Jack Lew's Cayman Islands investment flagged

Talesha Reynolds and Rich Gardella , NBC News ? ? ? 14 hrs.

Jack Lew, President Barack Obama?s Treasury Secretary nominee, previously held up to $100,000 in investments in an offshore hedge fund located in the Cayman Islands, according to financial disclosure forms.

Lew?s financial disclosure forms, filed in 2009 and 2011, showed that Lew had invested between $50,000 and $100,000 in a fund called Citigroup Venture Capital International Growth Partnership (Employee) II, L.P. -- the very type of fund President Obama has repeatedly criticized.

The fund is an international venture capital fund for employees of Citigroup. According to his official White House biography, Lew served as managing director and chief operating officer of Citi Global Wealth Management and then Citi Alternative Investments (CAI) from 2006 to 2008.

Lew himself isn't commenting, but a person familiar with Lew?s investment told NBC News that Lew invested a total of $56,000 and sold it at a loss for $54,418 in November 2010 after being confirmed as director of the federal Office of Management and Budget.

The source also told NBC News that Lew had no role in creating, managing or operating the fund, and that Citigroup had organized the fund in the Cayman Islands and made it available to other employees. The source said that many other Citigroup employees had investments in the fund.

According to a Securities and Exchange Commission document, the fund was registered at what has been called a notorious address in the Cayman Islands, located in the Caribbean in the British West Indies. Specifically, the fund?s address was a post office box in a building called Ugland House, in the capital city of George Town on Grand Cayman, the largest of the three Cayman islands.

In 2007 as a presidential candidate and in 2009 as president, Obama identified Ugland House as part of an outrageous tax scam, because according to filings, it housed 12,000 businesses that all claimed the building as their headquarters.

?For years, we've talked about shutting down overseas tax havens that let companies set up operations to avoid paying taxes in America,? Obama said in remarks about tax reform in 2009. ?Either this is the largest building in the world, or the largest tax scam in the world. And I think the American people know which it is. That's the kind of tax scam that we need to end.?

A political ad targeting Republican candidate Mitt Romney during the 2012 presidential campaign asked, ?Why would Mitt Romney invest millions in the Cayman Islands??

Tonight, after NBC News asked for comment, White House spokesman Eric Schultz issued a lengthy statement:

?Jack Lew paid all of his taxes and reported all of the income, gains and losses from the investment on his tax returns. The existence of Mr. Lew?s investment is not news to the Senate.

?Mr. Lew disclosed the investment in his prior confirmations, before three separate committees, for Deputy Secretary of State in 2009 and Director of the Office of Management and Budget in 2010, and he was confirmed by the Senate unanimously on both occasions.

?Twelve Members of the Finance Committee, including five Republicans, were members of the three committees that previously reviewed Mr. Lew?s nominations. All three committees reported Mr. Lew?s nomination to the Senate unanimously.

?Mr. Lew disclosed the investment to the Office of Government Ethics and to ethics officials at the State Department and OMB, including on his public financial disclosure forms, in connection with both of his previous confirmations. He played no role in creating, managing or operating the fund and he sold his investment in 2010 at a net loss.

?There are no new facts that provide a basis for Senators to reach a different conclusion about Mr. Lew?s nomination than they reached twice before in this Administration.?

A Democratic spokesman for the Senate Finance Committee, which will hold a confirmation hearing on Lew?s nomination on Wednesday, said that Lew?s investment had come up again through its current vetting process, raised by both Republican and Democrat members. The spokesman said once the committee had looked into the matter, it had determined the investment was not an issue. The spokesman said Lew had been completely transparent and forthcoming through any and all questions that have been posed.

But Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley, a Republican member of the Senate Finance Committee, disputed the Obama administration?s and the Democratic committee spokesman?s statements.

?It was disclosed only if you knew where to look and then were able to put the pieces together,? Grassley said in a statement late Friday. ?To say this information was fully disclosed to the public is misleading, at best.?

Grassley noted Obama?s criticism of Ugland House-based investment funds came while Lew, now his Treasury Secretary nominee, had investments in one of those funds. Lew didn?t divest his Cayman Island investment until almost the end of 2010, when he was already working for the administration, and a year after the president publicly railed against such offshore accounts as tax havens.

?The irony is thick,? Grassley said.

NBC News' Ali Weinberg contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/jack-lews-investment-cayman-islands-flagged-senate-finance-committee-1B8309826

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After Whitney death, Clive Davis gala presses on

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) ? A year after Whitney Houston's death, music executive Clive Davis remembered her in words ? and video.

Houston died last year just hours before the annual Clive Davis Gala was to start. On Saturday, Davis said his world continues "to be so shattered by her passing" and that Houston's death still feels "unreal."

Then Davis played what he called a rare performance of Houston belting "All The Man That I Need" on Saturday the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

Houston's brother and sister-in-law, Gary and Pat Houston, attended the gala, where Davis thanked them "for being here tonight." He also called Houston the "greatest, greatest singer of our lifetime."

Dutch electronic artist Afrojack kicked off the performances with a DJ set, but it was Gladys Knight who got the crowd up out of their seats with a closing number.

Her voice ? still crisp and loud ? felt at ease on "Neither One of Us" and "Midnight Train to Georgia."

"You've been waiting here for a while and we all have to go, and I'm catching a train," the 68-year-old singer said before going into her popular hit that had Verdine White of Earth, Wind & Fire dancing around his chair.

And Knight wasn't the only performer to leave an impression during Davis' nearly four-hour event.

Scottish singer Emeli Sande was well-received when hitting the right notes on "Heaven." Miguel, who is nominated for five awards at Sunday's Grammys, was energetic when he performed his R&B hit "Adorn." He danced in the middle of the tables in the audience, and at one point sang to Taylor Hawkins' wife Alison ? as the Foo Fighters drummer watched on.

Usher, too, brought R&B flavor to the stage when he performed in honor of music executive Antonio "L.A." Reid, who received the president's merit award. Usher sang some of "Burn" and "Climax," which featured the acoustic guitar.

The event was full of A-listers there to enjoy the live music: Johnny Depp, Quincy Jones, Sting, Joni Mitchell, Diddy, Miley Cyrus, Frank Ocean, Dave Grohl, Magic Johnson and San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick were in the crowd.

"I've read the papers and I know you've been spending time with," Davis said when announcing that Katy Perry and John Mayer were in the audience.

Usher also drew laughs when he told an old story about Reid signing the then teen to his record label.

"If I never can thank you for anything, it would be for not letting me go with the name Cha Cha," Usher said of his previous stage name.

The pre-Grammy event also featured performances by Patti Smith, best new artist nominees the Lumineers and Jennifer Hudson, who paid tribute to Knight and performed with the singing veteran.

Ne-Yo, Carly Rae Jepsen, Brandy, David Guetta, Babyface, Wiz Khalifa, Jordin Sparks, Tyra Banks and dozens of others attended Davis' gala.

___

Follow Mesfin Fekadu on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MusicMesfin

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/whitney-death-clive-davis-gala-presses-110649378.html

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Fixing at home?

Was this game fixed?

According to a report from Outside the Lines, there?s a possibility that it was one of a number of El Salvadorian national team games influenced by the gambling ring from earlier this week. If true: wow.

Sure, it was a meaningless friendly on a February evening in 2010. But you don?t think about match-fixing tainting games played by the United States national team, do you? You might have to start.

The Outside the Lines investigation ? which came together impressively quickly ? offers some details into how and why the crime syndicate targeted El Salvadorian players. It also says that in addition to this friendly, an El Salvador-Mexico match in the Gold Cup may have been fixed. Not great all around.

We?ll probably never know the truth behind this game or many of the others. The will to do something about gambling, to clean up the sport, seems limited despite the revelations earlier this week and the ones that will continue to trickle out. All we can do is guess and hope something changes for the better.

As for the match in Tampa, the highlights show the U.S. missing chance after chance after chance in the late stages of the game, then capitalizing on a soft turnover in the 92nd minute to take the victory. Draw your own conclusions.

.

.

If you?d like to get even more depressed, go check out Brian Phillip?s excellent column on Grantland.

And a final word from BP:

That was a great closing turn from @bobleyespn and @marcotti, who point out that the bookmakers sponsor and in some cases own soccer clubs. ? Brian Phillips (@runofplay)

Source: http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2013/02/08/otl-reports-on-u-s-links-to-match-fixing-allegations/related/

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eBook updates and must reads from ALAMW Conference | No Shelf ...

I attended the American Library Association MidWinter Conference in Seattle, Washington January 26 -29th. ?While there, I was able to speak with several eBook companies about new features and services. ?Below you will find a list of companies (alpha order) and new features complete with links for more information.

I also want to bring your attention to a few must read reports. ?First, the ALA Digital Content & Libraries Working Group publication, Ebook Business Models: ?A Scorecard for Public Libraries.?? Second, The Pew Internet Library Services in the Digital Age report. Finally, the Scholastic Kids and Family Reading Report (4th Edition). ?The latter reports provide excellent data to help understand user needs in our digital age.

And now, for the company updates:

Baker and Taylor (Axis 360)

The Axis 360 mobile site was launched?at the end of October, optimized for browsers on mobile devices. There is an automatic redirect to the mobile version when a mobile device is detected. The ?magic wall? is now rendered for mobile with a carousel display. ?Many new browse functions/categories are available on this new mobile site to help users drill down to the content better. ?Michael Bills, Director of Sales, Digital Products,?says they may adopt this on the full site.

Full testing of ebooks sales from Hachette and Penguin publishers are underway. ?Hachette testing began in September and the?Penguin pilot projects have been in place in two library systems since late 2012. ?They are expecting to be able to move forward to all libraries following the tests.

APIs were released to ILS companies, discovery services, and mobile apps. ?These APIs provide real time inventory, checkouts, and holds. ? A second set of APIs will be released soon. ?These will?send transaction data to the ILS and allow for combined?circulation stats on print and electronic books in one place. The APIs will also provide for display of Axis 360 statuses in the patron record of the ILS. ?Sirsi Dynix?beta now, and?, III, TLC, and Polaris will all roll out with these in the next couple of months.??Bibiocom, Boopsie, and VuFind will follow.

Patron?s can now see the rank of their hold to determine where they are on the list. The patron?s wish list will also be viewable in the catalog (once the APIs are fully functional).

B&T offers about 413,000 ebook titles including 25,000 audiobooks from 297 publishers. ?The blio and BlueFire reader apps can be used to read the B&T content on devices. ?Direct downloads in PDF and EPUB formats are also available?for PCs and Macs and for syncing to dedicated ereaders. ?Audiobook content?and circulation on Axis 360 launched in January?and provides direct-to-device audiobooks downloads?via the Acoustik app. ?The app can be downloaded with sample content?from GooglePlay and the Apple App Store.

?

EBL/ebrary?- (Listen to the NSR Interview with Kari Paulson and Kevin Sayar)

The biggest news for EBL was ProQuest?s definitive agreement to acquire EBL. ?This was announced just before the conference. ?EBL and ebrary platforms will be merged (at some point). ?Current customers can expect business as usual for the time being. ?It will take about 6 -8 weeks to complete the legal transactions. ?After that, the back end platform features will be merged first ? publisher contracts, ordering, billing, licensing, etc. ?In about 18 months, a new combined interface, highlighting the best of EBL and ebrary will be launched. ?Customers are encouraged to provide feedback to both companies through their local reps, email, or comments on corporate blogs.

?

EBSCO eBooks

EBSCO Publishing?(EBSCO) has released the?eBook Public Library Collection^??? which includes over 25,000 general reference e-book titles in a variety of subjects and topics including social sciences, language and literature and science & technology. ?The content is non-fiction for the adult audience.? They also announced several other services and features, one of which is the ability to switch eBooks purchased on another aggregated platform to the EBSCOhost platform for FREE.? They also are offering API?s for ILS integration.? Finally, they have release some titles in the ePub format.

?

Ingram Digital

Ingram added over 36,000 titles from Random House and publisher-distributor clients. ?The titles will be added in February, 2013 and will be available in the MyiLibrary platform for libraries.

Also announced was a new content access model. ?This model provides libraries flexibility in ebook lending. ?Libraries purchase a number of access credits which can be used for one individual title, either one user at a time, or simultaneously. ?This cuts down on turnaways while the title is in use by a patron.

?

OverDrive?

OverDrive has a huge array of new services to accompany the one million titles in the collection. The first is the new digital library website redesign. ?This is in place in several libraries right now. ?See it live at Cleveland Public Library or Cuyahoga County Public Library.? The library website was redesigned for ease of use, and now includes One-Step Checkout, in addition to a number of other improvements to simplify and speed up the user experience.? One of these is an assortment of new facets for filtering content.

OverDrive APIs are now available for a variety of ILS companies ? Biblionics, Sirsi, TLC. ? The current APIs available (and that have been integrated into various library OPACs) are Search, Metadata and Availability.? The APIs allow real time searching of the OverDrive catalog via one?s library catalog. ?It shows the number of titles available for checkout. ?Soon, more APIs will be released to include checkout and hold features within the catalog. More info is available at developer.overdrive.com.

Audiobook and video streaming was announced just before the conference. ?These will work on any device with a modern web browser and an active internet connection (must be connected to enjoy).

OverDrive Media Stations are now available in a pilot program. ?These provide a visual display digital content in the physical library. ?The service is compatible with a touchscreen monitor or existing library workstations and devices. ?The primary role is discovery and sampling of content, checkout and downloads are not available from the service at this time.

OverDrive Read is browser-based, and also is designed for ease of use.? It works in any modern browser for online or offline reading.? This new feature enables in-library and in-school reading of OverDrive content. Content is placed in the cache of the browser to allow for offline reading within one?s browser. ?No DRM activation, software installations, or personal devices needed. ?This service allows one to read content using their existing desktop or laptop computer.

OverDrive advantage allows libraries the best of both worlds:? belong to a shared collection and also have a custom collection just for their community (e.g., additional copies of popular titles, or other titles not in the shared collection).? Titles purchased through the advantage program are for use by the local library only, giving the user community a larger selection of content.

OverDrive Test Drive is a program to allow libraries to lend devices, or provide training (or both), that are compatible with the libraries? OverDrive eBook service.? Libraries must enroll in the program (free). ?They receive device recommendations, promotional materials, best practices ad guidelines to support the device lending program. ?Libraries must provide their own devices of course, but the program offers assistance in developing an eBook device lending program that doesn?t involve purchasing titles for preloading. ?The devices recommended in the OTD program allow patrons to borrow a device, browse the library?s digital collection, borrow, read, and return. ?Devices for low-vision accessibility are also recommended in the program. ? More information is available at www.overdrive.com/testdrive

?

Rosen Publishing?

Rosen continues to produce high quality interactive resources for children, teens, and families. ?Their online products support common core standards and provide opportunities to develop transliteracy skills. ?Rosen is embarking on a mission they have themed ? empowering citizens, empowering libraries. They are visiting with local government officials (mayors for example) and discussing with them the benefits of an information literate, financial literate community. ?They are suggesting ways to gain private funding for online resources (accessible via libraries) to develop these skills in the local community.

My conversation with Roger Rosen was very philosophical. ?I?d like to share a few of his thoughts on libraries. ?Rosen believes in the critical mission of?working together with the library community?to shape the future?of libraries and healthy communities?through innovation, creativity,?leadership, and advocacy. ?He stated: ?

?There is a huge economic divide in this country, and that chasm will increase ever more as the technology gap widens. People who have technology at their fingertips, and can buy any book on Amazon in a millisecond, don?t recognize the reality for those who have not been able to keep up technologically, be it through education or economics. You cannot apply for a job in this country any longer unless you do it online. If people don?t have access to the internet or don?t know how to craft an online resume, where are they going to get help? Our magnificent librarians are conducting seminars, providing workstations and internet access for any citizens who needs them. Everyone needs to speak up as advocates for?libraries as a?great democratic institution. We don?t want to be in a position of appreciating libraries only at the point at which we have lost them.?

?

StarWalk KidsMedia

StarWalk Kids is a new eBook provider, founded by Seymour Simon and Liz Nealon. ?They began with about 148 titles in October of 2012, focusing on K-8. ?60% of their collection is non-fiction. ?The streaming collection is designed for multiple simultaneous users for an annual subscription fee. ?They serve a niche market, supplementing the larger, comprehensive ebook collections for school and public libraries. ?Books contain professional quality narration (except the chapter books for the older children). ?The content supports the common core standards and StarWalk provides ?Teaching Links? for teachers. ?These are downloadable PDFs with grade levels, links to the common core standards, ideas to extend learning, assignments.

?

3M Cloud Library

3M now has 300,000 ebook titles and over 1,000 customers. ?They are currently the only vendor to offer all customers access to Penguin titles (about 45,000 titles). ?These titles have a 6 month embargo.? They are also providing access to Macmillan content.

3M is live with ILS integration with Polaris, BiblioCommons,and Boopsie. ?III and Sirsi are targeted for March/April 2013.

The 3M Content Acquisition Tool (CAT) (launching in April) now provides featured book lists created by Heather McCormack (Former LJ Book Review Editor). ?Imagine ?if you liked The Hunger Games, try these.? ?The CAT now offers a save search feature, multiple shopping carts, improved searching capabilities, and eISBN searching as well.

3M still provides their own eInk eReader for $149 each. ?Libraries can check them out to patrons with no preloaded content. ?Patrons can borrow, search for 3M books, read, and return. ?The device is easily restored to default settings for the next customer.? 3M also provides the 3M ?Discovery Terminals, which allow readers to find and check out digital content at the library using a touch interface.

?

MediaSurfer (listen to the NSR interview with Gary Kirk, President, and Jim Nelson, COO from January, 2012)

I also want to mention a few updates about MediaSurfer.? This is a product designed for self-checkout of iPads. I featured this new service in the ALAMW wrap-up webinar last year.? They were at the conference again this year.? The product is still in beta testing in several libraries.? During testing they came to the conclusion that there were too many options for first release, making the product too complicated without fully understanding what customers are looking for.? So they scaled back on some of the product features.? For example, they removed credit card scanning from MediaSurfer.? This was originally added to deter from theft.?? In addition, they decided not to print receipts, but have the ability to send a receipt to a customer if their email address is already in the ILS.? This falls in line with the digital product and providing email receipts to customers ? like RedBox!

The physical product ?look? has changed ever so slightly, with the orientation of the slots.? They started with horizontal slots for the ipads and have converted to vertical slots.? This decision was made in an effort to protect the ipads should any liquids spill on the system.

Pricing remains the same, 25K not including iPads and shipment charges and the MS extension Tower is priced at 17K, not including iPads and shipment charges.? They do plan to launch a new product at ALA Annual.? They couldn?t tell me more about it, but did make this statement, ?We think this will be another alternative in the MediaSurfer Family of products that will appeal to smaller libraries with budget constraints.?

Source: http://www.libraries.wright.edu/noshelfrequired/2013/02/08/ebook-updates-and-must-reads-from-alamw-conference/

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Submit Your Art/Photography to Our Magazine's Cover Contest

By Summer Dawn Hortillosa ? Feb 8th, 2013 ? Category: Arts, Blog, News

Our cover contest is back ? we?re seeking submissions from the many talented artists, illustrators and photographers in the community for the Spring 2013 issue of the Jersey City Independent?s print magazine.

Here?s how it works:

Any artist living or working in Jersey City can submit work of any kind for the contest. You can submit up to five images to editor[at]jerseycityindependent.com. Please send only original works that have not yet been published elsewhere. Prior to each issue?s publication, we will choose which one to feature on the cover. That person will receive credit and a short biographical writeup in the magazine.

Submissions to the contest are accepted on a rolling basis and are cumulatively considered for future issues.

While the trim size of the magazine cover is 6.25 by 8.25 inches, we will accept work of all sizes and dimensions, with the acknowledgment that the cover may only feature a portion of the work if necessary (to be mutually agreed upon by us and the winning artist). In addition, you should understand that we will continue to feature our logo, tagline and other potential editorial information on the cover as well. The artist must have ? and provide ? a large high-resolution image of his or her work at 300 dpi.

For past cover art, click here.

Send your submissions by Thursday, Feb. 28 -? and any questions ?- to editor[at]jerseycityindependent.com.

As always, thanks for reading!

Like what you've read here? Please consider making a donation or becoming a sustaining member. As a grassroots news organization, we rely on community support -- as well as paid advertising -- to survive.

Summer Dawn Hortillosa is a Staff Writer for the Jersey City Independent. She is also a freelance arts and entertainment writer whose work has appeared in the Jersey Journal, the International and other publications; creative writer and theatrical director.
Email this author | All posts by Summer Dawn Hortillosa

Source: http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/2013/02/08/submit-your-artphotography-to-our-magazines-cover-contest/

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Davis gala 'bittersweet' year after Houston death

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) ? Last year, Whitney Houston died hours before Clive Davis' annual pre-Grammy gala. This year, the music executive says she'll be remembered.

"In saying I'm proud of her legacy, I'm going to make sure that she's felt somehow during that night, yes," the 80-year-old said in an interview Thursday.

Davis' gala will take place Saturday night at the Beverly Hilton, where Houston died on Feb. 11, 2012, at age 48.

The annual event is where Davis introduced a young Houston to the music world more than two decades ago. Davis ? Houston's mentor, producer, champion and longtime friend ? memorialized her at last year's gala, held downstairs from the hotel where she died.

"Whitney and I had great times at this party over the years," he said, smiling. "I'd played her new songs and she'd come over in her pajamas and be listening late at night ... so it is bittersweet. Tragedy is still foul."

Houston was found drowned in a bathtub. Coroner's officials ruled her death accidental, with heart disease and cocaine use contributing factors.

The night continued last year after Houston's death ? and the music will live on this year.

R&B singer Miguel, who's up for five awards at Sunday's Grammys ? including song of the year for "Adorn" ? will hit the stage. He rehearsed some of the song happily Thursday.

"I've dreamt about coming to this party," the singer said. "It's a huge honor to be included and perform."

Davis, per usual, was tight-lipped about the other performers.

"You should expect being blown away by the diversity of the music, by the vitality of the music, by the range of music today," Davis said.

Last year's performers included Elvis Costello, Ray Davies, Alicia Keys, Jessie J and others.

R&B singers Brandy and Monica, mentees of Houston, were supposed to perform their new duet at that time, but were emotional due to Houston's death.

Emotional Houston moments will be captured in an hour-long CBS special titled "The Grammys Will Go On: A Death in the Family." It's a behind-the-scenes look at how Houston's death affected last year's Grammy Awards and will air the same night as Davis' gala. It includes interviews with Jennifer Hudson, Bruce Springsteen, Taylor Swift and other artists.

The Beverly Hilton Hotel said in a statement that the room where Houston died has not been used.

"Out of respect to the family and fans of Whitney, the guest room where she stayed was immediately taken out of inventory and all contents were removed," the statement read. "Hotel management is considering options to repurpose the space but has made no final decisions at this time."

Saturday's event will honor Epic Records chairman and CEO Antonio L.A. Reid.

___

Follow Mesfin Fekadu at http://www.twitter.com/MusicMesfin

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/davis-gala-bittersweet-houston-death-224151207.html

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Senate Dem: GOP request to Hagel extraordinary

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee said Friday he will press ahead with a vote on Chuck Hagel's nomination to be defense secretary, rejecting Republicans demands for more financial information from President Barack Obama's choice as setting an unprecedented new standard.

In a letter, Sen. Carl Levin provided a point-by-point rebuttal to the GOP requests for data on Hagel's paid speeches and foreign donors to private entities he's been affiliated with, arguing that the requirements exceed the committee's rules and what has been asked of previous defense secretaries, Republican and Democrat.

"The committee cannot have two different sets of financial disclosure standards for nominees, one for Sen. Hagel and one for other nominees," the Michigan Democrat wrote.

His letter was in response to a Feb. 6 letter from 26 Senate Republicans to Hagel insisting that they needed more information before they could vote on his nomination. Among those signing the GOP letter were Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, the top Republican on the Armed Services panel.

Republicans have asked Hagel to disclose all compensation of more than $5,000 from the past five years ? three years more than the law or committee rules require. Levin said the panel's two-year requirement on disclosure is consistent with the Ethics in Government Act as well as past practices for all nominees for Senate-confirmed positions and candidates for federal elective office.

Levin said the committee's disclosure requirements for nominees have remained the same for 26 years, including his 16 as chairman or ranking member. In that nearly three-decade span, the committee has confirmed defense secretaries and other senior civilian nominees at the Pentagon with far more lucrative and extensive financial holdings than Hagel, including Republicans Frank Carlucci and Dick Cheney.

Hagel, 66, a former two-term Republican senator and decorated combat veteran in the Vietnam War, has faced fierce GOP opposition, with more than dozen Republicans announcing they will vote against Hagel and several others indicating they were likely to vote no. Hagel has faced a barrage of criticism from lawmakers and GOP-leaning outside groups who have complained that he is too tolerant of Iran, too critical of Israel and willing to slash the nation's nuclear arsenal.

Hagel's halting and uneven testimony at his confirmation hearing before the Armed Services panel undercut his nomination.

This week, Levin postponed an expected vote on the nomination as the GOP pressed for information.

Despite the setbacks, the president's pick to succeed Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is expected to win confirmation, with the backing of all 55 Senate Democrats and at least two Republicans ? Sens. Thad Cochran of Mississippi and Mike Johanns of Nebraska, Hagel's home state. More than a handful of Republicans, including Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., have said they oppose a filibuster of the nomination.

Levin intends to schedule a vote as soon as possible on Hagel's nomination, and congressional aides said a vote could occur next week before the Senate breaks for a weeklong recess.

In his letter, Levin said the Republicans' demand for information about foreign sources of funding to private entities subjects Hagel to a different requirement than all other previous nominees for positions at the Pentagon.

Specifically, the Republican senators want Hagel to disclose whether any of the eight organizations and businesses he was affiliated with after leaving the Senate in 2009 received money from foreign sources. Their letter argued that the information was needed to know whether Hagel received directly or indirectly any "financial remuneration" from foreign governments, sovereign wealth funds, lobbyists and corporations.

But Hagel has already told the committee that neither he nor his wife has received during the last 10 years any compensation from, or been involved in any business transactions with, a foreign government or an entity controlled by a foreign government, Levin wrote.

Levin cited Hagel's role as chairman of the board of directors at the Atlantic Council, a nonprofit think tank, to demonstrate the unusual breadth of the GOP's demands. Among the Atlantic Council's corporate contributors are U.S. companies, such as Chevron, Citigroup and Boeing, and foreign entities, including Polish Telecom, the Istanbul Stock Exchange and All Nippon Airways.

"Over the 16 years that I have served as either chairman or ranking minority member of this committee, we have considered numerous nominations of individuals who were associated with similar thinks tanks, universities and other nonprofit entities," Levin wrote. "Even in the many cases where a nominee received compensation from such a nonprofit entity, we did not require the nominee to disclose the sources of funding provided to the nonprofit entity."

Last month, Hagel told Pentagon officials he would divest some of his financial holdings and resign from several corporate boards and public interest groups to avoid potential conflicts of interest if he wins Senate confirmation.

He said he would resign his corporate board post at Chevron Corp. and shed investments in the energy company, a major government contractor. He also would cut ties and investments with the McCarthy Group LLC, an Omaha-based private equity firm.

Hagel also pledged to cut ties with several academic and public interest groups, including Georgetown University and the Atlantic Council.

Well-funded outside groups are keeping up a steady drumbeat of criticism of Hagel. The Emergency Committee for Israel is running an ad on cable in the New York and Washington markets as well as the Sunday morning network news shows assailing Hagel on Iran. The American Future Fund is launching an ad on Sunday that includes sound bites from Hagel's testimony in which the nominee struggled with questions.

Obama announced his nomination of Hagel on Jan. 7. Panetta is stepping down after serving as CIA director and Pentagon chief in the Obama administration.

___

Associated Press writer Richard Lardner contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-02-08-Hagel/id-8310291452e249ad8d8f642d43858598

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