Robert Luskin

Robert D. Luskin (born January 21, 1950) is an attorney and partner in the law firm of Patton Boggs LLP, specializing in White-collar crime and federal and state government investigations. He is currently the personal attorney for White House senior advisor and chief political strategist Karl Rove, representing Rove in the special investigations into the outing of covert operative Valerie Plame's position within the CIA as a WMD specialist.

Luskin is a graduate of Harvard University and Harvard Law School, and a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University. He worked in the US Department of Justice, specializing in RICO enforcement, and helped supervise the ABSCAM investigation of the early 80s. Since entering private practice, he has represented both witnesses and investigative targets in independent counsel, criminal, and congressional investigations. Luskin is also a lecturer at the University of Virginia School of Law, where he teaches one course each spring in Labor Racketeering.

Controversies

In 1997, US Attorney Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island accused Luskin of "willful blindness" for accepting $505,125 in gold bars as well as Swiss Wire transfers of $169,000 from Stephen Saccoccia. Saccoccia is a convicted money-launderer who laundered money for several Colombian drug cartels. Luskin represented Saccoccia in the appellate phase of the case well after Saccoccia was convicted. Whitehouse argued that Saccoccia's payments to Luskin were related to Saccoccia's broad money-laundering scheme and that the money should be returned to the government. In 1998, Luskin settled with the government, forfeiting $245,000 in fees. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/06/AR2005120601689_3.html?nav=hcmodule]

Trivia

*Despite representing President Bush's top political kick Karl Rove, Luskin is a proud Democrat and has donated to numerous Democratic causes. [http://www.newsmeat.com/fec/bystate_detail.php?st=DC&last=luskin&first=robert Robert Luskin's Federal Campaign Contributions]
*Luskin often rides his motorcycle to work.
*In 1995, Luskin reportedly became the first male lawyer to wear an earring while arguing a case before the Supreme Court. He had his left ear pierced in 1990 and has worn an earring since.

See also

* Plame affair

External links

* [http://www.pattonboggs.com/Attorneys/detail.aspx?id=96ea6d2c-0a8f-4cac-9155-620a5fe0dbc4 Official Biography at Patton Boggs]
* [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/06/AR2005120601689.html?nav=hcmodule The Liberal on Karl Rove's Case]
* [http://www.laborers.org/Luskin_Legaltimes_2-9-97.html Robert Luskin Receives 45 Gold Bars From Stolen Assets]