In 2005, Charlie Black, currently a chief strategist to Senator John McCain, wrote a pair of letters to federal officials aggressively defending Wayne Drizin, a convicted felon, disbarred lawyer, and failed brothel owner with substantial business ties to the controversial Iraqi exile Ahmad Chalabi.
The letters, obtained by The Huffington Post, were sent to a U.S. district court judge and the U.S. Justice Department's inspector general's office. They are scrupulously detailed and, at times, personal notes, praising Drizin and alleging that a conspiracy of zealous federal investigators was to blame for his legal woes.
At the time, Black was a consultant for e-Smart Technologies, a biometric security technology company that Drizin helped start. Drizin was mired in legal battles over his past convictions. The Republican insider and lobbying powerhouse went to bat on the founder's behalf.
Black's letters, however, were ultimately an exercise in poor judgment. After Drizin had a falling out with e-Smart, Black wrote that same judge a year later asking that his previous advocacy be expunged from the judicial record, an unusual move for such a high-powered figure.
But the episode, mainly because of Black's close proximity to McCain, remains politically relevant. In a separate interview on the matter with Aram Roston, author of "The Man Who Pushed America To War," Black claimed he had not realized the extent of Drizin's controversial past -- an assertion Drizin's lawyer denies.
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