Tipping Point: Tony Mauro writes that Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher partner Theodore Olson was responsible for shaping the constitutional arguments which led the Supreme Court to upend roughly a century of campaign finance law in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. "By bringing on Olson in place of veteran campaign-regulation foe James Bopp Jr., the group aggressively ramped up the constitutional issues, making it much more likely the high court would make history in its ruling on the case," says Mauro.
Official's Lobbyist Past No Obstacle: Carrie Levine spotlights State Department official Robin Raphel, a former lobbyist for Cassidey & Associates who worked for the Pakistani government, and now oversees nonmilitary aid to the country. "Raphel's case points to holes in one of the Obama administration's most visible — and highly touted — promises to change how business gets done in Washington."
Victim's Widow Wants Protected Witness to Pay: The Justice Department is fighting a civil suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia that threatens to reveal the identity and location of a confessed-assassin who is a protected witness, Mike Scarcella reports. The suit, brought by the widow of a murdered Chilean official, seeks the appointment of a guardian to serve as an intermediary between the witness, Michael Townley, and the plaintiffs. Townley has not paid up on a nearly $7.3 million default judgment. A federal appeals court in Washington recently heard oral argument.
A Second Look: Marcia Coyle takes a look at "a remarkable and rare turnaround" by the Board of Immigration Appeals, which is reopening a family's asylum case after the Justice department found their judge had "engaged in professional misconduct when he acted in reckless disregard of his obligation to be fair and impartial."
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