Mark Wallace (politician)
Encyclopedia
Mark D. Wallace is an American businessman, former diplomat and lawyer who has served in a variety of government, political and private sector posts. He served in several positions during the administration of George W. Bush, including as the United States Ambassador
to the United Nations
, Representative for UN Management and Reform.
He is currently the CEO of Tigris Financial Group Ltd. (Tigris) and President of United Against Nuclear Iran
(UANI).
. He began his political career under Florida Governor Jeb Bush
and was active in his election campaigns in 1994, 1998 and 2002.
In 2000 Wallace played a key role working for the Bush-Cheney
legal team in the decisive Florida recount
in 2000 where he served as counsel to the campaign in Florida and was a spokesman for the legal team in various national media outlets.
During the Bush administration from 1999 to 2003 Wallace served in a variety of federal government general counsel positions. At the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA), he oversaw and managed all aspects of the FEMA Office of General Counsel, and acted as counsel to the FEMA-led New York and World Trade Center
recovery effort in the wake of the 2001 September 11 attacks. He also served as the general counsel of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Immigration and Naturalization Service
(INS), during the INS’ transition from the DOJ into the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as part of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 reorganization. After the reorganization Wallace served as the first principal legal advisor to the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and to the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services for the Department of Homeland Security.
In 2003, Wallace joined President George W. Bush’s reelection campaign
as the deputy campaign manager. In addition to his day-to-day responsibilities of assisting in the management of the national campaign, Wallace was the campaign’s lead liaison to the Republican National Convention
, the campaign’s representative in debate negotiations, and led the campaign’s debate team at each of the Presidential and Vice-Presidential debates.
During his tenure as Ambassador to the United Nations, Wallace most notably sought to uncover corruption in UN programs in such places as North Korea
and Burma. He exposed the "Cash for Kim" corruption scandal in North Korea, revealing that the United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP) had funneled millions of dollars in hard currency to North Korea with little assurance that North Korea’s dictatorship would use the money to help the North Korean people instead of diverting it to illicit activities like the country’s nuclear program
. Wallace accused the program of being "systematically perverted for the benefit of the Kim Jong Il regime" and the media drew parallels between UNDP’s corruption in North Korea and the Oil-for-Food scandal
in Iraq
several years earlier. In September 2010, a UN ruling determined that the whistleblower
in the Cash for Kim corruption case had been unjustly fired. The Wall Street Journal wrote the finding "vindicates" Wallace, "who led the charge for transparency at UNDP despite hostility from the media and from Michigan Democrat Carl Levin
, and with very little support at the State Department."
In addition he led the U.S. delegation’s "no" vote against using UN money to pay for the 2009 "Durban II" conference, describing it as "noxious to my country and a disgrace in the International Community." He further opposed the 2008-2009 UN Biennium Budget for its "ad hoc" and "piecemeal" approach that ensured spending increases in the UN general budget that far outpaced the general budget increases of member states.
While at the UN, Wallace also launched the UN Transparency and Accountability Initiative that focused on eight areas of reform related to member states’ access to UN financial documents, ethics, financial disclosure, oversight mechanisms, IPSAS accounting standards and administrative overhead.
Upon his departure from the U.S. State Department, The Wall Street Journal
editorial board compared Wallace to a list of "distinguished" Americans who tried to make the United Nations live up to its original ideals including Daniel Patrick Moynihan
, Jeane Kirkpatrick
and John Bolton
. The opinion piece noted that although Wallace was unpopular with some officials who didn’t want to risk their engagement with North Korea over corruption, "he’s the one who had it right."
and led the debate preparation team for Governor Sarah Palin
. After the debate, The New York Times
commented that Ms. Palin's debate performance against Democrat Joe Biden
"exceeded expectations in this highly anticipated face-off, though those expectations were low after she had stumbled in recent television interviews."
dedicated to prevent Iran
from producing nuclear weapons
. Wallace founded UANI in 2008 alongside former CIA Director R. James Woolsey, the late Richard Holbrooke
and Dennis Ross
, who is currently serving in the Obama administration
.
As President of UANI, Wallace has had op-eds published in The Wall Street Journal
, The Washington Times
, the New York Post
and several other national newspapers. Under his leadership, UANI has succeeded in pressuring such multinational corporations as Huntsman, Caterpillar
and Ingersoll Rand
to end their business dealings in Iran. The organization’s model legislation has also been incorporated into federal bills, including a measure in the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 which requires companies that do business with the U.S. government to certify that they do not conduct business in Iran. Additionally, the proposed Iran Transparency and Accountability Act is based on UANI’s model legislation that requires companies to disclosure their business in Iran to the Securities and Exchange Commission.
, where he received both his Bachelor's and law degrees. He is married to Nicolle Wallace
, a novelist and political commentator who served as President George W. Bush’s communications director and was a senior advisor to Senator John McCain’s 2008 presidential bid.
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, Representative for UN Management and Reform.
He is currently the CEO of Tigris Financial Group Ltd. (Tigris) and President of United Against Nuclear Iran
United Against Nuclear Iran
United Against Nuclear Iran is a non-partisan, non-profit advocacy organization that seeks "to prevent Iran from fulfilling its ambition to become a regional super-power possessing nuclear weapons." Along with other advocacy campaigns, the organization leads efforts to pressure companies to stop...
(UANI).
Political career
Prior to government service, Wallace was a practicing commercial litigation attorney in Miami, FloridaMiami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
. He began his political career under Florida Governor Jeb Bush
Jeb Bush
John Ellis "Jeb" Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. He is a prominent member of the Bush family: the second son of former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush; the younger brother of former President George W...
and was active in his election campaigns in 1994, 1998 and 2002.
In 2000 Wallace played a key role working for the Bush-Cheney
George W. Bush presidential campaign, 2000
This article is about the 2000 presidential campaign of George W. Bush, winner of the 2000 presidential election and re-elected in the 2004 election.See George W. Bush for a detailed biography and information about his presidency, and George W...
legal team in the decisive Florida recount
Florida election recount
The Florida election recount of 2000 was a period of vote re-counting that occurred following the unclear results of the 2000 United States presidential election between George W. Bush and Al Gore, specifically the Florida results. The election was ultimately settled in favor of George W. Bush when...
in 2000 where he served as counsel to the campaign in Florida and was a spokesman for the legal team in various national media outlets.
During the Bush administration from 1999 to 2003 Wallace served in a variety of federal government general counsel positions. At the Federal Emergency Management Agency
Federal Emergency Management Agency
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security, initially created by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1978 and implemented by two Executive Orders...
(FEMA), he oversaw and managed all aspects of the FEMA Office of General Counsel, and acted as counsel to the FEMA-led New York and World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
recovery effort in the wake of the 2001 September 11 attacks. He also served as the general counsel of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Immigration and Naturalization Service
Immigration and Naturalization Service
The United States Immigration and Naturalization Service , now referred to as Legacy INS, ceased to exist under that name on March 1, 2003, when most of its functions were transferred from the Department of Justice to three new components within the newly created Department of Homeland Security, as...
(INS), during the INS’ transition from the DOJ into the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as part of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 reorganization. After the reorganization Wallace served as the first principal legal advisor to the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and to the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services for the Department of Homeland Security.
In 2003, Wallace joined President George W. Bush’s reelection campaign
George W. Bush presidential campaign, 2004
This article is about the presidential campaign of George W. Bush, the former President of the United States and winner of the 2004 Presidential Election. See George W. Bush for a detailed biography and information about his full presidency, and George W. Bush presidential campaign, 2000 for a...
as the deputy campaign manager. In addition to his day-to-day responsibilities of assisting in the management of the national campaign, Wallace was the campaign’s lead liaison to the Republican National Convention
Republican National Convention
The Republican National Convention is the presidential nominating convention of the Republican Party of the United States. Convened by the Republican National Committee, the stated purpose of the convocation is to nominate an official candidate in an upcoming U.S...
, the campaign’s representative in debate negotiations, and led the campaign’s debate team at each of the Presidential and Vice-Presidential debates.
UN Ambassadorship
In 2005 President Bush nominated Wallace to serve in the United States Mission to the United Nations as Ambassador, U.S. representative for UN Management and Reform and Alternative Representative of the United States to Sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations. The Senate confirmed the appointment in 2006.During his tenure as Ambassador to the United Nations, Wallace most notably sought to uncover corruption in UN programs in such places as North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
and Burma. He exposed the "Cash for Kim" corruption scandal in North Korea, revealing that the United Nations Development Programme
United Nations Development Programme
The United Nations Development Programme is the United Nations' global development network. It advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP operates in 177 countries, working with nations on their own solutions to...
(UNDP) had funneled millions of dollars in hard currency to North Korea with little assurance that North Korea’s dictatorship would use the money to help the North Korean people instead of diverting it to illicit activities like the country’s nuclear program
North Korea and weapons of mass destruction
North Korea has declared that it has nuclear weapons and is believed by many to have nuclear weapons. The CIA assesses that North Korea also has a substantial arsenal of chemical weapons...
. Wallace accused the program of being "systematically perverted for the benefit of the Kim Jong Il regime" and the media drew parallels between UNDP’s corruption in North Korea and the Oil-for-Food scandal
Oil-for-Food Programme
The Oil-for-Food Programme , established by the United Nations in 1995 was established with the stated intent to allow Iraq to sell oil on the world market in exchange for food, medicine, and other humanitarian needs for ordinary Iraqi citizens without allowing Iraq to boost its military...
in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
several years earlier. In September 2010, a UN ruling determined that the whistleblower
Whistleblower
A whistleblower is a person who tells the public or someone in authority about alleged dishonest or illegal activities occurring in a government department, a public or private organization, or a company...
in the Cash for Kim corruption case had been unjustly fired. The Wall Street Journal wrote the finding "vindicates" Wallace, "who led the charge for transparency at UNDP despite hostility from the media and from Michigan Democrat Carl Levin
Carl Levin
Carl Milton Levin is a Jewish-American United States Senator from Michigan, serving since 1979. He is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
, and with very little support at the State Department."
In addition he led the U.S. delegation’s "no" vote against using UN money to pay for the 2009 "Durban II" conference, describing it as "noxious to my country and a disgrace in the International Community." He further opposed the 2008-2009 UN Biennium Budget for its "ad hoc" and "piecemeal" approach that ensured spending increases in the UN general budget that far outpaced the general budget increases of member states.
While at the UN, Wallace also launched the UN Transparency and Accountability Initiative that focused on eight areas of reform related to member states’ access to UN financial documents, ethics, financial disclosure, oversight mechanisms, IPSAS accounting standards and administrative overhead.
Upon his departure from the U.S. State Department, The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
editorial board compared Wallace to a list of "distinguished" Americans who tried to make the United Nations live up to its original ideals including Daniel Patrick Moynihan
Daniel Patrick Moynihan
Daniel Patrick "Pat" Moynihan was an American politician and sociologist. A member of the Democratic Party, he was first elected to the United States Senate for New York in 1976, and was re-elected three times . He declined to run for re-election in 2000...
, Jeane Kirkpatrick
Jeane Kirkpatrick
Jeane Jordan Kirkpatrick was an American ambassador and an ardent anticommunist. After serving as Ronald Reagan's foreign policy adviser in his 1980 campaign and later in his Cabinet, the longtime Democrat-turned-Republican was nominated as the U.S...
and John Bolton
John R. Bolton
John Robert Bolton is an American lawyer and diplomat who has served in several Republican presidential administrations. He served as the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations from August 2005 until December 2006 on a recess appointment...
. The opinion piece noted that although Wallace was unpopular with some officials who didn’t want to risk their engagement with North Korea over corruption, "he’s the one who had it right."
2008 U.S. presidential campaign
During the 2008 presidential campaign Wallace was a senior advisor to McCain-Palin 2008John McCain presidential campaign, 2008
John McCain, the senior United States Senator from Arizona, launched his second candidacy for the presidency of the United States in an unsuccessful bid to win the 2008 presidential election. His candidacy, in the works for a number of years, was informally announced on February 28, 2007 during a...
and led the debate preparation team for Governor Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin
Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...
. After the debate, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
commented that Ms. Palin's debate performance against Democrat Joe Biden
Joe Biden
Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. is the 47th and current Vice President of the United States, serving under President Barack Obama...
"exceeded expectations in this highly anticipated face-off, though those expectations were low after she had stumbled in recent television interviews."
Current work
Wallace currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Tigris Group, a New York City-based investment, advisory and asset management firm that focuses on natural resources and the natural resources sector through its related Electrum Group of Companies. In that capacity, he headed the transaction team for Silver Opportunity Partners, to assist with its acquisition of Idaho's historic Sunshine Mine. Regarding that acquisition, Wallace told Bloomberg, "It was no doubt a complicated and risky transaction. Through our expertise, we were able to minimize the risk involved, resolve litigation, and reunite the patchwork and fractured ownership interests that inhibited the mine and limited its value over the last decade.” Wallace also played a key role in securing the necessary regulatory approvals and community support for Cougar Gold's efforts to explore its claims in eastern California’s Bodie Wilderness Study Area. Wallace spoke for Electrum’s Cougar Gold at a February 2011 meeting in California. There, he explained that additional exploratory drilling in the area cannot occur until the Wilderness Study Area designation is removed. In an August 2011 Wall Street Journal article, Wallace described the Bodie dispute as “’the tip of the spear’ in a growing national debate over balancing conservation and resource extraction.”United Against Nuclear Iran
Wallace also serves as President and Chief Executive of United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), a bipartisan non-profit organizationNon-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
dedicated to prevent Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
from producing nuclear weapons
Nuclear program of Iran
The nuclear program of Iran was launched in the 1950s with the help of the United States as part of the Atoms for Peace program. The support, encouragement and participation of the United States and Western European governments in Iran's nuclear program continued until the 1979 Iranian Revolution...
. Wallace founded UANI in 2008 alongside former CIA Director R. James Woolsey, the late Richard Holbrooke
Richard Holbrooke
Richard Charles Albert Holbrooke was an American diplomat, magazine editor, author, professor, Peace Corps official, and investment banker....
and Dennis Ross
Dennis Ross
Dennis B. Ross is an American diplomat and author. He has served as the Director of Policy Planning in the State Department under President George H. W...
, who is currently serving in the Obama administration
Presidency of Barack Obama
The Presidency of Barack Obama began at noon EST on January 20, 2009 when he became the 44th President of the United States. Obama was a United States Senator from Illinois at the time of his victory over Arizona Senator John McCain in the 2008 presidential election...
.
As President of UANI, Wallace has had op-eds published in The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
, The Washington Times
The Washington Times
The Washington Times is a daily broadsheet newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. It was founded in 1982 by Unification Church founder Sun Myung Moon, and until 2010 was owned by News World Communications, an international media conglomerate associated with the...
, the New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
and several other national newspapers. Under his leadership, UANI has succeeded in pressuring such multinational corporations as Huntsman, Caterpillar
Caterpillar Inc.
Caterpillar Inc. , also known as "CAT", designs, manufactures, markets and sells machinery and engines and sells financial products and insurance to customers via a worldwide dealer network. Caterpillar is the world's largest manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas...
and Ingersoll Rand
Ingersoll Rand
Ingersoll-Rand plc is a $13 billion global diversified industrial company founded in 1871. The Ingersoll Rand name came into use in 1905 through the combination of Ingersoll-Sergeant Drill Company and Rand Drill Company...
to end their business dealings in Iran. The organization’s model legislation has also been incorporated into federal bills, including a measure in the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 which requires companies that do business with the U.S. government to certify that they do not conduct business in Iran. Additionally, the proposed Iran Transparency and Accountability Act is based on UANI’s model legislation that requires companies to disclosure their business in Iran to the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Personal life
Wallace attended the University of MiamiUniversity of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
, where he received both his Bachelor's and law degrees. He is married to Nicolle Wallace
Nicolle Wallace
Nicolle Wallace is a best-selling author and political commentator. She previously served as communications chief during the presidency of George W. Bush and in his 2004 re-election campaign...
, a novelist and political commentator who served as President George W. Bush’s communications director and was a senior advisor to Senator John McCain’s 2008 presidential bid.