Gingrich releases his copy of the 2006 contract with Freddie Mac.

 In a story found in Bloomberg, today,  Newt Gingrich released his copy of a contract he had with Freddie Mac in 2006. The GSE does not have that contract.   The institution could not find his earlier contract  (1999 - 2002), either.    Apparently Newt does not have a copy of the contract for that first term of employment, as well.    

One thing that came out in the Bloomberg report was the fact that Newt did not register as a lobbyist,  which is required by law,  and especially (I think) if the agency he is representing is one of the two GSE's. Unless we have reason to believe otherwise,  we must conclude that he was,  in fact, not a lobbyist.  To date,  no one has come forward with anecdotal evidence to the contrary.  I would have thought this would be the case,  if he had worked as lobbyist, de facto or otherwise.   

Whatever the case,  understand that it is not Gingrich who has lost track of the contracts.  While we would think that he would have kept copies as he did in for the second employment cycle at the GSE,  the primary responsibility for producing those docs surely must lay with the agency.  Newt is required to keep track of his tax returns,  and,  apparently,  he has done so.  He is not required to keep copies of contracts that are 10 to 12 years old.  

He did not register as a lobbyist and there is nothing to indicate that he served in that capacity.  

Case closed as far as I am concerned.