Arlen Specter: “Similarly, there had been an issue regarding Mr. Griffith's lapsed membership in the District of Columbia bar, which…”

“Similarly, there had been an issue regarding Mr. Griffith's lapsed membership in the District of Columbia bar, which occurred because of an administrative oversight. Excuse me; nothing is as troublesome as a pesky summer cold. Without this cold, my speech would be considerably longer, Mr. President, so there are some advantages, at least, for anyone who may be watching on C-SPAN--if anyone watches C-SPAN during these late afternoon proceedings of the Senate. I ask unanimous consent that a full explanation of the DC Bar membership issue also be printed in the Record. There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows: Tom Griffith: D.C. Bar Membership Facts In 2001, Mr. Griffith discovered that his D.C. Bar membership had been suspended for failing to pay his annual dues. As soon as he became aware of the problem, he paid the dues and was reinstated as a bar member in good standing. Mr. Griffith accepts full responsibility for the oversight, and he brought the lapse in his membership to the attention of the Senate Judiciary Committee in his questionnaire. Having worked as an attorney at a large D.C. law firm from 1991-1995, Mr. Griffith became accustomed to the firm's practice of paying its attorney's bar dues. When Mr. Griffith became Senate Legal Counsel, he was late in paying his 1997 D.C. Bar dues, and as a result, was suspended from the D.C. Bar for approximately five weeks. As soon as Mr.…”