Utah company sought help from Bracewell-Giuliani

It isn't every day that a small Utah company needs the services of Rudy Giuliani's law firm.

But a Provo candlemaker, For Every Body, turned for help last year when it had to deal with the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The company wanted to show its products were safe after a customer trying to make the most of a nearly burned-out candle jar watched it break, spill wax and mar a table, said Ken Austin, director of technical service at For Every Body.

He said For Every Body voluntarily reported the woman's complaint and, with help of Giuliani's Houston-based law firm, Bracewell & Giuliani, convinced safety-commission staffers that the candle jars were safe when used properly.

The company, which also makes bath and beauty products, had never dealt with the commission and hired a law firm known to have that experience.

Austin said he worked with the firm's Washington, D.C., office and not with the former New York City mayor and Republican presidential candidate. The company didn't require high-powered influence for a brief encounter with the agency.

"If we could afford Giuliani as a lobbyist, we'd be bigger than 150 employees," he said.

The 400-lawyer firm billed his company a nominal, one-time amount, he said, declining to specify a figure.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission was debating last year whether to adopt fire-safety standards for candles but decided to leave it to the industry.

Giuliani's law firm apparently listed the Utah company as a lobbying client with a stake in the matter, but Austin said the company wasn't involved, leaving deliberations to the National Candle Association.

Giuliani's dealings are coming under scrutiny as his campaign relies on partners and employees of his many business interests for political donations. Giuliani will disclose the broad ranges of his personal net worth in a financial disclosure due Tuesday.