Sanchez, Abramoff, law firm named in second superseding indictment (GUAM)

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Sanchez, Abramoff, law firm named in second superseding indictment


by Mindy Aguon, KUAM News
Wednesday, March 12, 2008


At this time last year KUAM News brought you the in-depth report "The Abramoff Connection: Guam's Paper Trail and the Hiring of Jack Abramoff". In the expose we uncovered a multitude of non-judicial related activities the Superior Court paid for under the guise of a lobbyist contract. And now the Office of the Guam Attorney General has filed new charges not only against a former government official, but the former powerhouse lobbyist and his former law firm.

Despite facing numerous criminal charges, California attorney Howard Hills has been cooperating with local authorities when it comes to his involvement with the Superior Court of Guam. Prosecutor Lewis Littlepage confirmed Hills, "Has been cooperating with us fully, and it's because of his efforts that we've been able to uncover a lot of the information that we have used."

In May 2002 then-Superior Court administrator Tony Sanchez employed Hills and Abramoff to lobby against the Judicial Empowerment Act. But the paper trail showed much more than judicial-related services. In fact, documents obtained by KUAM last year showed billings dating back to 2001, prior to the court's agreement. "A lot of billing that was done for Open Skies, totally unrelated to the agreement that was signed for judicial things," continued Littlepage, "So it appears to us at this point totally improper."

The prosecutor added, "There are some e-mails...that deal with some political issues, yes, and that's beyond the scope of the Judicial Branch."

In a superseding indictment obtained on Tuesday, a Superior Court grand jury not only included additional charges against Sanchez for ordering the more than thirty $9,000 payments totaling $324,000 to circumvent procurement and supplement management policy and procedures of the Judicial Branch, but Abramoff and his former law firm, Greenberg Traurig.

The charges include unlawful influence, theft of property held in trust, misapplication of entrusted funds, theft by deception and conspiracy. Abramoff remains behind bars until 2011 after pleading guilty to fraud and tax evasion for purchasing a fleet of gambling boats. "There are procedures for serving defendants in jail papers, we're looking at those and we'll be doing the service and we'll know more by the time the arraignment comes up," said Littlepage.

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