Inquiries of Top Lobbyist Shine Unwelcome Light in Congress -NYT

[Rose Siding]

Jack Abramoff, one of Washington's most powerful and best-paid lobbyists, needed $100,000 in a hurry.

Mr. Abramoff, known to envious competitors as "Casino Jack" because of his multimillion-dollar lobbying fees from the gambling operations of American Indians, wrote to a Texas tribe in June 2002 to say that a member of Congress had "asked if we could help (as in cover) a Scotland golf trip for him and some staff" that summer. "The trip will be quite expensive," Mr. Abramoff said in the e-mail message, estimating that the bills "would be around $100K or more." He added that in 2000, "We did this for another member - you know who."

Mr. Abramoff did not explain why the tribe should pay for the lavish trip, nor did he identify the congressmen by name. But a tribe spokesman has since testified to Congress that the 2002 trip was organized for Representative Bob Ney, an Ohio Republican and chairman of the House Administration Committee, and that "you know who" was a much more powerful Republican, Tom DeLay of Texas, the House majority leader and old friend of Mr. Abramoff's. Both lawmakers have said they believed that the trips complied with House travel rules.

The e-mail message of June 7, 2002, is part of a mountain of evidence gathered in recent months by the Justice Department, the Interior Department and two Senate committees in influence-peddling and corruption investigations centered on Mr. Abramoff, a former college Republican campaigner turned B-movie producer turned $750-an-hour Washington super-lobbyist.........

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/11/politics/11lobby.html

[truthisfreedom]

1. bwa-hahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaa. delay is such toast! they'll get him out

posthaste and struggle to put a lid on this thing before more thugs get dragged out into the sunlight from their comfortable coffins...

[Kimber Scott]

2. Start the popcorn. The show's about to begin! nt

[UpInArms]

5. plenty around here for everyone

:popcorn::popcorn::popcorn::popcorn::popcorn::popcorn::popcorn::popcorn::popcorn::popcorn::popcorn::popcorn::popcorn::popcorn::popcorn::popcorn::popcorn::popcorn::popcorn::popcorn::popcorn::popcorn::popcorn::popcorn::popcorn::popcorn::popcorn::popcorn::popcorn::popcorn::popcorn::popcorn::popcorn::popcorn::popcorn:

[Skittles]

9. WE NEED POPCORN MACHINES INSTALLED IN OUR HOUSES

the microwave just is NOT cutting it! :D

[Liberty Belle]

3. What about Ney? What else do folks here know about him?

[rodeodance]

8. Infor on Boy Ney

http://demopedia.democraticunderground.com/index.php/Bob_Ney

[Lori Price CLG]

4. Delay is so screwed that the *light* from screwed...

...is going to take ten billion years to reach the earth.

Cheers,
Lori Price

[BringEmOn]

6. What did Sarah do when she was on her period?

Jack Abramoff Gen 51:1

[Alizaryn]

7. Great article. Thanks for sharing.

[radfringe]

10. the final "straw" for DeLay

it won't be the Dems, or "librul" or even the bushies that takes DeLay down

It will be DeLay's own "hammer" hitting himself in the head.

The pressure is mounting, and DeLay's pressure safety valve is on a very low setting. He's going to make some stupid remark in response to a question and implode.

[Paula Sims]

11. Faster than a New York minute

do these guys turn on each other and eat their young. Talk about cowards! I think we might get whiplash watching the blame being tossed around. The question is, will DeLay go down fighting and expose the skeletons in others' closets?

Paula

[dbt]

12. Hey, Hey Paula: Welcome to DU!

[seemslikeadream]

13. Inquiries of Top Lobbyist Shine Unwelcome Light in Congress - Abramoff

Published Monday, April 11, 2005

By PHILIP SHENON
New York Times

WASHINGTON, April 10 - Jack Abramoff, one of Washington's most powerful and best-paid lobbyists, needed $100,000 in a hurry.

Mr. Abramoff, known to envious competitors as "Casino Jack" because of his multimillion-dollar lobbying fees from the gambling operations of American Indians, wrote to a Texas tribe in June 2002 to say that a member of Congress had "asked if we could help (as in cover) a Scotland golf trip for him and some staff" that summer. "The trip will be quite expensive," Mr. Abramoff said in the e-mail message, estimating that the bills "would be around $100K or more." He added that in 2000, "We did this for another member - you know who."

Mr. Abramoff did not explain why the tribe should pay for the lavish trip, nor did he identify the congressmen by name. But a tribe spokesman has since testified to Congress that the 2002 trip was organized for Representative Bob Ney, an Ohio Republican and chairman of the House Administration Committee, and that "you know who" was a much more powerful Republican, Tom DeLay of Texas, the House majority leader and old friend of Mr. Abramoff's. Both lawmakers have said they believed that the trips complied with House travel rules.

The e-mail message of June 7, 2002, is part of a mountain of evidence gathered in recent months by the Justice Department, the Interior Department and two Senate committees in influence-peddling and corruption investigations centered on Mr. Abramoff, a former college Republican campaigner turned B-movie producer turned $750-an-hour Washington super-lobbyist.
more
http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050411/ZNYT02/504110384

[SpiralHawk]

14. "You know who."

Yes, we know who -- another corrupt Republican politician, Tom Delay.