James B. Nicholson, Trustee vs. Harmon - Witness CRAIG STAPLETON

David C. Farmer, Successor-Trustee vs. Harmon

(Formerly Woo vs. Harmon & Nicholson vs. Harmon)

CV05-00030 DAE KSC

U.S. District Court For the District of Hawaii

Judges: David A. Ezra; Kevin S. Chang

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DEFENDANT’S WITNESS

CRAIG STAPLETON

From OpenSource:

THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION

Embassy Row

Being a big contributor to the president and his party gives a person a good chance of getting an ambassadorship. But also being a big contributor and a relative of the president certainly increases the odds.

Craig Stapleton, who served as ambassador to the Czech Republic before being nominated in April 2005 to serve as ambassador to France, had both factors going for him. Stapleton not only contributed $116,000 to Republicans during the 2000, 2002 and 2004 election cycles, but he is also married to the president’s cousin, Dorothy.

Stapleton also worked as a partner with Bush running the Texas Rangers baseball team and served on the board of the Peace Corps under the first President Bush. Before leaving for his first post in Prague, Stapleton spent almost 20 years as president of the Marsh and McLennan Real Estate Advisors.

Stapleton and his immediate family gave a total of $51,500 to Republicans during the 2000 election cycle, including $4,000 to the Bush campaign and an additional $5,000 to the Bush-Cheney recount fund.

During the 2004 cycle, the Stapletons gave $65,500 to Republicans, including $4,000 to the Bush campaign. Both the ambassador and his wife were listed as Pioneers during the 2000 election, meaning that they each raised over $100,000 for the Bush campaign. In 2004 the ambassador became a Ranger, raising over $200,000 for Bush’s reelection campaign, while his wife was once again listed as a Pioneer.

The Paris post had previously been occupied by wealthy Republican donor Howard Leach....

http://www.opensecrets.org/bush/ambassadors/stapleton.asp

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Craig Stapleton is expected to testify regarding his business, professional, personal and political relationships with Richard Rainwater, Judge Michael Mukasey, Alberto Gonzales, Jack Abramoff, Joshua Gotbaum, Governor Linda Lingle, Carl Icahn, Henry Kravis, Henry Kissinger, Norm Brownstein, Steve Case, Karl Rove, Rocco Sansone, Marsh & McLennan, Maurice “Hank” Greenberg, Chubb Group, AIG, Ace, Ltd., XL Capital, Henry Paulson, Robert Rubin, Goldman Sachs, Larry Silverstein, and others to be named upon discovery.