You've never heard of Robert Lichfield or Alan Fabian because the media chose to cover Norman Hsu 1,252 times. One thousand two-hundred and fifty-two times for a man who wasn't charged with a crime was charged with a crime in 1992.
But his last name is Chinese!
From Media Matters:
To date, 137 different newspapers have written about Hsu and Clinton in a total of 591 articles, according to Nexis, and 132 broadcast and cable news transcripts mention Hsu and Clinton.
By contrast, a Nexis search for "Alan Fabian AND Romney" yields a total of only 21 hits.
I don't care which candidate was centered in this controversy. That it was Hillary Clinton (whom I do not support) doesn't make a difference. Once again the media has chosen to focus on the silly and the sexy in place of the real and the substantive.
Who is Romney bundler Alan Fabian?
Nonprofit executive Alan B. Fabian, who faces federal charges of a $32 million equipment leasing scheme, pleaded not guilty to all charges against him Friday.
Fabian's 23-count indictment charges him with mail fraud, money laundering, bankruptcy fraud, perjury and obstruction of justice. The indictment claims that two firms where Fabian was an executive struck deals to sell and lease back $32 million of computer equipment.
(snip)
The grand jury alleges Fabian used the money to buy beach property, travel on jets and set up the nonprofit Centre for Management and Technology, where he is chairman.
But Norman Hsu was on the run!
What about another FoM (Friend of Mitt), this Lichfield guy? Not so nice...
In a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah, 133 plaintiffs have alleged that Robert Lichfield, co-chairman of Romney’s Utah finance committee owned or operated residential boarding schools for troubled teenagers where students were "subjected to physical abuse, emotional abuse and sexual abuse."
The complaint, which plaintiffs amended and resubmitted to the court last week, alleges children attending schools operated by Lichfield suffered abuses such as unsanitary living conditions; denial of adequate food; exposure to extreme temperatures; beatings; confinement in dog cages; and sexual fondling.
Good times.
The allegations could force Romney to re-examine his relationship with his Utah finance co-chairman or put pressure on him to give away the contributions Lichfield helped raise.
Lichfield helped to organize a February event in St. George, Utah, that raised about $300,000 for the Romney campaign.
What do Mitt's people say?
"He has donated to numerous Republican candidates and committees. The Romney campaign will continue its policy to make our fundraising efforts as transparent as possible."
So they're not giving it back, I guess...