Romney Campaign Press Release - Newt Gingrich: Part of the Problem

"We just learned yesterday that his contract with Freddie Mac was provided by the lobbyists at Freddie Mac. I don't think we can possibly retake the White House if the person who's leading our party is the person who was working for the chief lobbyist of Freddie Mac. Freddie Mac was paying Speaker Gingrich $1.6 million at the same time Freddie Mac was costing the people of Florida millions upon millions of dollars." —Governor Mitt Romney

This Morning, Gingrich Said He Wants to Help the "Housing Situation" in Florida:

Gingrich: "I Want to Continue to Focus on Jobs, Getting The Economy Going Again, and Helping the Housing Situation Which is so Really, Really Difficult Here in Florida." (Fox News' "Fox & Friends," 1/24/12)

Watch the Clip: http://mi.tt/vYUZXq

Yet Gingrich Was Paid at Least $1.6 Million by Freddie Mac's Lobbyists to Aid their Lobbying Agenda:

Newt Gingrich Reportedly was Paid Between $1.6 Million And $1.8 Million by Freddie Mac. "Newt Gingrich made between $1.6 million and $1.8 million in consulting fees from two contracts with mortgage company Freddie Mac, according to two people familiar with the arrangement." (Clea Benson and John McCormick, "Gingrich Said to Be Paid About $1.6 Million By Freddie Mac," Bloomberg, 11/16/11)

"It Appears He was Being Paid to Aid Freddie Mac's Lobbying Agenda." "[Gingrich's] Freddie Mac work gives off a whiff of lobbying, according to the contract he just released. Specifically, the Freddie Mac executive who hired Gingrich was not the CEO, nor the VP for operations, or the VP for communications, but Craig Thomas, the VP for Public Policy — that is, the head of Freddie Mac's lobbying operations. Thomas was a registered lobbyist at the time. ... So, Gingrich may or may not have made lobbying contacts on Freddie's behalf, but it appears he was being paid to aid Freddie Mac's lobbying agenda." (Timothy P. Carney, "Gingrich Worked For Freddie Mac's Lobby Shop," The Washington Examiner, 1/23/12)

PolitiFact Rated The Claim that Gingrich's Contract was with "The Lobbyists at Freddie Mac" as True. "Romney said Newt Gingrich's contract was with 'the lobbyists at Freddie Mac.' ... The primary point of contact on the contract was one of Freddie's lobbyists. We rate Romney's statement True." (Angie Drobnic Holan, "Mitt Romney Says Newt Gingrich's Contract Was With Freddie Mac's Lobbyists," PolitiFact.com, 1/24/12)

Florida Families and Homeowners have Suffered During the Housing Crisis:

One in Every 360 Housing Units in Florida is in Foreclosure. "In interviews across Florida over the last several days, likely Republican primary voters echoed sentiments similar to Mr. Brandon's, indicating that in a state where one in every 360 housing units is in foreclosure, and where the economy is lagging behind much of the rest of the nation, Mr. Romney's business background could serve him well because of perceptions that he might have a better sense of how the economy works than his Republican rivals." (Susan Saulny, "As Race Moves To Florida, Facing Political Implications Of A Housing Crisis," The New York Times, 1/24/12)

Florida Had the Seventh-Highest Foreclosure Rate in the Nation in 2011. "Likewise, Florida had the seventh-highest foreclosure rate in 2011, with 2.06 percent, according to RealtyTrac."(Danielle Kurtzleben, "Obama Faces Challenge In A Battered Florida," U.S. News, 1/24/12)

"Over The Last Four Years, Florida has Consistently Been Among The Top Four States in Foreclosures." (Huma Khan, "Florida Primary: Mitt Romney Focuses On Housing Crisis, Attacks Newt Gingrich On Freddie Mac Ties," ABC News, 1/23/12)