House Ethics Chief Is Tied to Lobby Figures -NYT

[Rose Siding]

Newly disclosed lobbying records and other documents show that the chairman of the House ethics committee, Doc Hastings, a Washington State Republican, has had a close relationship for years with lobbyists at the Seattle-based law firm that is at the center of ethics accusations involving Tom DeLay, the House majority leader.

The records from the law firm, Preston Gates & Ellis, show that the firm's former star lobbyist, Jack Abramoff, a close friend of Mr. DeLay who is now the focus of a federal corruption investigation, boasted to a client in the mid-1990's that the firm had "excellent" ties to Mr. Hastings. The firm repeatedly billed the client for meetings and telephone conversations between Mr. Abramoff's lobbying team and Mr. Hastings's staff.

The records do not show any direct contact between Mr. Hastings and Mr. Abramoff; the contacts were always with others in Mr. Abramoff's lobbying operation. The billing records, which were obtained by The New York Times from the Northern Marianas government, do not show that Mr. Hastings introduced any legislation or cast any vote requested by Preston Gates.

But they do show that Preston Gates pressed Mr. Hastings and his staff several years ago for help on behalf of Mr. Abramoff's most important lobbying client at the time, the government of the Northern Mariana Islands, a small American commonwealth in the Pacific, in blocking the imposition of the federal minimum wage on the islands' clothing factories; human rights groups have long described the factories as sweatshops..........

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/08/politics/08ethics.html

[Tigress DEM]

1. Follow the money...

Rethuglikans. One Big Happy Famdamily

[TahitiNut]

2. Doc Hastings is as sleazy as they get.

I lived in his district. It's good ol' boy cronyism in all its glory.

[rustydog]

4. Hey neighbor! I can't stand Hastings, I'd send him letters

and only the the far-right wing response fromhim on every issue. I am so glad I moved to the Seattle area.
That sleaze ball laid low all these years no saying anything, not introducing any legislation to write home about and basicly licking any high-ranking Repubs boots in the hopes of a payback and Delay gave it to him.

[acmavm]

3. Apparently the way to tell if a republican politician is in the vicinity

is by the trail of slime on the ground.

[rustydog]

5. hey, is that a slug trail?

No, Doc Hastings just passed by!

[Robbien]

6. NYT: House Ethics Chief Is Tied to Lobby Figures (sweatshops involved)

By PHILIP SHENON
Published: June 8, 2005

WASHINGTON, June 7 - Newly disclosed lobbying records and other documents show that the chairman of the House ethics committee, Doc Hastings, a Washington State Republican, has had a close relationship for years with lobbyists at the Seattle-based law firm that is at the center of ethics accusations involving Tom DeLay, the House majority leader.

The records from the law firm, Preston Gates & Ellis, show that the firm's former star lobbyist, Jack Abramoff, a close friend of Mr. DeLay who is now the focus of a federal corruption investigation, boasted to a client in the mid-1990's that the firm had "excellent" ties to Mr. Hastings. The firm repeatedly billed the client for meetings and telephone conversations between Mr. Abramoff's lobbying team and Mr. Hastings's staff.

The records do not show any direct contact between Mr. Hastings and Mr. Abramoff; the contacts were always with others in Mr. Abramoff's lobbying operation. The billing records, which were obtained by The New York Times from the Northern Marianas government, do not show that Mr. Hastings introduced any legislation or cast any vote requested by Preston Gates.

But they do show that Preston Gates pressed Mr. Hastings and his staff several years ago for help on behalf of Mr. Abramoff's most important lobbying client at the time, the government of the Northern Mariana Islands, a small American commonwealth in the Pacific, in blocking the imposition of the federal minimum wage on the islands' clothing factories; human rights groups have long described the factories as sweatshops.

more. . .
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/08/politics/08ethics.html

[LightningFlash]

7. Oh my gosh.....

Would somebody please demand the immediate RECUSAL of hastings already and appoint a special counsel?

These crooks sure know how to hang themselves together. No wonder they can't figure out how to investigate!!

http://www.houseofscandal.org

[KT2000]

8. Here is more

Rick Anderson wrote a piece about this in February for the Seattle Weekly:

http://www.seattleweekly.com/features/0508/050223_news_prestongates.php