Executive Branch
Joe Biden & Relatives Have Ties to Asbestos Law Firm
Posted Aug 27, 2008, 05:07 pm CST
By Martha Neil
An Illinois law firm that specializes in plaintiffs asbestos litigation reportedly has close ties with Sen. Joe Biden, the expected running mate of presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama, and several of Biden's relatives.
A brother and son of Biden obtained a $1 million investment from SimmonsCooper in 2006, which has since been repaid, to purchase a hedge fund company, writes the Los Angeles Times. The son, Hunter, is a Yale Law School graduate who works as a lawyer and lobbyist in Washington, D.C. The brother is a Pennsylvania businessman.
And when it came time to send asbestos work to a law firm in Delaware, it was natural for SimmonsCooper to select the one at which another Biden son, Beau, worked, a former managing partner of the asbestos firm tells the newspaper.
"Beau, 39, a former federal prosecutor, had just joined the firm--which became Bifferato, Gentilotti & Biden--and was looking to do more complex litigation work," the Times writes. "Beau Biden, who is now the attorney general of Delaware and a captain in a National Guard unit heading to Iraq, did not respond to requests for comment."
Meanwhile, employees of the SimmonsCooper firm have donated around $200,000 to Biden's campaign efforts since 2001, during a period when Congress was voting on asbestos-related legislation, the article states.
"A spokesman for the senator said that all the SimmonsCooper business deals with his sons and brother were above board, involved no special favors and were arranged without the senator's knowledge," the article continues.
SimmonsCooper representatives described as "ludicrous" any implication that there might be a connection between business deals concerning Biden's family and official Senate actions, the newspaper reports.
Related coverage:
USA Today: "Biden move had 'intersection of interests' "
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Comments
Posted by Asbestos Lawyer - 3 months, 5 days, 1 hour, 20 minutes ago
For those of you who can and will read the facts, note four things which discredit this nonsense.
First, the asbestos legislation saga has been going on since the late 1990s, but never passed. The work for the law firm did not start until 2005.
Second, the asbestos legislation and various modified versions were opposed by numerous well-insured businesses, especially small businesses. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1282/is_3_58/ai_n26696193 Why did they oppose the bill? Because the legislation stripped them of all rights to use the insurance, and required them to pay in cash regardless of their insurance. How did that happen? Because the bill’s sponsors, known as the Asbestos Study Group, was composed of large, self-insured entities (eg GE, Honeywell) that wanted the legislation to spread the pain to thousands of companies, thereby reducing the burden for GE, etc.
Third, the bill was vigorously opposed to the bill because it gave too much money to people who were not sick. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1282/is_3_58/ai_n26696193.
Fourth, the legislation was opposed by numerous plaintiff’s lawyers who said it gave too much money to people who were not really sick, including Steve Kazan. You can read his testimony at: judihttp://www.kazanlaw.com/verdicts/articles/kazan_senate.pdf
Posted by paul - 3 months, 4 days, 14 hours, 29 minutes ago
The headline of this article suggests some sort of wrong-doing or impropriety, yet there are no facts to support it. But hey, let’s write an article anyway.
Here is what I learned from your piece: A man and his nephew start a private business together, hire their brother/uncle to do legal work for the company, and contribute to their brother/dad’s political campaign - who would do such a thing? Shocking and insightful reporting!
Posted by Ellen Barshevsky - 3 months, 4 days, 3 hours, 24 minutes ago
I agree. The ABA MUST be Republicens or something. I think that the Democrats have a GOOD chance of taking over the White House, so that is not good for the ABA. The worst that I heard is that Senator Biden copied someone elses stuff in a term paper, but he has been loyal to his wife, and he is a family man, as is OBAMA. My boyfriend and I will BOTH vote for OBAMA and I think he will win. So the ABA should get use to this now.
Posted by Ellen Barshevsky - 3 months, 4 days, 2 hours, 47 minutes ago
My boyfriend told me again that I forgot to provide the hyperlink to my sources of information. So here is the BLAWG listing proving why BIDEN will be good for the USA. Sorry about that!
http://sethabramson.blogspot.com/2008/08/cnn-barack-obama-selects-joe-biden-for.html