As reported here, Newsweek outed her on July 17, 2000 as the front person to squelch the AWOL allegations from the Texas National Guard:
Here's how Newsweek's Michael Isikoff, on July 17, 2000, described her initial foray in the morass of Bush's Guard service:
The Bushies' concern began while he was running for a second term as governor. A hard-nosed Dallas lawyer named Harriet Miers was retained to investigate the issue; state records show Miers was paid $19,000 by the Bush gubernatorial campaign. She and other aides quickly identified a problem--rumors that Bush had help from his father in getting into the National Guard back in 1968. Ben Barnes, a prominent Texas Democrat and a former speaker of the House in the state legislature, told friends he used his influence to get George W a guard slot after receiving a request from Houston oilman Sid Adger. Barnes said Adger told him he was calling on behalf of the elder George Bush, then a Texas congressman. Both Bushes deny seeking any help from Barnes or Adger, who has since passed away. Concerned that Barnes might go public with his allegations, the Bush campaign sent Don Evans, a friend of W's, to hear Barnes's story. Barnes acknowledged that he hadn't actually spoken directly to Bush Sr. and had no documents to back up his story. As the Bush campaign saw it, that let both Bushes off the hook. And the National Guard question seemed under control.
Keep turning over rocks. No telling what we'll find.
It seems more insidious to me than just cronyism: It may be stacking the Court to rule on all the Republican cases starting to work their way into the system. We already know that Republicans don't recuse from cases they are invested in; e.g., Bush v. Gore or the case over Cheney keeping secret his energy confab attendees and Scalia hunting with Cheney after review was granted, euphemistically called "Duck-Blind Justice" here and here.
The lack of ethics just keeps on coming. Maybe that was why Scalia didn't get the nod for Chief: He's arrogant and got ethical baggage. Now it appears that Miers has baggage, too. $22,000,000 worth.
Goerge Bush has already proved he is oblivious to the credentials of his appointees. He just lucked out with Roberts' confirmation. Miers falls into the black hole of controversial nominees that "Advise and Consent" should reject.