GOP Group to Donate Abramoff-Related Funds

[Judi Lynn]

GOP Group to Donate Abramoff-Related Funds

By GLEN JOHNSON
The Associated Press
Thursday, January 12, 2006; 3:21 AM

BOSTON -- Days after calling on his party to exhibit higher ethical standards, the chairman of the Republican Governors Association said his group will donate to charity $500,000 in campaign contributions linked to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Gov. Mitt Romney, a potential 2008 presidential candidate, said Wednesday the association will give the money to American Red Cross chapters in five hurricane-ravaged states.

"When influence peddling is alleged, a political institution like the Republican Governors Association wants to be above any possible shadow of complicity," the governor said Wednesday in an interview with The Associated Press.

The move allows Romney and the association to avoid questions about the contributions while they are trying to help Republican governors win elections in 36 states this fall.
(snip/...)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/12/AR2006011200174.html



Mitt

[auburngrad82]

1. This does not exonerate them

The GOP has had a policy of extorting money from lobbyists and groups. Read up on the K Street Project. It was a project started by Newt Gingrich with the help of Tom DeLay and Grover Norquist. They would go to the lobbying firms on K Street and give them an ultimatim: hire Republicans and direct their clients' monies to the GOP or their projects would never make it out of committee.

The corruption started years ago and continues today. Giving the money away does nothing to correct the problem, which is a corrupt GOP. This is what needs to be communicated to the public. The only way to correct the problem is to remove the GOP from power.



http://www.cafepress.com/opposingforces