In 1993, Houston Chronicle wrote: “What distinguishes White for this job is his political resume”

For Immediate Distribution: News Release October 5, 2010

Texans for Rick Perry: (512) 478-3276 Mark Miner: markminer@rickperry.org Catherine Frazier: catherinefrazier@rickperry.org

Liberal trial lawyer Bill White’s entire political career has been defined by trading political contributions for favors. In 1993, Bill White was appointed Deputy Secretary of Energy after raising more than $2 million for Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign.

On April 4, 1993, the Houston Chronicle published an article titled, “Clinton's selections are signal he's tipping his hat to friends.”

The article began: “It helps to have connections. Houston lawyer Bill White is the White House's latest pick for deputy secretary of the Energy Department. White knows a lot about oil and gas law. But so do a lot of other people around here. What distinguishes White for this job is his political resume. He raised more than $2 million in Texas for the Clinton campaign and is a partner at the Susman Godfrey law firm, which worked with Clinton on a case in the 1970s, when Clinton was Arkansas attorney general.”

“Liberal trial lawyer Bill White would have never been appointed Deputy Secretary of Energy had he not raised more than $2 million for Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign,” said Texans for Rick Perry spokesman Mark Miner. “Bill Clinton must have taught Bill White well, because when it was Bill White’s turn to run for office, he rewarded his own donors with appointments.”

One hundred percent of Bill White’s Houston Metro board appointments were political donors to his campaigns. On Jan. 23, 2004, Bill White appointed one of his largest campaign donors, real estate developer David Wolff, to serve as Metro chairman. David Wolff and his wife contributed $15,000 to Bill White’s 2003 mayoral campaign, and since then have contributed an additional $35,000 to Bill White’s campaigns. Of the five Metro appointments Bill White made on Jan. 24, 2004, four had previously contributed to his mayoral campaign, and the fifth contributed to his campaign less than two months after receiving the appointment.

“Clinton's selections are signal he's tipping his hat to friends”
Houston Chronicle – April 4, 1993
By Alan Bernstein

It helps to have connections.

Houston lawyer Bill White is the White House's latest pick for deputy secretary of the Energy Department. White knows a lot about oil and gas law. But so do a lot of other people around here.

What distinguishes White for this job is his political resume. He raised more than $2 million in Texas for the Clinton campaign and is a partner at the Susman Godfrey law firm, which worked with Clinton on a case in the 1970s, when Clinton was Arkansas attorney general.

White is Clinton's second choice for the job. The first was then-Coastal Corp. executive Mike Beatty, also of Houston. Beatty and his Coastal mates had also helped fatten Clinton's campaign wallet. But Beatty's would-be nomination was crippled by complaints about Coastal's business relationships with Libya.

Many Houston oil and gas executives who backed former oilman George Bush in 1988 switched to Clinton in 1992, partly because the industry remained in the dumps during the Bush years and partly because Clinton talked about promoting natural gas usage.

Clinton's selection of Beatty and then White can be read as a White House tip of the hat to this circle of friends. Assuming that White is confirmed for the job, these supporters will feel like they have a special ear in Washington.

Because he backed Clinton and chairs U.S. Sen. Bob Krueger's Senate campaign, White is also one of the unofficial filters of the ambitious lawyers seeking appointment to federal judgeships or the local U.S. attorney's job.

Houston Mayor Bob Lanier's city attorney, Benjamin L. Hall III, withdrew from consideration as the area's top federal attorney. But that doesn't mean that Lanier can't have any input in the process. White is Lanier's personal lawyer and River Oaks neighbor. They return each other's calls.

One of the folks campaigning openly for the U.S. attorney's slot is Assistant District Attorney Jim Lindeman. He prosecuted Councilman Ben Reyes on theft and campaign finance charges in 1991, which may be one of his public relations problems.

Reyes probably wouldn't be happy seeing his nemesis ensconced at the federal courthouse. He could express his opinion by calling the lawyer who represented him in his election challenge suit against Gene Green in last summer's congressional primary: Bill White.

Who cares what Reyes thinks? Well, the Clinton administration has made it known that it wants ethnic diversity in its federal appointments. The presidential picks may have something to do with how they will be received by leading blacks and Hispanics.

Some black Democratic leaders have threatened to boycott the Senate election unless Democrat Krueger recommends minority lawyers for the judicial jobs in the Houston area.

Toward that goal, Krueger last week put together citizen panels to screen nominations. Lo and behold, the committee is studded with people who are major supporters of Gov. Ann Richards -- who made Krueger a senator -- or who supported Krueger in the past.

One is Austin lawyer Judith Bagley, who just happens to be married to Land Commissioner Garry Mauro, who just happened to manage Krueger's 1978 Senate race. Another is Houston businessman Jack Blanton, who by coincidence hosted an $800,000 fund-raiser for Krueger last month.

###