--- Date: Mon, 1 Apr 2002 09:21:58 -0500 (EST) From: "John F. McMullen" <observerat_private> Subject: Novak: Anti-Microsoft Scandal http://www.townhall.com/columnists/robertnovak/rn20020401.shtml Anti-Microsoft Scandal by Robert Novak WASHINGTON -- California State Atty. Gen. Bill Lockyer, a 60-year-old veteran of 30 years in Democratic politics, was in Washington two weeks ago for the national conference of state attorneys general and dropped by a federal district courtroom for an hour or so. In progress was the latest stage of antitrust proceedings against Microsoft. His interest may have been stimulated by the more than $75,000 in campaign contributions from corporate rivals of the embattled technology giant. Lockyer was one of nine state attorneys general who dissented from the U.S. Justice Department's agreement to settle the Microsoft case. He was not the only one who visited the Washington courtroom, and not the only one receiving contributions from Microsoft's foes. Contributions to Lockyer are just a little larger, and the consequences greater. University of Texas economist Stan Liebowitz has calculated that Lockyer and his colleagues could cost California's software developers and consumers $80 billion over the next three years. While Democrats have trouble pinning Enron's campaign contributions to Bush administration policy, it is easier to connect the dots in the Microsoft case. The company's competitors want to continue antitrust litigation, and state legal officers are helping after receiving contributions. It looks like more of a political scandal than Enron. [...] In open court last week, Microsoft lawyers revealed an April 2000 e-mail from the Utah attorney general's office to Novell asking help in drafting language in a possible negotiated settlement that would benefit the company's products. Lawyer Wayne Klein asked for "guidance ... preferably without involving too many people seeing this language." [...] ------------------------------------------------------------------------- POLITECH -- Declan McCullagh's politics and technology mailing list You may redistribute this message freely if you include this notice. Declan McCullagh's photographs are at http://www.mccullagh.org/ To subscribe to Politech: http://www.politechbot.com/info/subscribe.html This message is archived at http://www.politechbot.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Politech dinner in SF on 4/16: http://www.politechbot.com/events/cfp2002/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
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