And we can certainly over-analyze it if we want to.
I broke it down to an hourly rate for easy mental comparison, because we can assume that the Gingrich Group did SOME work for that $25,000, as opposed to it being a "retainer" where the Gingrich Group does no work but is on standby in case the client needs to use them. The $25,000 was to be paid "in exchange for" the Gingrich Group providing "consulting and related services as requested."
So you're right, it was not an hourly rate, it was a lump sum for a full month, assuming SOME work was done during that full month.
The only way for Gingrich to put this “issue” to rest TOTALLY
is to offer some accounting for the ACTUAL work, what group of people worked on it, how much research it involved, and what the final report was, and how his conclusions about the Fannie/Freddie operation were arrived at, in reference to the conclusions the research and evaluation finally arrived at.
Otherwise it will look like Newt was just in it to bilk the taxpayer, in concert with Fannie and Freddie. We know all the final conclusions of the Gingrich Group were NEGATIVE, and the interesting thing is of course that the criticism for Newt’s involvement AT ALL with Fannie/Freddie could ONLY come from his GOP opponents, not the Left.The Left couldn’t get much mileage out of badmouthing anyone’s evaluation of this beloved institution of theirs just because the final objective evaluation of it was negative.