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DNC Targets McCain for Aide's Saudi Ties

April 23, 2007 12:49 PM

ABC News' Teddy Davis Reports: On the same day that Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., is calling dependence on foreign oil and global warming twin threats that the United States must aggressively confront, the Democratic National Committee is going after the Republican presidential hopeful for lobbying work that one of his advisers has done on behalf of Saudi Arabia.

"John McCain will talk about energy independence today," the DNC's Michael Gehrke tells ABC News, "but his new campaign honcho Tom Loeffler lobbied for Saudi Arabia. Seems a little out of step from where" McCain "is on either the Middle East or lobbyists."

After McCain finished behind former Gov. Mitt Romney, R-Mass., and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani in first quarter fundraising, the Arizona senator tapped Loeffler, a former Republican member of Congress from Texas and a major Bush backer in 2000 and 2004, to serve as national finance chairman along with former Schwarzenegger adviser Steve Schmidt.

After his appointment was announced earlier this month, Loeffler told National Journal that he will continue to handle "all of the work" of his law firm. He declined to comment on any clients, including Saudi Arabia, but told National Journal, "I do not find a conflict of interest at this time."

April 23, 2007 in Thompson, Fred | Permalink | User Comments (0)

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