a while. Unfortunately its not gotten much traction but I think it sheds light on McCain's double-speak.

[jeffp26]

Hey, I seen that guy Hussein driving a cab up in the Bronx.