Tim Griffin (Tim Griffin for Congress)

Tim Griffin (R) is getting a lot of help from his former colleagues in the Bush White House, giving him a fundraising edge in his bid for Congress. Griffin, a former Bush administration official who was a key figure in the 2006 U.S. Attorney firings scandal, is one of seven candidates seeking to replace Democratic Rep. Vic Snyder in Arkansas’ 2nd District. Snyder dropped his re-election bid in January, citing family concerns.

Griffin, a former assistant to Bush White House adviser Karl Rove , was installed as the U.S. Attorney in Little Rock in December 2006 under a controversial provision of the Patriot Act that circumvented Senate confirmation. It later emerged in congressional testimony that Griffin’s predecessor, Bud Cummins, had been ousted in an apparent move to make way for Griffin. Griffin stepped down as U.S. Attorney in June 2007.

In the first quarter of 2010, Griffin raised more than $184,000, ending the quarter with $404,000 cash on hand. Griffin receive dozens of donations from Republican operatives who worked in the Bush administration or on one of President Bush’s campaigns. Griffin’s lone primary opponent is restaurant owner Scott Wallace. In the first quarter of 2010, Wallace raised nearly $25,000 and ended the quarter with about $16,000 in cash on hand.

On the other side of the political aisle, five Democrats have filed paperwork to seek the nomination for the open seat. The Democrats got a later start on fundraising, as none announced until after Snyder dropped out.

In the first quarter of 2010, Snyder’s former chief of staff David Boling raised nearly $160,000, ending the quarter with about $210,000 in cash on hand. He has loaned his campaign $100,000. In the first quarter of 2010, attorney John Adams raised about $53,000 and ended the quarter with about $35,000 in cash on hand. In the first quarter of 2010, state Sen. Joyce Elliot raised just over $123,000, ending the quarter with about $99,000 in cash on hand. In the first quarter of 2010, state House Speaker Robbie Wills raised more than $327,000 and ended the quarter with $221,000 in cash on hand. University of Arkansas official Patrick Kennedy has yet to file an April quarterly report.

Among Griffin’s donors are:

• Dena Battle, the director of tax policy at the National Association of Manufacturer and former legislative director for Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.) — $500
• Richard Bearden, partner of Impact Management Group and was appointed by Bush to serve as a commissioner on the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars and a presidential appointee to the President’s Commission on White House Fellows — $250
• Glynda Becker, a lobbyist at McBee Strategic Consulting who served as associate political director in the White House Office of Political Affairs for two and one half years during the Bush administration— $250
• Kevin Binger, senior vice president of The Rhoads Group and former staff director of the House Government Reform Committee and former chief of staff and communications director to Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.) — $250
• Donald Bollinger, chairman, president and CEO of Bollinger Shipyards and a personal friend of Bush’s — $1,000
• Jason Braswell, an attorney at the Defense Department — $500
• Alex Castellanos, a top media adviser to Bush’s 2004 campaign — $1,000
• Barbara Comstock, a partner at Corallo Comstock who worked in the Justice Department’s Office of Public Affairs under Attorney General John Ashcroft — $500
• Kevin Crass, a partner at Friday, Eldredge & Clark, LLP who has served as personal counsel to Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) since 1997 — $250
• Ed Gillespie, longtime Republican strategist  and former counselor to Bush —$2,400
• Curt Green, founder of Curt Green & Company Commercial Real Estate and Construction and was a Small Business State Chair for Bush’s 2004 campaign — $100
• William Griffin, a partner at Sulgrave Partners who served in senior communications roles at the Treasury Department, three presidential campaigns and as a spokesman at the White House — $500
• Jonathan Gross, a judge advocate with the U.S. Army — $250
• Prissy Hickerson, a candidate for the Arkansas House who chaired the Arkansas Highway Commission under Huckabee — $250
• John Horne, worked with both Bush administrations — $250
• Justin Hunter, senior vice president of government and regulatory affairs at Healthsouth Corp who previously worked for former Rep. Ed Bryant (R-Tenn.) — $500
• William Asa Hutchinson III,  an associate solicitor in the Patent and Trademark Office and an attorney for the Commerce Department during the Bush administration. He is the son of Asa Hutchinson, a former House member from northwest Arkansas who served at the Department of Homeland Security in the Bush administration. Asa Hutchinson is also a former U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas — $500
• Scott Jeffcoat, an attorney with the U.S. Army — $250
• Robin King, an executive management consultant with CAE who headed HHS Medicare external affairs and served as industry trade adviser to the Commerce Department during the Bush administration — $500
• Dennis Kirk, an attorney with the U.S. Army — $252
• Marc Lampkin, deputy campaign manager of Bush’s 2004 campaign, a senior Bush-Cheney political operative at the 2000 Republican Convention,and leader of the Florida recount efforts in 2000 —  $2,300
• Robert Livingston, a partner at the Livingston Group who is a former congressman and Assistant U.S. Attorney —  $550
• Garry Malphrus, a board member and administrative judge with the Board of Immigration Appeals who was controvertial appointed by Attorney General Alberto Gonzales —  $250
• J. Allen Martin, a partner at the Livingston Group who previously was chief of staff to Rep. Bob Livingston (R-La.) — $500
• John Mastranadi, the director of Citizens United who ran the research shop at the National Republican Senatorial Committee in the 2002 cycle and worked on the House Government Reform Committee in the late 1990s when it was chaired by Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.) and launched many investigations into the Clinton administration — $250
• Charles Mazander, owner of Mazander Engineering and treasurer of the Republican Party of Arkansas — $1,000
• Matthew McDonald, a consultant at McKinsey & Company who was a senior adviser on Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) 2008 presidential campaign, associate director of communications in the Bush White House and director of rapid response in Bush’s 2004 campaign — $250
• Edward McFadden, the director of corporate new media strategy at Verizon Communications who was an adviser/speechwriter for Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.), a senior adviser on Thompson’s presidential campaign and a special assistant/chief speechwriter to Attorney General John Ashcroft — $1,000
• David Norcross, a partner at Blank Rome LLP who was the chairman of the Republican National Convention’s Committee on Arrangements for the 2004 Republican Convention — $1,000
• Holland Patterson, vice president of government affairs at McBee Strategic Consulting who was the White House liaison in the Office of the Defense Secretary during the Bush administration and deputy regional political director for the Republican National Committee in 2004 — $1,000
• Clint Reed, a partner at Impact Management Group who previously was the executive director of the Arkansas Republican Party and worked for the RNC — $250
• Barry Rhoads, the CEO of  The Rhoads Group who previously was tax prosecutor at DOJ — $450
• Robin Roberts, co-founder and president of National Media — $250
• Burson Snyder, Deputy Chief of Staff to Rep. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) who previously worked for Thompson —$500
• Greg Strimple, previously was the deputy political director of the NRSC —$250
• Sara Taylor, a partner at Bluefront Group who was the director of the White House Office of Political Affairs and deputy assistant to Bush — $500

Tim Griffin (Tim Griffin for Congress)

Tim Griffin, a former U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas,  will be one of two candidates vying for the Republican nomination in the House race for Arkansas’ 2nd Congressional District. Monday marked the deadline for major party candidates to file with the Arkansas Secretary of State’s office. The other Republican in the race is restaurant owner Scott Wallace.

On the other side of the aisle, Democrats were left scrambling to find a candidate after Rep. Vic Snyder (D-Ark.)  announced in January that he would not seek re-election. Snyder’s decision came hours after a poll showed Griffin leading Snyder by double digits.

Five Democrats filed paperwork to seek the nomination for the open seat — Snyder’s former chief of staff David Boling, attorney John Adams, state Sen. Joyce Elliot, University of Arkansas official Patrick Kennedy and state House Speaker Robbie Wills.

Both primaries will take place May 18.

Seems Karl Griffin is not to be.

Tim Griffin and his daughter Mary Katherine (Tim Griffin for Congress)

While the two were in the White House when George W. Bush was president, Tim Griffin, then an aide to Bush adviser Karl Rove, jokingly wrote in an e-mail to his boss: “Btw my wife is pregnant. We are thinking about naming him Karl. Lol.”

But the baby turned out to be a girl. Griffin and his wife Elizabeth named her Mary Katherine. (Possible alternative namesakes? — Mary Cheney, the second daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney; Republican strategist Mary Matalin; or Bush administration Transportation Secretary Mary Peters.)

Cut to 2010 and now the couple is expecting again. This time they know for sure it’s a boy. But it looks like Rove’s name won’t live on in the Griffin family.

“Thank you to all who have been asking, but Baby John is not here yet! I will keep you updated! We appreciate your thoughts and prayers,” Griffin tweeted Friday evening.

So which “John” in Griffin’s life could be more important than Karl Rove?

We at Main Justice have a few guesses — John Ashcroft? John McCain? John Roberts?

Griffin played a central role in the 2006 U.S. Attorney firings scandal. Congressional investigators found the White House had ousted Little Rock-based prosecutor Bud Cummins to make way for Griffin to take the plum federal prosecuting post. He served six controversial months before stepping down.

Griffin is now seeking the Republican nomination for Arkansas’ 2nd congressional district House seat.  His campaign did not return a request for comment.

Tim Griffin (Tim Griffin for Congress)

One of the candidates seeking the Republican nomination to replace retiring Rep. Vic Snyder (D-Ark.) has dropped out of the race. Health care project manager David Meeks (R) recently announced that instead of seeking the House seat, he will enter the race for Arkansas House District 46. Snyder dropped his re-election bid earlier this month citing family concerns.

Remaining GOP candidates for the 2nd District seat include the apparent front-runner, Tim Griffin, and restaurant owner Scott Wallace. They will face each other in the May 18 primary. CQPolitics lists the race as Republican favored.

Griffin is a former Bush administration official who was a central figure in the 2006 U.S. Attorney firing scandal. Griffin, who was a  former assistant to Karl Rove in the George W. Bush White House, was installed as the U.S. Attorney in Little Rock in December 2006 under a controversial provision of the Patriot Act that circumvented Senate confirmation. It later emerged in congressional testimony that Griffin’s predecessor, Bud Cummins, had been ousted in an apparent move to make way for Griffin. Griffin stepped down as U.S. Attorney in June 2007.

Griffin released the following statement regarding Meeks’s withdrawal from the race:

“I salute David Meeks for his positive campaign and desire to elect a representative with common sense conservative values to Congress. I am pleased that David will continue to speak out on issues important to Arkansans as he runs for the state House of Representatives. I wish him the best and look forward to supporting him in his run for District 46.

Following Snyder’s withdrawal from the race, two Democrats  — state Sen. Joyce Elliott and state House Speaker Robbie Wills — entered the race.

A number of other Democrats have been mentioned as possible candidates, including Snyder’s chief of staff David Boling, former state Rep. Will Bond, state Sen. Shane Broadway, 2004 presidential candidate Wesley Clark, Lt. Gov. Bill Halter, North Little Rock Mayor Patrick Hays, state Senate President Pro Tempore Bob Johnson, state Sen. Mary Anne Salmon, state Senate Majority Leader Tracy Steele, Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola and state Public Service Commissioner Paul Suskie.

The filing deadline for party candidates is March 8.

Both the Republican and Democratic primaries will take place May 18. If no candidate receives more than 50 perdent of the votes, a run-off will take place on June 8.

Vic Snyder (gov)

Rep. Vic Snyder (D-Ark.) will not run for re-election later this year, clearing the way for Tim Griffin, his Republican opponent and a former Bush administration official who was swept up in the scandal surrounding the 2006 U.S. Attorney firings. Snyder’s decision came hours after a poll showed Griffin leading Snyder by double-digits.

Snyder released the following statement this afternoon:

“I have concluded that these election-year forces are no match for the persuasive and powerful attraction of our three one-year old boys under the leadership of their three-year old brother, and I have decided not to run for re-election. It is the greatest professional honor of my life to represent Arkansas in the U.S. House of Representatives, and I am so grateful to the people of Arkansas to have had this wonderful opportunity.”

It’s unknown if the Democrats will scramble to find someone to seek the nomination; however, they likely will be going up against Griffin, who is gaining name recognition in the district. Two other Republicans — health care project manager David Meeks and restaurant owner Scott Wallace — also are seeking the Republican nomination.

Tim Griffin (Tim Griffin for Congress)

Griffin, a long-time Republican party operative and former assistant to Karl Rove in the George W. Bush White House, was installed as the U.S. Attorney in Little Rock in December 2006 under a controversial provision of the Patriot Act that circumvented Senate confirmation. It later emerged in congressional testimony that Griffin’s predecessor, Bud Cummins, had been ousted in an apparent move to make way for Griffin. Griffin stepped down as U.S. Attorney in June 2007.

Griffin released the following statement after Snyder’s announcement:

“I respect Rep. Snyder’s decision not to seek re-election. I thank him for his many years of service to the nation both in uniform and in Washington. I look forward to continuing a vigorous grassroots campaign on common sense conservative principles, including private-sector job creation, reducing the national debt and market-based health care reform.”

Tim Griffin (Tim Griffin for Congress)

Former interim U.S. Attorney Tim Griffin (R) in Arkansas, who played a key role in the 2006 U.S. Attorney firings scandal, has a double-digit lead over Rep. Vic Snyder (D-Ark.) in the race for Snyder’s Little Rock-based House seat, according to a poll released today by SurveyUSA/Firedoglake. T

In a head-to-head match up, respondents chose Griffin over Snyder, 56 to 39 percent, with 5 percent undecided. The poll was conducted by phone from Jan. 11 to Jan. 13.

A poll taken in November showed the race essentially tied, with Snyder edging out Griffin by a margin of 44 to 43 perecent.

Griffin, a long-time Republican party operative and former assistant to Karl Rove in the George W. Bush White House, was installed as the U.S. Attorney in Little Rock in December 2006 under a controversial provision of the Patriot Act that circumvented Senate confirmation. It later emerged in congressional testimony that Griffin’s predecessor, Bud Cummins, had been ousted in an apparent move to make way for Griffin. Griffin stepped down as U.S. Attorney in June 2007.

Cummins was one of nine U.S. Attorneys fired by the Bush administration in a process that led to an uproar over whether politics had been improperly injected into law enforcement. The controversy led then-Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to resign.

While the new poll only accounted for a Griffin-Snyder match-up, Griffin first will have to win the Republican primary. His rivals for the nomination include health care project manager David Meeks and restaurant owner Scott Wallace.

Tim Griffin (Tim Griffin for Congress)

Former interim U.S. Attorney Tim Griffin (R) in Arkansas is nearly tied with Rep. Vic Snyder (D-Ark.) for support in next year’s race for the Little Rock-based House seat, according to a poll released last week by Public Policy Polling.

In a head-to-head match up, respondents chose Snyder over Griffin by a narrow 44 to 43 perecent. The poll of 400 voters was conducted Nov. 11 through 13 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percent.

The poll also found that Griffin had relatively low name recognition – which might be a good thing, suggesting that voters aren’t much aware that Griffin played a central role in the 2006 U.S. Attorney firings scandal. One of the ousted U.S. Attorneys, Bud Cummins in Arkansas’s Eastern District, was removed in an apparent attempt by the Bush White House to make room for Griffin, who at the time was an aide to Karl Rove.

Griffin only served six controversial months before stepping down in June 2007.

President Barack Obama is unpopular in the district, with a 52 percent disapproval rating, the poll found. Displeasure with Democratic-led health care reform may also be rubbing off against Syder, the poll found.

Synder also barely edged out other Republicans vying for the GOP nomination to challenge him. The poll also found Snyder’s disapproval rating 46 percent.

The poll found that 14 percent of respondents have a favorable opinion of Griffin, compared with 19 percent who have an unfavorable view and 67 percent who are not sure of their opinion.

Griffin is considered the front runner among the Republican candidates, having more cash on hand than either of his primary opponents. The former U.S. Attorney also has more cash on hand than Snyder. Griffin also has the most name recognition of the three Republicans and might have some powerful people stumping for him during his campaign. Although he wouldn’t confirm whether his former colleagues in the Bush administration would be on the campaign trail with him, Griffin has hinted that it’s a possibility.

'80s Tim Griffin on Facebook

As he mounts a bid for Congress from Arkansas, Tim Griffin (R) is drawing campaign donations from his former colleagues in the Bush administration.

A one-time aide to White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove, Griffin served as interim U.S. Attorney in Little Rock after Bud Cummins was fired in the 2006 U.S. Attorneys scandal. Now he’s running for the Republican nomination to challenge Rep. Vic Snyder (D-Ark.).

“I’m not going to distance myself from anything I’ve done. I’m very proud of my service,” Griffin said in an interview. “I’m just gonna put Tim Griffin out there.”

His third quarter Federal Election Commission report released last week showed A-list donors from the Republican establishment, including  Alex Castellanos, a top media adviser to Bush’s 2004 campaign; Mary Matalin, a Republican strategist who worked on President George H.W. Bush’s 1992 campaign and later for Vice President Dick Cheney; Mark McKinnon, a policy adviser and media consultant to Bush; and Travis Thomas, the national finance director of Bush’s 2004 campaign.

In addition, a sizable chuck of Griffin’s donations comes from the oil industry.

Griffin, meanwhile, has embraced new media in his campaign. He’s started Facebook and Twitter pages, and has also signed up with iContribute, a Web site that collects donations through the Internet. While Griffin’s Republican primary opponents are also Twittering, Griffin has out-raised them. He collected $130,000 in donations since announcing his candidacy Sept. 21, the report said. Griffin’s campaign spent $1,600 and had $129,000 cash on hand, according to the report. Twelve percent of his donations — or $15,800 —  came from oil producers.

Neither of Griffin’s GOP primary challengers — David Meeks and Scott Wallace — have filed a quarterly report. Meeks said his campaign was unable to file electronically due to “technical problems,” but said he raised $5,100 this quarter. Wallace launched his campaign after the end of the quarter. “I take my primary opponents very seriously,” Griffin told us. “I expect to have a vigorous primary.”

As for the incumbent, Snyder reported raising no money in the third quarter of this year. But he spent $4,700 and had $7,600 cash on hand. Said Griffin: ”It’s always an uphill battle against an incumbent. Congressman Snyder has been challenged a number of times and has won numerous times.” When asked if any Bush administration officials will be campaigning for him, Griffin said he will be making event and policy announcements in coming months.

Among Griffin’s donors are:

• Bob Brooks, Vice President of the Alpine Group who was a lawyer for the Republican National Committee in 2000 and who in 2003 went on a golfing trip to St. Andrews in Scotland with Jack Abramoff – $2,400 
  
• Joel Starr, a State Department attorney who was a speechwriter on President George H.W. Bush’s 1992 campaign — $4,800
• Alex Castellanos, a Republican media strategist, a top media adviser to Bush’s 2004 campaign and a partner at National Media, Inc. — $1,000
• Keith Crass, a Republican candidate for the Arkansas House of Representatives — $500
• Ray C. Dillon, president, CEO and director of Deltic Timber Corporation — $1,000
• James Dyke, a communications adviser to Bush and a former RNC communications director — $250
• Kelly Eichler, an attorney who worked in then-Gov. Mike Huckabee’s (R) administration — $250
• Adrian Gray, the National Voter Contact Director for Bush’s 2004 campaign — $500
• William Asa Hutchinson III,  an associate solicitor in the Patent and Trademark Office and an attorney for the Commerce Department during the Bush administration. He is the son of Asa Hutchinson, a former House member from northwest Arkansas who served at the Department of Homeland Security in the Bush administration. Asa Hutchinson is also a former U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas — $500
• David Kustoff, a former U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee who was appointed by Bush — $1,000
• Mary Matalin, Republican strategist  – $250
  
• Mark McKinnon, media consultant to Bush and Sen. John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign — $250
• William C. Nolan, chairman of the board of Murphy Oil Corporation — $2,400
• Mark Rayder, a Republican lobbyist and senior policy adviser at Alston & Bird – $500
• Matthew Rhoades, the research director for Bush’s 2004 campaign and is a former research director/deputy communications director to the RNC — $1,000
• Robin Roberts, president of National Media, Inc. and the media buyer for Bush’s 2000 campaign — $1,000
• Natalie Rule, former director of public affairs for the Federal Emergency Management Agency under Bush, deputy communications director at the 2004 Republican National Convention and the spokeswoman for Bush’s inaugural committee in 2001 — $250.
• Travis Thomas, the national finance director of Bush’s 2004 campaign — $250
• Michael Zito, a former trial attorney at the Federal Trade Commission — $250

Tim Griffin (DOJ)

Tim Griffin’s (R) campaign for Congress is off and running. The former White House aide to Karl Rove and key figure in the U.S. Attorney firings scandal has raised $130,000 since filing his statement of candidacy Sept. 29, according to his campaign’s Web site.

Griffin is seeking the Republican nomination to challenge Rep. Vic Snyder (D) for his Little Rock-area House seat next year. He previously decided not to run for Senate against Arkansas Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D). More details about his donors be released when he files a Federal Election Commission report due Oct. 15.

Then-U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales appointed Griffin interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas in December 2006, after the abrupt firing of Bud Cummins. In congressional testimony, emails released by Congress, and media reports, it later emerged that the White House helped engineer Cummins’ ouster to make way for Griffin. The U.S. Attorney job was seen as a credential to enhance Griffin’s resume for an expected future run for political office, news reports have said. Instead, Griffin resigned six months after the appointment amid uproar over the broader U.S. Attorneys firing scandal.

“I am humbled and honored at the support I have received to date, but there is much more work to be done in what will be a grassroots, neighbor-to neighbor campaign,” Griffin said in a statement.

Former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove played a bigger part in the 2006 U.S. Attorney purge than previously known, The Washington Post reported this afternoon.

Karl Rove (Gov)

E-mails obtained by The Post give new insight into the former Bush official’s role in the purge. Two of the e-mails focus on then-New Mexico U.S. Attorney David Iglesias and Timothy Griffin, who replaced then-U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas Bud Cummins.

In an October 2006 e-mail, White House political affairs aide Scott Jennings informed Rove that then-Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) and his chief of staff, Steve Bell, wanted Iglesias out of office.

“I received a call from Steve Bell tonight. . . . Last week Sen. Domenici reached the chief of staff and asked that we remove the U.S. Atty. Steve wanted to make sure we all understood that they couldn’t be more serious about this request,” said the Jennings e-mail obtained by The Post.

Rove told The Post he was only a messenger. The former Bush official said he had “no recollection” of how he learned that Iglesias was fired.

“Yes, I was a recipient of complaints, and I passed them on to the counsel’s office to be passed onto Justice,” Rove told The Post.

In a February 2005 e-mail, Rove told deputy Sara Taylor that he wanted to replace a U.S. Attorney with his protege, Griffin.

“Give him options. Keep pushing for Justice and let him decide. I want him on the team,” said the Rove e-mail obtained by The Post.

Then, White House Counsel Harriet Miers contacted Taylor a month later.

“Sara, Karl asked me to forward you a list of locations where we may consider replacing the USAs…,” said the Miers e-mail obtained by The Post.

Rove personally suggested that Griffin should replace Cummins, according to The Post.

Assistant U.S. attorney Nora R. Dannehy and the House Judiciary Committee are investigating the purge. Today, the former White House deputy chief of staff wrapped up the second day of closed-door House hearings about the U.S. Attorney purge, The Post said. A transcript of the hearings could be made public in August, according to The Post.

“I certainly can confirm that Karl answered all of the committee’s questions fully and truthfully,” Rove attorney Robert Luskin told The Post. “His answers should put to rest any suspicion that he acted improperly.”