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or There Was A Crooked Man Who Walked a Crooked Mile
(April 30, 2007)
When we were young, we learned little rhymes that seemed to mean nothing. It was during that period of time that we also learned that our country meant everything. The United States was a beacon of freedom and justice in a world that needed a leader. The USofA was everything that the world wanted, people wanted to live here, work here, raise their children here and make their fortunes here.
Jack Abramoff made a fortune in this country and it appears that much of Mr. Abramoff’s money was not very legitimate. Jack was born on February 28, 1958, was a political lobbyist, a Republican political activist and a central figure in a series of high-profile political scandals. Jack founded, with Tom DeLay, the K Street Project and had a group of followers that were called “Team Abramoff.”
The House Committee on Governmental Reform released a report on September 29, 2006, detailing contacts between the White House and Jack Abramoff and his lobbyists, as well as exchanges with Grover Norquist and Ralph Reed.
This report also named Susan Ralston, Special Assistant to Karl Rove, as having requested and received events tickets from Abramoff on several occasions. She resigned on October 6, 2006.
In order to understand, we have to start with one of Jack Abramoff’s business associates, Michael Scanlon. On November 21, 2005, in Federal Court, Mr. Scanlon pleaded guilty to conspiring to corrupt public officials and defraud clients; clearing the way for his cooperation in an investigation of Jack Abramoff. Also, under the plea agreement, Scanlon was to repay $19.6 million to his former Indian tribe lobbying clients.
Jack Abramoff pleaded guilty on January 3, 2006, in a Washington, D.C. Federal Court to three criminal felony counts related to the defrauding of American Indian tribes and corruption of public officials. The next day, January 4, 2006, he pleaded guilty to two additional criminal felony counts in a separate Federal Court in Miami, related to his fraudulent dealings with SunCruz Casinos.
On March 29, 2006, Abramoff was sentenced to five years and 10 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution of more than $21 million to his former Indian tribe lobbying clients.
On March 31, 2006, Team Abramoff lobbyist and Tom DeLay staffer, Tony Rudy pleaded guilty to conspiracy related to bribery involving Ohio Congressman Bob Ney and Texas Congressman Tom DeLay, who was at that time the Republican House Majority Speaker.
Four days later, on April 4, 2006, Tom DeLay announced his resignation from Congress.
Jack’s family ties extended to a few really shady characters. On May 1, 2006, Jack’s partner and co-owner of the SunCruz Casinos, Adam Kidan told authorities that John Gurino killed Konstantinos "Gus" Boulis (the former SunCruz owner who Jack and Adam still owed $23 million). The John Gotti mob-connected Gurino was said to have been shot to death by a business partner. Gurino wasn't part of the investigation before Kidan gave authorities the name.
By May 8, 2006, Ney's former Chief of Staff, Neil Volz pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy, including wire fraud and violating House rules, It appears that he was conspiring to corruptly influence Ney’s official actions by showering him with gifts and trips.
One of the trips that really caught the attention of prosecutors was in the summer of 2002. Abramoff arranged and paid for a golfing trip to Scotland for Ney; David H. Safavian, then chief of staff at the General Services Administration; and former Christian Coalition leader Ralph Reed. Mr. Ney said that he had gone so that he could observe the Scottish parliament in action. It’s a shame he did not check to see if they were in session, as the Scottish parliament was taking a break while he was there.
A federal jury found former White House aide David H. Safavian guilty on June 20, 2006, of lying and obstructing justice, making him the highest-ranking government official to be convicted in the ever-expanding scandal involving convicted former lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
Mr. Safavian was convicted of covering up his many efforts to assist Abramoff in acquiring two properties controlled by the GSA, and also of concealing facts about that lavish Scottish weeklong golfing trip.
Roger Stillwell, who worked for the Office of Insular Affairs, part of the US Department of Interior, was the desk officer in charge of the Northern Mariana Islands. Stillwell was charged with "falsely certifying that he did not receive reportable gifts" from Jack Abramoff and on August 11, 2006, pled guilty to a misdemeanor charges.
After proclaiming his innocence for months, on September 22, 2006, Bob Ney pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy and making false statements. In his appearance before Judge Ellen S. Huvelle, he calmly acknowledged his guilt as Huvelle read a long list of favors Ney and Abramoff had done for each other. "That's accurate, Your Honor," Ney repeated again and again.
One could hope that with the New Year of 2007 there would be no more to this saga, but alas, it continues.
On February 26, 2007, William Heaton, the former Chief of Staff to Ohio Congressman Bob Ney, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit fraud, admitting to "conspiring with Ney, Abramoff and others to accept pricey vacations, meals, drinks, golf outings, tickets to entertainment events and contributions to Ney's campaign in exchange for actions by the congressman that benefitted Abramoff's clients," none of whom lived in Ohio, the congressman's state.
On March 23, 2007, J. Steven Griles, formerly the interior department's number two official, pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice in the Senate investigation of the Abramoff scandal, the top Bush administration official to do so. Griles was also asked to testify before the Senate Indian Affairs Committee in the 2005 investigation of the Abramoff scandal. Abramoff's private emails indicated that Griles had pledged to use his authority to block a casino which Abramoff was lobbying against.
It also appears that Griles was involved with donations made to Council of Republicans for Environmental Advocacy, run by his friend Italia Federici.
The latest domino in this long chain was Mark Zachares. He is a former Congressional aide to Alaska Representative Don Young and a lobbyist who, on April 24, 2007, pleaded guilty to accepting tens of thousands of dollars in gifts from lobbyist Jack Abramoff in return for using his position in Congress to advance Abramoff's interests.
The walls of this house have crumbled beneath the weight of corruption and it appears that we may not even be seeing light at the end of the tunnel. How many more government officials, elected or appointed, have been putting their own criminal self-enrichment before the best interests of their country and their constituents?
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