Robert Luskin
Robert D. Luskin (born January 21, 1950) is an attorney and partner in the law firm of Patton Boggs LLP, specializing in White-collar crime and federal and state government investigations. He is currently the personal attorney for White House senior advisor and chief political strategist Karl Rove, representing Rove in the special investigations into the outing of covert operative Valerie Plame's position within the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) as a weapons of mass destruction (WMD) specialist.
Luskin is a graduate of Harvard University and Harvard Law School, and a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University. He worked in the US Department of Justice, specializing in Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) enforcement, and helped supervise the ABSCAM investigation of the early 1980s. Since entering private practice, he has represented both witnesses and investigative targets in independent counsel, criminal, and congressional investigations. Luskin is also a lecturer at the University of Virginia School of Law, where he teaches one course each spring in Labor Racketeering.
Contents |
[edit] Controversies
In 1997, US Attorney Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island accused Luskin of "willful blindness" for accepting $505,125 in gold bars as well as Swiss Wire transfers of $169,000 from Stephen Saccoccia. Luskin represented Saccoccia in the appellate phase of the case after Saccoccia was convicted of money laundering. Whitehouse argued that Saccoccia's payments to Luskin were related to Saccoccia's broad money-laundering scheme and that the money should be returned to the government. William Moffitt, first VP of the National Association of Defense Lawyers, supported Luskin: "if the case gets a high profile [or] they don't like the lawyer in it, they can immediately open this kind of assault," adding "if you plead your client guilty, they're never going to go after your fee. So there's an incentive here to give the government what it wants."[1] In 1998, Luskin settled with the government, forfeiting $245,000 in fees. Whitehouse, on the other hand, went on to lose his 2002 gubernatorial bid due to civil rights controversies[2] during his tenure as State Attorney General.[3]
[edit] Personal Life
Despite representing President Bush's top political advisor Karl Rove, Luskin is a proud Democrat and has donated to numerous Democratic causes.[4].
In 1995, Luskin reportedly became the first male lawyer to wear an earring while arguing a case before the Supreme Court. He had his left ear pierced in 1990 and has worn an earring since.
Luskin splits his time between West Tisbury, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta. When in Washington, Luskin often rides his motorcycle to work. When in Atlanta, Luskin, a pilot, will fly.
Luskin is married; he has two sons and two step daughters.
Luskin has been described as a "man of somewhat Neiman-Marxist tastes". [5]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Burger, Timothy. "DOJ Goes For The Gold". Legal Times. http://www.laborers.org/Luskin_Legaltimes_2-9-97.html. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
- ^ "Sheldon Whitehouse on Civil Rights". http://www.ontheissues.org/domestic/Sheldon_Whitehouse_Civil_Rights.htm.
- ^ Rockoff, Jonathan D. (February 6, 2000). "Minority leaders seek independent inquiry". The Providence Journal. http://www.projo.com/cgi-bin/include.pl/news/young/archive/cy0206a.htm. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
- ^ Robert Luskin's Federal Campaign Contributions
- ^ Leiby, Richard (December 7, 2005). "The Liberal on Karl Rove's Case". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/06/AR2005120601689.html. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
[edit] External links
- Official Biography at Patton Boggs
- The Liberal on Karl Rove's Case
- Robert Luskin Receives 45 Gold Bars From Stolen Assets
 |
This biographical article about an American legal academic is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
