American Notes Lobbyists

For a man credited with brilliantly managing Ronald Reagan's public image, former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Michael K. Deaver is running into flak with his own. Now a Washington lobbyist, Deaver is under investigation for trading on Government contacts built up as an Administration insider. Last week he got a boost from the President, who swore that Deaver "never put the arm on me."

Next day the Wall Street Journal disclosed that in March Deaver sounded out Fred Fielding, the departing White House counsel, about a job with Deaver's firm. At the time, Fielding's office happened to be conducting an inquiry into possible conflict-of-interest violations by Deaver. Fielding was not interested in the job feeler, but he quickly withdrew from the probe.