Incestuous Relationships

The scandals of CIA cocaine trafficking, BCCI, Whitewater, Iran-contra 
and Inslaw has many of the same people come together to make political 
and business deals.  Many timesthese individuals stand on opposite sides 
of the political spectrum.  But when businessenters politics, extremely 
strange bedfellows copulate.

One bizarre example is George Bush crony, James Lake, being 
indicted for wire fraud and illegal campaign contributions to the 
brother of FOB Mike Espy.  (1)  Lake used hislobbyist/propaganda company, 
excuse me, public relations firm to defraud Sun DiamondGrowers with phony 
billings to pay off the campaign debts of Democrat Henry Espy. James Lake 
has worked on every Republican presidential campaign since 1976,(2)
including serving as President Bush's press spokesman in 1992.  During 
that time, he alsoperformed public relations for the Bank of Credit and 
Commerce International (BCCI). (3)

Mike Espy's attorney in the independent counsel investigation is Reid 
Weingarten.  He was special counsel to the Senate Task Force that 
investigated the October Surprise in 1992. Weingarten cleared Bush, 
despite lamenting about the disappearance of key evidence and only 
spending $75,429 in the investigation.(4)  Certainly he knows how to 
handle the stickysituations that guys like Lake, Espy, Bush and Clinton 
get themselves into.

Larry

1.  "Lake's Decision to Cooperate in Probe Pressures Longtime Espy Confidant,"  
Bruce Ingersoll and Glenn R. Simpson, Wall Street Journal, 10/24/95
2.  "James Lake Steps Down at Robinson Lake Sawyer Miller: Firm Changes Name," 
PR NEWS, 10/30/95
3.  FALSE PROFITS, Peter Truell and Larry Gurwin, 1992
4.  TRICK OR TREASON, Robert Parry, 1993