Ickes, Clinton Aide, Will Benefit No Matter Who Wins!

Here's a little story that smacks of so many different kinds of potential wrongdoing it sets off RED warning lights in your head.

Harold Ickes, senior aide to Hillary Clinton, has a little business on the side, supplying voters' names and data to both Clinton and Obama!  Does that sound fishy to you?

Ickes is President of Catalist, and has an equity stake in the for-profit company.  The company has sold lists to both Clinton and Obama already, and stands to earn more in the future as it accumulates data on American voters.

Catalist might be funneling big-money donors' contributions to candidates, while avoiding the usual finance rules that apply.  Ickes refuses to reveal details about his financial stake, or how much he'll earn from Catalist.  This, while he is working on Clinton's campaign.

What is it with Clinton's top aides?  Mark Penn, senior aide, bills Clinton millions for polling on the side.  Ickes, senior aide, bills Clinton more than he billed Obama for voter lists.

Catalist doesn't have to disclose who its investors are, since it's a private company.

How's does this smell to you?  (NY Times story here).

Carole