Obama Cronies Cash in on Puerto Rico Bailout

Obama Cronies Cash in on Puerto Rico Bailout

by Mike Flynn 14 Apr 2016

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/04/14/obama-cronies-cash-puerto-rico-bailout/

This week, Puerto Rico is begging the GOP Congress for help escaping its massive $73 billion debt obligation. House Speaker Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) 56^% is spearheading legislation that would allow the island territory to shed many of its debts in federal bankruptcy court. The island’s debt crisis has not stopped it from opening its wallet to former members of President Obama’s inner circle.

SKDKnickerbocker, the powerful communications firm headed by former Obama senior staffers Anita Dunn and Bill Burton, has a $3.4 million contract with Puerto Rico to handle public relations for the island’s current debt crisis. The contract includes up to $500,000 in paid advertising to promote a bailout of Puerto Rico.

Dunn was White House Director of Communications in the first Obama term. Burton was national spokesman for Obama’s first Presidential campaign.

Also handling parts of the Puerto Rico contract is Barbara Morgan, former spokesman for Rep. Anthony Weiner’s ill-fated mayoral campaign.

“The fact that the Puerto Rican debt crisis resulted from years of over-spending, political cronyism and outright corruption goes a long way to explain why Puerto Rico’s political leaders have poured many millions of dollars into a small group of politically connected legal, lobbying and consulting firms,” Ken Boehm, chairman of the National Legal and Policy Center told the New York Post.

The island territory hasn’t just tapped Obama alums for media advice. Jim Millstein was Chief Restructuring Officer at the Treasury Department during Obama’s first term. His finacial-restructuring firm, MillCo, stands to reap more than $50 million in fees from the territory if Congress allows it access to bankruptcy courts.

Puerto Rico has certainly been acting as if it expects a Congressional bailout. In December, the territory paid out around $120 million in Christmas bonuses to its workers, rather than make debt repayments. Earlier this month, the island passed a law authorizing the territory’s Governor to unilaterally suspend debt repayments, so it can continue to pay its government employees.

While the island is willing to stiff its bondholders, they will no doubt honor all the terms of their contracts with Obama’s former staffers.

Amassing a $73 billion debt on an island of just three million people is quite an accomplishment. Borrowing more than $24,000 per resident ought to provide a platinum level of public services for the citizens of Puerto Rico. It has certainly provided platinum-level contracts for politically-connected consultants.

It is no coincidence that the GOP Congress is trying to rush through its Puerto Rico bailout while most Americans are paying attention to the Presidential contest. It is a very good reason, though, while exit polling has found a majority of Republicans angry at Washington.

Puerto Rico

Carlos A. Romero Barcelo was the governor for Puerto Rico, and the president of the National League of Cities.

Note: Dennis W. Archer is the president of the National League of Cities, and a director at the Bipartisan Policy Center.

Tom Daschle was a co-founder & advisory board member for the Bipartisan Policy Center, the nominee for health and human services secretary for the Barack Obama administration, Anita B. Dunn was his senior political adviser, is the chairman for the Center for American Progress, and a 2008 Bilderberg conference participant (think tank).

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Center for American Progress, the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation, and the Economic Policy Institute.

George Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations, a co-chair, national finance council for the Ready PAC (Ready For Hillary), was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society, and a supporter for the Center for American Progress.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Center for American Progress, the Brookings Institution (think tank), the Urban Institute (think tank), the Robin Hood Foundation, and the Economic Policy Institute.

William A. Burton is a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, and a managing director at SKDKnickerbocker.

TransCanada Corporation is a SKDKnickerbocker client.

Susan E. Rice is a stockholder in the TransCanada Corporation, the White House national security adviser for the Barack Obama administration, Lois Dickson Fitt’s daughter, and was a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Lois Dickson Fitt was a guest scholar at the Brookings Institution (think tank), is Susan E. Rice’s mother, and a life trustee at the Urban Institute (think tank).

Anthony A. Williams is a trustee at the Urban Institute (think tank), and was the president for the National League of Cities.

Carlos A. Romero Barcelo was the president of the National League of Cities, and the governor for Puerto Rico.

SKDKnickerbocker is a media consultant for the Independence USA PAC.

Bloomberg PAC highlights gun control in Connecticut, Maryland

http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/28/politics/bloomberg-ad-connecticut/index.html

Bloomberg's group, Independence USA PAC, is supporting pro-gun control candidates like Democratic Gov. Dan Malloy in Connecticut and Democratic Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown in Maryland, both of whom are locked in tight races to lead their states.

Independence USA PAC is a pro-Gun Safety, Gun Control PAC for guns.

Mayors Against Illegal Guns is a Gun Safety, Gun Control group for guns.

Everytown for Gun Safety is a Gun Safety, Gun Control group for guns.

Americans for Responsible Solutions is a Gun Safety, Gun Control PAC for guns.

Michael R. Bloomberg is the founder of the Independence USA PAC, a co-chair for Mayors Against Illegal Guns, the founder of Everytown for Gun Safety, Emma Bloomberg’s father, was a contributor for the Americans for Responsible Solutions, and a donor for the Robin Hood Foundation.

Emma Bloomberg is Michael R. Bloomberg’s daughter, and was the chief of staff for the Robin Hood Foundation.

Brian Williams is a director at the Robin Hood Foundation, and Allison Williams’s father.

Allison Williams is Brian Williams’s daughter, and an actor in Girls.

Audrey Gelman is an actor in Girls, was Hillary Rodham Clinton’s intern, and a VP for SKDKnickerbocker.

SKDKnickerbocker is a media consultant for the Peter G. Peterson Foundation.

Peter G. Peterson Foundation was a funder for the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation.

Huma Abedin was a consultant for the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation, is the vice chairman for the 2016 Hillary Rodham Clinton presidential campaign, married to Anthony D. Weiner, and Hillary Rodham Clinton’s aide.

Hillary Rodham Clinton was a director at the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation, is the candidate for the 2016 Hillary Rodham Clinton presidential campaign, and Huma Abedin is her aide.

Ready PAC (Ready For Hillary) supported the 2016 Hillary Rodham Clinton presidential campaign.

Jeffrey G. Berman is a consultant for the 2016 Hillary Rodham Clinton presidential campaign, and was a lobbyist for the TransCanada Corporation.

TransCanada Corporation is the proposed builder for the Keystone XL pipeline.

Anita B. Dunn produced the ad campaign for the Keystone XL pipeline, was the communications director for Barack Obama administration, Tom Daschle’s senior political adviser, and is a managing director for the SKDKnickerbocker.

Tom Daschle’s senior political adviser was Anita B. Dunn, was a co-founder & advisory board member for the Bipartisan Policy Center, the nominee for health and human services secretary for the Barack Obama administration, is the chairman for the Center for American Progress, and a 2008 Bilderberg conference participant (think tank).

Dennis W. Archer is a director at the Bipartisan Policy Center, and the president of the National League of Cities.

Carlos A. Romero Barcelo was the president of the National League of Cities, and the governor for Puerto Rico.

William A. Burton is a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, and a managing director at SKDKnickerbocker.

TransCanada Corporation is a SKDKnickerbocker client.

SKDKnickerbocker is a media consultant for the Peter G. Peterson Foundation.

Peter G. Peterson Foundation was a funder for the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation, and the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.

National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform is a paid for staff by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, and the Economic Policy Institute.

Paul Ryan is a member of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, and a member & speaker for the U.S. House of Representatives.

Susan Brooks is a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, and a member of the House Select Committee on Benghazi.

House Select Committee on Benghazi is a select committee for the U.S. House of Representatives.

Linda T. Sanchez is a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, a member of the House Select Committee on Benghazi, and was a director at the Economic Policy Institute.

National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform is a paid for staff by the Economic Policy Institute, and the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.

Peter G. Peterson Foundation was a funder for the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, and the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation.

SKDKnickerbocker is a media consultant for the Peter G. Peterson Foundation.

TransCanada Corporation is a SKDKnickerbocker client.

William A. Burton is a managing director at SKDKnickerbocker, and a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress.

Tom Daschle is the chairman for the Center for American Progress, was a co-founder & advisory board member for the Bipartisan Policy Center, the nominee for health and human services secretary for the Barack Obama administration, Anita B. Dunn was his senior political adviser, and a 2008 Bilderberg conference participant (think tank).

Dennis W. Archer is a director at the Bipartisan Policy Center, and the president of the National League of Cities.

Carlos A. Romero Barcelo was the president of the National League of Cities, and the governor for Puerto Rico.