Obama law tab up to $1.7 million

President Obama has paid nearly $1.7 million to his top eligibility lawyer since the election.

Obama for America, Obama's 2008 political campaign, merged with the Democratic National Committee in January and is now known as Organizing for America. The grass-roots army that some refer to as "Obama 2.0" is still collecting financial contributions.

Federal Election Commission records for "Obama for America" show that the lobby organization has paid international law firm Perkins Coie exactly $1,666,397.01 since the 2008 election.

The most recent sum, $314,018.06, was listed in Obama for America's October Quarterly report filed with the FEC.

FEC record for payment to Perkins Coie, 2009 October quarterly report (covers July 1, 2009, to Sept. 30, 2009)

As WND reported in August, FEC records also show the following payments made to the law firm from Oct. 16, 2008, to June 30, 2009:

FEC record for payment to Perkins Coie, 2009 July quarterly report (covers April 1, 2009, to June 30, 2009)

FEC record for payment to Perkins Coie, 2009 April quarterly report (covers Jan. 1, 2009, to March 31, 2009)

FEC record for payment to Perkins Coie, 2008 year-end report (covers Nov. 25, 2008, to Dec. 31, 2008)

FEC record for payment to Perkins Coie, 2008 post–general election report (covers Oct. 16, 2008, to Nov. 24, 2008)

The FEC shows Obama's campaign has made regular payments to Perkins Coie since Jan. 1, 2007 – the month he formed a presidential exploratory committee and only weeks before he formally announced his candidacy for president.

In total, Obama has paid Perkins Coie, a single law firm, $2.6 million since he announced his campaign for presidency. By contrast, a cumulative total of all of Sen. John McCain's legal consulting fees, from Jan. 1, 2007, to October 2009, amounts to $1.6 million.

As WND reported, Robert Bauer of Perkins Coie – top lawyer for Obama, Obama's presidential campaign, the Democratic National Committee and Obama's Organizing for America – is the same Washington, D.C., lawyer who defended President Obama in lawsuits challenging his eligibility to be president.

WND also reported that Bauer sent a letter to plaintiff Gregory Hollister, a retired Air Force colonel, of Hollister v. Soetoro, threatening sanctions if he didn't withdraw his appeal of the eligibility case that earlier was tossed by a district judge because the issue already had been "twittered."

Bauer's warning was dated April 3 and delivered via letter to the plaintiff's attorney, John D. Hemenway. It is not the first such warning issued. Lawyers trying to kill a similar California lawsuit filed on behalf of Ambassador Alan Keyes also said they would seek sanctions against the plaintiff's attorneys in that case unless they left the issue of the president's eligibility alone.

"For the reasons stated in Judge Robertson's ruling, the suit is frivolous and should not be pursued," Bauer's letter warned. "Should you decline to withdraw this frivolous appeal, please be informed that we intend to pursue sanctions, including costs, expenses, and attorneys' fees, pursuant to Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 38 and D.C. Circuit Rule 38."

Bauer also represented Obama and the DNC in Philip Berg's eligibility lawsuit and various other legal challenges. The White House has not responded to WND's request for comment on the legal fees.

As WND recently reported, Bauer is married to Anita Dunn, the White House communications director who has blasted Fox as an arm of the Republican Party and talked about "controlling" the news media.

Bauer, a Democratic Party partisan, has a long history of defending Democratic Party presidential hopefuls.

A biography for Bauer posted on the Perkins Coie website indicates that he was general counsel to the Democratic National Committee during the presidential campaign of Sen. John Kerry and that he served as counsel to Sen. Tom Daschle, the Democratic leader in the impeachment-trial proceedings of President Bill Clinton.

During the 2008 presidential campaign, Bauer functioned as an "attack lawyer," threatening with FEC complaints groups wanting to run anti-Obama television ads.

Also during the 2008 presidential campaign, Bauer as counsel for the Obama campaign wrote letters to television-station managers and to Department of Justice Assistant Attorney General John Keeney arguing that airing an anti-Obama ad pointing to the known association between Obama and Weather Underground radical Bill Ayers would violate federal election rules.

Also during the 2008 campaign, Bauer intervened on behalf of Obama to block the California-based American Leadership Project from running a television ad campaign over support from unions, including the Service Employees International Union.

Again, Bauer filed a complaint with the FEC alleging that the union-funded television campaign the American Leadership Project planned to run in Indiana against Obama was illegal under federal election laws.

In addition to representing Obama on eligibility cases, Bauer also is hired as legal counsel to represent the president in the criminal probe going on into the activities of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

Perkins Coie serves high-profile clients such as Microsoft, Amazon and Starbucks. Perkins Coie also represents the House and Senate Democratic campaign arms. In 2006, the firm also represented Salim Ahmed Hamdan, Osama bin Laden's alleged bodyguard and driver.

The FEC allows elected officials to use campaign funds to pay legal fees only if the action/investigations arise as a result of their tenure in office or campaigns, according to Politico.

An FEC report also reveals Obama For America also paid $6,365 in legal fees to Olaker, Biden & Belair, a firm founded by Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden.