Hookergate: No-Tell Motel?

By Justin Rood - May 5, 2006, 4:28 PM

We reported yesterday that the Watergate Hotel had received multiple subpoenas relating to the federal probe of Wilkes, Cunningham et al. But news accounts have mentioned a second hotel -- the Westin Grand -- as a favorite of Wilkes for entertaining lawmakers, their staff, and CIA officials with booze, food, cards and possibly prostitutes.

I have been calling the Westin Grand -- both the hotel and its corporate headquarters -- since yesterday afternoon, but they have yet to speak with me for the record. In fact, despite promises to do so, they have yet to return any of our calls requesting comment.

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Limo Outfit's Owner Lawyers Up - and Up - and Up

By Paul Kiel - May 5, 2006, 6:03 PM

Wow.

In the course of our research into Christopher Baker, the owner of the limo company that allegedly ferried prostitutes to lawmakers, we've been confronted with a widening constellation of legal representation. And it's gotten more impressive as we've gone along.

First, there's Sandy Roberts, a business attorney who is Shirlington Limousine's original counsel. He didn't return our call.

And then there's Baker's personal criminal attorney, Bobby Stafford. He's the one who made a questionable denial to the San Diego Union-Tribune about what Baker may or may not have seen.

When we called Stafford today, he referred us to a third lawyer -- Michael York -- who is handling all media inquiries, Stafford's office told us.

It's not hard to figure why. York is a former Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist:

After graduating from law school in 1978, he spent eight years at the Lexington Herald-Leader, where he and another reporter won a 1986 Pulitzer for exposing corruption within the University of Kentucky athletic program. In 1987, York moved to the Washington Post.

He went on to a career in law, where he's represented such heavy hitters as Phillip Morris. So far, has not returned our calls.

So it appears that Baker is in a number of good -- and increasingly expensive -- hands. Pretty impressive for a guy who just got out of bankruptcy.

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