British lawyers linked to $1m payment for favours at US Congress

[Judi Lynn]

British lawyers linked to $1m payment for favours at US Congress
By Philip Sherwell in Washington and David Harrison in London
(Filed: 08/01/2006)

A British law firm is at the centre of the investigation into America's biggest influence-buying scandal in decades.

The London-based solicitors, James & Sarch, channelled $1 million (£565,000) into a conservative United States pressure group linked to Jack Abramoff, the disgraced lobbyist.

The firm, which was dissolved in 2000, made the payment by a single cheque in June 1998 to the US Family Network, a now-defunct organisation that had close ties to the embattled Republican Congressman, Tom DeLay, and was largely funded by groups associated with Abramoff.

The revelations that the $1 million is thought to have originated from Russian oil and gas executives seeking to shape US legislation have fuelled pressure for a shake-up in the Republican leadership in Congress.
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/01/08/wus08.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/01/08/ixnewstop.html

[maddezmom]

1. duplicate

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=2028123