Real Reason Why Judd Gregg Withdrew His Name - TPM Report

[BlueCaliDem]

Report: Staffer Who Got Gifts From Team Abramoff Was Gregg Aide
By Zachary Roth - February 4, 2009, 2:50PM

Last week, when Todd Boulanger pleaded guilty to his role in the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal, he cited a Staffer F in his plea. That staffer had received tickets to hockey and baseball games (with champagne and filet mignon provided, in the latter case) from Boulanger and Team Abramoff.

And today the Associated Press reports that Staffer F is Kevin Koonce, a former legislative director for New Hampshire GOP senator Judd Gregg.

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/kevin_koonce/

This would have undoubtedly come up during the confirmation hearings. Gregg's got Abramoff stench all over him.

[eleny]

1. eyoops!

[Numba6]

21. nah, this happened days ago ... it's just a Valentine's Day

Just a Valentine's Day Kiss Off

[NashVegas]

2. Suddenly, I'm Wondering If There's a Strategy At Work Here

Keep nominating the most corrupt, make them go through the vetting process and come out publicly embarrassed when their shit's exposed.

[BlueCaliDem]

4. There's a method in that madness. I can't believe Pres. Obama's vetting

is so poor!

Your theory sounds very plausible since Obama had promised to "clean up Washington" remember?

[burythehatchet]

9. a functioning government would be more helpful, so I hope people do not back into

thinking this was some strategic play by anyone other than Gregg.

[ColbertWatcher]

12. LOL! That's what politics is for! n/t

[zbdent]

23. right ... that's really helping Obama ...

"Gee, Saddam Hussein Osama's nominated yet another tax cheat! This guy can't get one thing right! Is there a Democrat who HAS PAYED HIS TAXES???"

Yeah, that image, played constantly to the media, really helps Obama's image ...

:eyes:

[Jim__]

3. If that's true it really sucks.

Gregg is taking a shot at Obama's policies on the way, and that is chickenshit. I hope Obama is learning. Don't trust these bastards.

[Jane Austin]

5. Why do you think he trusts them?

He wasn't born yesterday.

[maddezmom]

6. I posted this on another thread a bit more info

I wonder if any of the Abramoff stuff is coming back to haunt him
And finally this week, as if tax-avoiding federal appointees weren’t bad enough for Obama, it looks like his pick for Commerce Secretary, Judd Gregg, also has some skeletons in his closet. Well, actually that closet belongs to his former aide, Kevin Koonce. Koonce received all sorts of gifts from Abramoff and his staff, including front-row tickets to a hockey game, meals, drinks, and other tickets to a baseball game. In exchange, Abramoff received special favors in spending legislation. The total value of these gifts exceeded the ten thousand dollar mark. But this staffer isn’t the only bad apple from Gregg’s group. Gregg's former chief of staff, Joel Maioli, was reported to have been involved in another Abramoff-related shenanigan. Former Republican State Committee executive director, and convicted phone jammer, Chuck McGee, has claimed under oath that Maiola personally delivered checks totaling $15,000 from the Mississippi Choctaw and Agua Calienti tribes to the New Hampshire Republican State Committee office a week before the 2002 election. Both of these tribes were clients of Abramoff. Abramoff, who was once a top GOP lobbyist, is now in prison and has cooperated with the Justice Department to help convict more than a dozen people, including former Representative Bob Ney from Ohio, former Deputy Interior Secretary Steven Griles, and a number of former lobbyists and Capitol Hill aides.

http://www.ringoffireradio.com/blogengine/?tag=/goleftt...

Former Gregg staffer caught up in Abramoff corruption probe
By Associated Press
Wednesday, February 4, 2009 - Added 8d 3h ago


E-mail Printable (0) Comments Text size Share (0) Rate
WASHINGTON — A former congressional aide to Commerce Secretary-nominee Judd Gregg has been caught up in a long-running investigation into a lobbying scandal.

A person familiar with the case confirmed today that "Staffer F" in court documents is Kevin Koonce, who worked as legislative director in Gregg’s Senate office from 2002-04. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the case is still under investigation.

Staffer F was cited in a guilty plea last week by Todd Boulanger, a former deputy to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. In federal court, Boulanger admitted he plied the staffer with front-row tickets to a hockey game and other tickets to a baseball game, and in exchange received favors in spending legislation.


more:http://www.bostonherald.com/news/us_politics/view/2009_... /

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=8192370&mesg_id=8192419

[malaise]

7. So why has no one on M$Greedia made the connections

Why am I hearing Rushican talking points about the census.

[BlueCaliDem]

10. I'm watching Countdown right now, and he nor Howard Fineman have

mentioned it either. Strange, since this report's been out since last week! What's up with that? :shrug:

[maddezmom]

14. another interesting blog post...read the whole thing.

Should Read Muriel Kane More Often
February 6, 2009, 1:55PM


I had already read the TPM pieces on the New Hampshire phone jamming in 2002.

I read the TPM piece about the AP identifying Sen Gregg's staffer Kevin Koonce receiving gifts from Abramoff's guy Boulanger.

I read the TPM comments section identifying Sen Gregg's COS Joel Maiola as delivering the Abramoff/Indian checks to the NH State Committee.

Then, I read Raw Story's Muriel Kane's piece on Timothy Flanigan.

Kane's piece was asking why Flanigan, one of the White House's top guys on torture and Homeland Security, would suddenly be expendable and shipped off to Tyco. And, why would Tyco really need Abramoff when Flanigan was a White House insider who knew everybody. I've been trying to find out.

I think everybody already knows the basic Abramoff lobbying for Tyco story, so I won't repeat it. But, it's interesting where part of the story ended-up - in New Hampshire.

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/mac2151/2009/02/i-should-read-muriel-kane-more.php

[stillcool]

8. I read about that maybe a week ago.

Don't know if it would come up. Who in D.C. wants to talk about Abramoff?

[BlueCaliDem]

13. Well, corporate media is all a-buzz that this is somehow Pres. Obama's

failure. I mean, HUH??

The fact is, they're playing it as if they're in the dark themselves and it's some kind of mystery or something, although I'm not seeing it on Countdown either where I would think Keith would mention it.

Without any evidence, however, they're reporting that President Obama failed at being bipartisan, and it's been that way ALL DAY. I mean, come ON! It's HIS fault now?

Unbelievable.

[maddezmom]

15. I think Abramoff is still news...maybe more people to be indicted?

Cochran Aide To Abramoff Crony: Why No Hebrew National Hotdogs?
By Zachary Roth - February 11, 2009, 3:41PM
We've told you about Ann Copland, the former aide to Mississippi GOP senator Thad Cochran, who, according to court documents, accepted tickets to ball-games, concerts, and other events from Abramoff crony Todd Boulanger, in return for getting Cochran to take actions benefiting Abramoff's clients.

Well today the Associated Press offers some more great details about how things worked between Copland and Boulanger.

In June 2003, Copland emailed Boulanger from a suite a luxury suite at Baltimore's Camden Yards, where she had taken a group to watch an Orioles game:

"Ackkk. Only beer and no Hebrew National hot dogs," complained Copland.

Ackkk indeed.

more: http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/02/cochran_aide_to_abramoff_crony_why_no_hebrew_natio.php

[calimary]

11. I think this is one reason, but not the only one.

Probably couldn't get over being pissed at having the Census business yanked out of his jurisdiction. And seeing how the numbers were stacking up about the stimulus/jobs bill, probably preferred to cast a "no" vote with all his "nice, loyal-opposition, post-partisan," FUCKING TRAITOROUS AND ANTI-AMERICAN partisans.

Sorry. I'm a Dixie Chick. Not ready to make nice. Not NEAR ready. As the days go by, I see only more and more evidence why I should never be ready to make nice with these people.

They are The Enemy. Nothing post-partisan about any of 'em. Barack - Give It UP!!!

[BlueCaliDem]

16. Oh, I believe that's the straw that broke the Rushpublican's back all right

although Gregg lobbied hard for the Commerce position and vowed to support and embrace the President's policies, but can you imagine the scandal that could erupt if this Abramoff crap is brought forward during the confirmation hearings for all the world to see?

Corporate media wouldn't have any excuses to NOT report on this.

Oh, and no apology is necessary. We have every right to be fucking angry. There, now I'm "guilty" too.:toast:

[2Design]

18. not ready to make nice either n/t

[rocktivity]

17. That certainly makes more sense than Gregg's losing power over the census

But my theory is that he was too scared that the stimulus might work.

:headbang:
rocknation

[KoKo]

19. HA! I always saw Judd Gregg's preening face up there trashing and voting against Dem Bills...

that's why I couldn't believe it when Obama nominated him to head Commerce Dept.

I figured there was some skullduggery with Gregg just like the rest of his "front faced cohorts."

So...Obama nominates Gregg and Gregg is dirty...

OBAMA is CLEANING THEM OUT...One by ONE! GOOD ON OBAMA! Nominate the ones the "Powers that Be" tell you that you MUST NOMINATE...and then let both the LEFT & RIGHT...GO AT 'EM and force them to RESIGN..when BAD INFO COMES OUT.

OH...OBAMA...YOU CLEVER FOX! :D GOOD! It's what we hoped for when we voted for you...

[unblock]

20. completely wrong. this story is old news.

more recent news is that obama was able to get the support of 3 repug senators. that made gregg's senate seat that much more important to the repugs. they couldn't risk leaving it to a repug appointee who would have a big challenge in 2010.

[BlueCaliDem]

22. Maybe "old" but not widely known since even the media don't even know

the reason other than what Robert Gibbs said in a statement {irreconcilable philosophical differences}.

Just imagine if you were Gregg and this came up during the confirmation hearing with all the press watching you, airing it LIVE. How will the media be able to continue to ignore this connection while having pontificated elaborately about Sen. Obama's "pallin' around" with Bill Ayers when there was no "there" there? How will Gregg look if this aspersion is cast on his character?

Politics is all about show. Reputations stand and fall with how the media sells you to the public. I don't think the TPM reason is the exclusive reason, but I do believe it was the biggest and most detrimental to Gregg's future career.

[indepat]

24. May Abramhoff's stench forevermore emanate from Judd Gregg's every pore

:P