Jeb! Has Lots of Bundlers From His Brother’s Administration

Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush says he wants to be his own man, but has numerous campaign bundlers who worked in his brother’s administration, newly released records reveal.

Bush, whose gas shipping business was bankrolled by liberal billionaire George Soros’ Chinese business partner, also counts bundlers from the Obama administration and from Teneo Holdings, the firm founded by Bill Clinton’s former right-hand aide Doug Band, as well as the CEO of the Democrat-friendly Podesta Group.

He also has Eric Cantor on board, and has a bundler who lives in disgraced Democrat John Edwards’ old house. But his own family ties might prove most problematic.

Bush has tried to distinguish himself from his brother. Jeb criticized George W. Bush’s out-of-control spending in a Colbert Late Show appearance, prompting Donald Trump to accuse Jeb of throwing his own brother under the bus. His campaign signs blare the word “Jeb!” without featuring his well-known last name. Jeb! has no problem, however, using his brother’s resources to raise money. Heck, Texas Bush bundler Gaylord Hughey Jr. even said that he was a fan of George but only met Jeb a month ago.

Of the 36 Jeb! bundlers who live in Washington, D.C. or Virginia, 17 of them (about half) worked for George W. and Cheney. Here they are:

Richard F. Houhlt: Veteran of the Bush-Cheney transition team and adviser to the Bush Social Security Commission.

Maria Cino: Acting U.S. Secretary of Transportation.

Fritz Brogan: Intern in the White House counsel’s office and advance man for the First Couple when they took “numerous” trips.

Paula Dobriansky: She was Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs and also Special Envoy to Northern Ireland.

Paul Haenle: Assistant to Bush’s national security adviser. Later worked for the Obama administration.

Anita McBride: Laura Bush’s chief of staff and also an assistant to President Bush.

Frank Mermoud: “accepted an appointment with the Bush Administration as Special Representative for Commercial and Business Affairs at the U.S. Department of State beginning June 3, 2002,” according to his archived State Department bio.

Iggy Sanchez: Bush-Cheney transition team and policy adviser to the Treasury Department. Also was appointed by George W. Bush to the board of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

Reginald Brown: Big-time White House counselor in various capacities. Served as special assistant to the president.

Sara Fagen: “Sara served as a senior aide and White House Political Director to President George W. Bush. She also played a key role in the President’s 2004 re-election campaign, where she served as a senior strategist,” according to her corporate bio.

Rick Graber: Ambassador to the Czech Republic.

France Hoang: Associate White House counsel and special assistant to President George W. Bush during the last two years of the administration.

Walid Maalouf: Bush appointed him to jobs at the U.S. Agency for International Development and to the U.S. delegation at the United Nations.

Brian Montgomery: Among some other Bush administration and White House jobs, Mongomery was commissioner of Bush’s Federal Housing Administration! What a job to have leading up to the 2008 financial collapse.

Debbie Spagnoli: Former White House aide Spagnoli got caught up in an Alberto Gonzalez scandal involving the U.S. Parole Commission.

W. Ron Wahid: Bush-Cheney Transition Team.

Michael Waltz: Special adviser to Vice President Cheney.