Last week I stumbled across this article on the newswire.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 - Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales today announced the appointment of D. Kyle Sampson to serve as Chief of Staff at the Department of Justice. Sampson will succeed Theodore W. Ullyot, who will step down from the position to return to the private sector.
'Kyle is an outstanding lawyer, a strong manager, and a trusted counselor,' said Attorney General Gonzales. 'His service to the President and to me has been exceptional. I appreciate his leadership and loyalty, and I am pleased that he has agreed to serve as the Justice Department's Chief of Staff.'
Sampson earned his law degree, with honors, from the University of Chicago Law School, where he served as Articles Editor of the University of Chicago Law Review. He earned his undergraduate degree from Brigham Young University.
Which led me to this, from the BYU website:
Although he may consider his role to be of small importance, some BYU graduates may not agree. Taylor Oldroyd, a friend of Sampson and member of the Bush Administration, feels he has been instrumental in assisting the Church. "Kyle has played a key role in many of the Administration's personnel decisions and is the reason so many BYU alumni, including myself, have positions in the Bush Administration."
Well, that just made me curious. So, I thought I'd do some poking around to see if there was anything to it.
Let's start with a name we all know, by now.
Timothy Flanigan
Deputy Attorney General (designate)
If Flanigan is confirmed as the No. 2 at Justice, it will be his second time as Gonzales's deputy. Flanigan, 51, was White House deputy counsel from 2001 to 2002 when Gonzales was counsel to the president. He helped Gonzales and the administration craft major national security initiatives after 9/11. Flanigan, who has a bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University and a law degree from the University of Virginia, currently serves as senior vice president and counsel of corporate and international law at Tyco International. "He has no prosecutorial experience," says a Senate Democratic aide. At Tyco since 2002, Flanigan has been responsible for overseeing new ethics compliance policies.
Name: Michael O'Neill
Position: Chief Counsel, Senate Judiciary Committee
Background: Former law clerk to Justice Clarence Thomas, Commissioner of the U.S. Sentencing Commission from 1999 to 2005. Associate Professor, George Mason University.
Role: O'Neill will be a key player in helping Judiciary Chairman Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., push the president's choice on Senate moderates. That is, of course, presuming that Specter sticks with the president should Bush pick a nominee skeptical of abortion rights. One knowledgeable source says this Brigham Young University alum was hired in January because "he assuages some of the [conservatives'] concerns about Specter."
Do you know anyone who's on the Senate Judiciary Committee? How 'bout Orrin Hatch (R-Utah). From his bio:
He worked his way through college at Brigham Young University, graduating in 1959 with a degree in history.
Thomas B. Griffith
U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
Confirmed June 14, 2005
- Thomas Griffith, currently Assistant to the President and General Counsel of Brigham Young University, is a highly respected attorney with overwhelming bipartisan support.
- President Bush has nominated Mr. Griffith to the D.C. Circuit, which hears appeals from the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, and reviews the decisions of a number of administrative agencies.
Friday, May 23, 2003
The White House, after working with U.S. Sen. John Ensign, is poised to nominate U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert Clive Jones to a federal District Court judgeship.
Jones was born and raised in Las Vegas and graduated from Brigham Young University in 1971 with a degree in accounting and English. He obtained his law degree from UCLA in 1975, graduating in the top 10 percent of his class.
Jay Bybee was nominated May 22, 2002 by President George W. Bush to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He currently serves as Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel at the U.S. Department of Justice.
Legal Special Interest Connection:
Served as advisor to the J. Reuben Clark Law Society - (an international professional organization of lawyers and law students who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
Bybee was Vice President of College Republicans at Brigham Young University.
Juris Doctorate
J. Reuben Clark Law School
Brigham Young University
Bachelor of Arts Degree
Brigham Young University
American Bar Association Magazine - July/August 1999
However, in this Congress, Senator Hatch has not scheduled even a single hearing on judicial nominations. What has caused this failure? It appears that it revolves around the pending nomination of Ted Stewart, Chief of Staff to the Governor of Utah and a conservative, to the federal district court.
Although Stewart's name is currently only in the pre-nomination process in Utah, he is under attack from environmental groups who criticize his strong support of mining and development interests. These groups have expressed their strong concerns to the White House. While the environmentalists are bombarding the White House, they are also filling the airways and newspapers in Utah with strong criticism of Stewart. However, Senator Hatch remains deeply committed to Stewart's appointment and has said that "things can get rough around here" if the president does not pick Stewart.
Stewart was confirmed, Sept. 21, 1999.
Among the witnesses who testified in support of Judge John G. Roberts Jr. during yesterday's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing was Utah District Judge Denise Posse-Blanco Lindberg. Judge Lindberg served as a lawyer with Judge Roberts at the Washington firm Hogan & Hartson LLP, and worked with him as a Supreme Court clerk. Observers have suggested that President Bush would like to make a Hispanic or a woman his next Supreme Court nominee, and Judge Lindberg is both -- a point that Sen. Orrin G. Hatch, Utah Republican, made sure to emphasize yesterday.
After Judge Lindberg had testified, Mr. Hatch thanked her effusively for her testimony and recited her impressive biography: In addition to her magna cum laude law degree from Brigham Young University, Judge Lindberg also holds a master's degree and a doctorate from the University of Utah. She is a devout Mormon and the mother of two grown sons.
She was appointed to her state court position in 1998 by Gov. Michael O. Leavitt, a Republican whom Mr. Bush has since chosen as secretary of health and human services.
Statement of
The Honorable Orrin Hatch
United States Senator
Utah
July 30, 2003
I am pleased to have six nominees for the federal trial court bench before the Committee today.
Michael Mosman is our nominee for the District of Oregon. After graduating magna cum laude from the J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University, Mr. Mosman clerked first for the Honorable Malcolm Wilkey of the D.C. Circuit, and then for Justice Lewis F. Powell of the Supreme Court...
Now, stay with me on this one, ok? As I was wandering around the BYU Alumni website, I came across this.
When Corine Larsen Bradshaw participated in MPA class discussions on governmental work, she wasn't just talking about information she knew second-hand - she was talking about her previous job. Through a serendipitous connection, she landed a job with Representative Jim Hansen from Utah and worked in his office for three years.
In 1989 she made her way back to Utah and entered the MPA program. After graduation, Bradshaw worked for Senator Orrin Hatch and then for Senator Nancy Kassebaum of Kansas until she was recruited to work for Senator Robert Bennett. In the nine years at Senator Bennett's office, she has worked her way up to her current position as legislative director.
Ok, that doesn't sound very intriguing and I was going to drop it until I discovered who Corine's husband is. Can you guess?
Sheldon Bradshaw arrived at the Food and Drug Administration without the baggage lugged around by his predecessor. The previous chief counsel at the FDA, Daniel Troy, was pilloried by critics who slammed his close ties to the drug industry. Troy made a name for himself suing the agency on behalf of drug and tobacco companies before moving to the government agency early in the Bush administration.
Bradshaw, who came to the FDA as chief counsel from the Justice Department in April, has escaped that kind of scrutiny, largely because he hasn't had those corporate relationships. But that doesn't necessarily mean a new day has dawned.
Before joining the FDA in April, Bradshaw was principal deputy assistant attorney general in the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division. Bradshaw's move to the FDA -- generally considered a less prestigious agency for government lawyers than the Justice Department -- surprised some of his former colleagues, who describe him as being part of an ideologically conservative group of young leaders in deputy positions at the DOJ.
He also worked in the Office of Legal Counsel, made up of an elite group of lawyers at Justice who advise the executive branch. Among the office's alumni is Troy. Both he and Bradshaw were part of the Bush administration's advance legal teams in 2001.
Guess where Sheldon went to college.
So, in the Justice/Judiciary system, I've found:
- D. Kyle Sampson
- Timothy Flanigan
- Thomas B. Griffith
- Jay S. Bybee
- Michael O'Neill
- Robert Clive Jones
- Sheldon Bradshaw
- Ted Stewart
- Michael Mosman
Make sure you remember some of the players - you'll see them again. Onward!
The President intends to nominate Charles R. Christopherson, Jr., of Texas, to be Chief Financial Officer at the Department of Agriculture. He received his bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University and his master's degree from the University of Oregon.
Remember Taylor Oldroyd, the BYU alum from above? Sure you do! Guess where he works. You got it, the Dept of Agriculture.
Office of the Press Secretary
April 5, 2001
The President intends to nominate Jeffrey R. Holmstead to be an Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency for Air and Radiation. He is currently with the law firm of Latham & Watkins and served as an Associate Counsel under former President George H.W. Bush. He is a graduate of Brigham Young University and Yale Law School.
David P. Tenny was named deputy under secretary for natural resources and environment for the U. S. Department of Agriculture in October 2001. He had been acting in that position since January 22, 2001. As deputy under secretary, he is responsible for policy relating to the programs of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service.
Tenny came to this position from the House Committee on Agriculture of the United States Congress, where he served as counsel and policy advisor on natural resources and related issues since January 1997.
A native of Boise, Idaho, Tenny earned a bachelor's degree in American studies from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, and a law degree from George Washington University in Washington, D.C.
On July 17, 2001, John W. Keys, III was sworn in as the 16th Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation, an agency in the Department of the Interior. Keys oversees the operation and maintenance of Reclamation's water storage, water distribution, and electric power generation facilities in the 17 Western States. Reclamation is the nation's largest wholesale water supplier and the fifth largest electric utility in the 17 Western States.
Keys is a native of Sheffield, Alabama. He received a Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1964 and a Master's Degree in 1971 from Brigham Young University.
Whew! Is your head spinning yet? That's nothing - this is where the really gooey fun starts.
On Nov. 19, 2004, the United States Senate confirmed four presidential appointees to senior positions within the Environmental Protection Agency. Stephen Johnson, deputy administrator; Ann Klee, general counsel; Charles Johnson, chief financial officer; and Benjamin Grumbles, assistant administrator for the office of water.
"These confirmations help solidify my executive team," said EPA Administrator Mike Leavitt. "Each of them brings incredible talent, dedication and experience, as well as seasoned judgment, to the Agency."
Charles E. Johnson is EPA's chief financial officer. Mr. Johnson will oversee EPA's more than $8 billion operating budget. He is also responsible for developing, managing and supporting a goals-based management system within the Agency. Prior to joining EPA, Mr. Johnson was president of Huntsman Cancer Foundation and vice president of Huntsman LLC. He also served as a member of the Utah State Board of Regents and was chief of staff to Utah Governor Michael O. Leavitt from 1992 to 1997.
Wondering what Huntsman, LLC is? Sure, you are!
Huntsman is a global manufacturer and marketer of differentiated and commodity chemicals. Its operating companies manufacture basic products for a variety of global industries including chemicals, plastics, automotive, aviation, footwear, paints and coatings, construction, technology, agriculture, health care, textiles, detergent, personal care, furniture, appliances and packaging.
Garff-Warner? Automotive super-dealership. Sounds like the perfect candidate for an EPA officer, no? There's more...
4/28/05
Charles Johnson has been named assistant secretary for budget, technology and finance at the Department of Health and Human Services. He currently serves as chief financial officer at the Environmental Protection Agency. He previously was president of the Huntsman Cancer Foundation and vice president of Huntsman LLC. Prior to that, Johnson was vice chairman of the board for strategic direction for the Garff-Warner Organization. He earned his bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University.
So, he takes a new position in 5 months. Huh...
Friday, December 21, 2001
The U.S. Senate confirmed today Kathleen Clarke, former director of Utah's Department of Natural Resources, as the new director for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), an agency in the Department of the Interior. Clarke has served as executive director of the Utah Department of Natural Resources since 1998.
June 22, 1998
Governor Mike Leavitt today named Kathleen Clarke executive director of the Department of Natural Resources. Clarke has served as acting director of the department since Ted Stewart became chief of staff in the Governor's Office in April.
Clarke also worked for Rep. James V. Hansen (R-Utah) from 1987 to 1993 as director of constituent services and executive director of Rep. Hansen's office in Ogden, Utah, office. In addition, she served as staff assistant in the Washington, D.C. office of Sen. Wallace F. Bennett (R-Utah).
Clarke graduated with honors from Utah State University with a bachelor's degree in political science and attended J. Reuben Clarke Law School at Brigham Young University.
Remember Charles Johnson? Sure you do. He's the former Huntsman, LLC vice-president who was appointed CFO of the EPA by ex-Utah Governor Mike Leavitt.
Do you know who the current Governor of Utah is? I'll tell you. Jon Huntsman, Jr. Never heard of him?
As a business executive, he has held several leadership positions with Huntsman Corporation, most recently as Chairman and CEO of its holding company. His public service career includes serving as a White House staff assistant to President Ronald Reagan. Under President George H. W. Bush, he was deputy assistant secretary of commerce for trade development, deputy assistant secretary of commerce for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, as well as U.S. ambassador to Singapore. He also served as a deputy U.S. trade representative and U.S. trade ambassador under President George W. Bush.
Jon Huntsman, Sr? He was a staff member in the Nixon administration before he started Huntsman, LLC.
While we're discussing the environment, did you know that Utah received $69,013,576 from the Department of the Interior's Minerals Management Service for shared mineral revenue, Fiscal Year 2004?
Distribution of revenues associated with onshore federal lands is split 50-40-10, with 50 percent of the money going directly to the state within which the specific lease was located. Forty percent is sent to the Reclamation Fund of the U.S. Treasury. This special account finances the Bureau of Reclamation's water projects in 17 western states. The remaining 10 percent goes to the Treasury's General Fund.
Bureau of Reclamation? Oh yeah, that's John W. Keys, III. How could I forget?
But we won't let Don Young or Ted Stevens (R-AK) off the hook:
One exception, Alaska, gets a 90-percent share of the revenues. The remainder goes to the U.S. Treasury.
So, for Agriculture/Environment, I found:
- Taylor Oldroyd
- Charles R. Christopherson, Jr.
- Jeffrey R. Holmstead
- David P. Tenny
- Charles Johnson
- Kathleen Clarke
- John W. Keys III
- Mike Leavitt
Well, I thought I'd really stumbled onto something interesting. Turns out, I'd only just begun. ............... Sorry, I was singing to myself. Yes, I found even more tidbits. Juicy tidbits.
Rex T. Wilkerson, Exxon-Mobil President, delivered two speeches to BYU alumni in the last six months.
7/21/2005 Speech in Grapevine, TX
3/4/2005 Speech in Dallas, TX
Exxon has also bestowed Exxon Outstanding Teaching Awards to several of the BYU faculty, some not in the Geology program. I don't have a comprehensive list yet but I'm working on it.
But hey, what's a conspiracy theory without Diebold? Hey, Diebold!
Brigham Young's Signature Card boasts 2500+ usage points
Saturday, March 1 2003
"Brigham Young University's Signature Card is pushing the envelope in many ways and in many areas," says Diebold's Manager Marketing Systems and Development, Mark Reinart. "They have the largest campus card system in the world with 2,500 readers on their CS Gold 4.0 system. They have extensive system interfaces and are taking full advantage of the open architecture."
NORTH CANTON, Ohio, April 28, 2005 - Diebold, Incorporated has appointed Sheila M. Rutt as vice president, chief human resources officer. She is responsible for managing human resources initiatives across the company, providing strategic leadership for domestic and international personnel programs.
She frequently serves as a guest lecturer at Akron and Walsh Universities and is a member of both the Global Management Center Executive Advisory Board at Brigham Young University and the Advisory Board of the Division of Business and Economics at Walsh University.
MCKINNEY, Texas, June 7 - Diebold Election Systems has been selected by the state of Utah to implement a uniform election system throughout the state following an extensive voting system evaluation. Lt. Governor Gary Herbert has recommended that Utah's 29 counties, the vast majority of which currently use punch card technology, deploy Diebold touch- screen technology that meets important Help America Vote Act election system requirements.
Utah counties are expected to purchase in excess of $20 million in equipment and services over the next two years.
The actual figure is just over $27 million, with approx. $24 million coming from the Federal Help America Vote Act. Want more tinfoily goodness?
July 28, 2004
Comprehensive Framework for Healthy Marriage Education
HHS' Administration for Children and Families has released a new paper -- entitled "A Comprehensive Framework for Marriage Education" -- designed to spark a more thorough, systematic and creative exploration of how marriage education can contribute to the goal of promoting healthy marriages in the United States.
"A Comprehensive Framework for Marriage Education" was co-authored by Professor Alan Hawkins, Ph.D., of Brigham Young University, while he was a visiting scholar in the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE) at the Administration for Children and Families. Also contributing to the paper were Jason S. Carroll and Brian Willoughby with Brigham Young University, and William J. Doherty with the University of Minnesota.
Sheri L. Dew is a native of Ulysses, Kansas, and a graduate of Brigham Young University. In March 2003 the White House appointed her as a member of the U.S. Delegation to the Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations.
So, there you have it. That's what I've found in a few hours of digging around the internets. What does it all mean? I have no idea if it means anything at all; it just struck me as odd. Again, I have nothing against the fine people of Utah. I was just intrigued by the number of Utah connections to the Bush administration. If you know of any other interesting connections, let me know.
Rip -
Oh, I almost forgot this.