In 1998, Scheunemann went to work for the public relations firm Mercury Group.[1]
During the 2002 and early 2003 campaign by the George W. Bush administration to generate public support for the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Scheunemann had a close association with Iraq exile Ahmad Chalabi.[2][3]
Until May 2008, Scheunemann was co-owner of a two-person Washington, D.C. lobbying firm, Orion Strategies, LLC.[4] The firm has lobbied on behalf of the Open Society Policy Center, the Caspian Alliance and the National Rifle Association, among others.[5]
He is a member of the board of directors of the International Republican Institute.[6] [edit] 2008 McCain presidential advisor
While the foreign affairs advisor to Republican presidential candidate John McCain, Scheunemann was also a registered foreign agent (lobbyist) for the Republic of Georgia.[7][8]
On April 17, 2008, McCain spoke on the phone with Georgia President Mikheil Saakashvili about the situation in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, two troubled provinces that are considered part of Georgia but have been de facto independent since 1990. That same day, McCain issued a public statement condemning Russia and expressing strong support for the Georgian position. Also on that same day, Georgia signed a new, $200,000 lobbying contract with Scheunemann's firm, Orion Strategies. Scheunemann remained with Orion Strategies until May 15, when the McCain campaign imposed an anti-lobbyist policy and he was required to separate himself from the company.[9]
In mid-July 2008, The Sunday Times linked Scheunemann to Stephen Payne, a lobbyist covertly filmed as he discussed a lobbying contract and offered to arrange meetings with Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and others, and recommended donations to the George W. Bush Presidential Library. Payne said Scheunemann had been "working with me on my payroll for five of the last eight years." [10]
A day after the election, a CNN article claimed that Scheunemann had been fired by the McCain campaign a week earlier for "trashing" campaign staff and "positioning himself with Palin at the expense of John McCain's campaign message." [11] A later article, however, stated that Scheunemann had not been fired, but that many of McCain's top staff wanted him fired and removed his access to his campaign email and Blackberry.[12]"
Heavy RINO connections - needs to be thrown under the Palin bus.
“Heavy RINO connections - needs to be thrown under the Palin bus.”
You miss the last line of what you posted?
“positioning himself with Palin at the expense of John McCain’s campaign message.” [11] A later article, however, stated that Scheunemann had not been fired, but that many of McCain’s top staff wanted him fired and removed his access to his campaign email and Blackberry”
Looks to me as his loyalty is better placed....it was McCain staffers ho stabbed Palin in the back...a well established fact by now...
I don't know. That endears him to me a bit for pissing McQueeg off.