C. Madison "Brick" Brewer was a [[United States Department of Justice|DOJ]] official who served as the Project Manager overseeing the installation of [[PROMIS]] software in United States Attorneys' offices, beginning in late January 1982. Prior to this role, Brewer had been the General Counsel for the Institute for Law and Social Research, the predecessor to [[Inslaw Corporation]]. ## Role in the PROMIS Software Scandal Brewer became a central figure in the [[PROMIS Software Scandal]] due to allegations of bias against [[INSLAW]] and its president, [[Bill Hamilton]]. Inslaw claimed that Brewer's actions were motivated by a personal vendetta, stemming from his earlier departure from the Institute. This alleged bias, according to Inslaw, led to a series of engineered or exploited contract disputes between Inslaw and the DOJ. Bankruptcy Judge Bason, in his findings, concluded that Brewer was "consumed by hatred for and an intense desire for revenge against INSLAW," and that Brewer's actions were part of a strategy to ruin Inslaw. Judge Bason also found that Brewer's bias influenced other DOJ personnel responsible for the Inslaw contract. However, an investigation by Special Counsel Nicholas J. Bua found no evidence to support the claim that Brewer's actions were driven by a desire for revenge. The investigation concluded that Brewer's concerns about Inslaw were based on his assessment of Inslaw's conduct in connection with the 1981 BJS contract and the 1982 EOUSA contract, and not due to his departure from the Institute. Brewer candidly stated that he believed Hamilton was dishonest and that Inslaw did not intend to fulfill some of its contractual obligations. ## Key Events and Allegations: * **PROMIS Implementation Contract (1982):** Brewer began his duties at the EOUSA in January 1982, shortly before the PROMIS implementation contract with Inslaw was signed in March 1982. He attended some of the negotiating sessions for the contract. * **Early Proprietary Rights Disputes:** In April 1982, Brewer strongly opposed Inslaw's claims of proprietary rights over its PROMIS software, particularly regarding "PROMIS 82." He viewed Inslaw's assertions as "scurrilous" and maintained that the five BJS enhancements were in the public domain, despite Inslaw's claims of private funding. * **Advance Payments Dispute:** Brewer was reportedly "extremely angry" upon learning that Inslaw had obtained commercial financing after representing that it could not, which was a violation of the advance payments clause in their contract. He supported the termination of advance payments, believing Inslaw had been dishonest. * **Alleged Conspiracy to Steal PROMIS:** Inslaw alleged that Brewer, along with others, conspired to steal PROMIS for the benefit of [[Earl Brian]]. The Special Counsel's investigation found no credible evidence to support this allegation, concluding that Brewer's actions were consistent with protecting the government's interests. * **Inslaw Bankruptcy Conversion:** Inslaw alleged that Brewer was involved in a plot to convert Inslaw's Chapter 11 reorganization to a Chapter 7 liquidation. Bankruptcy Judge Bason found that Brewer originated this plan and enlisted [[Thomas Stanton]], Director of the Executive Office of U.S. Trustees (EOUST), in the effort. However, the Special Counsel's investigation found insufficient evidence to support this claim, noting that Brewer and Stanton denied any such discussions. ## Sources: * U.S. Department of Justice. *Report of Special Counsel Nicholas J. Bua to the Attorney General of the United States Regarding the Allegations of Inslaw, Inc.* March 1993. (Hereafter, "Bua Report")