ChiptBeef wrote: Forum Garden rules prohibit me from posting links to other sites for a time. There is ample evidence on the web from other sites that proves the Democrats have had exposure to, and dealings with Jack Abramoff, yet the liberal media is trying to make it appear to be exclusively a Republican scandal.
A site at "capitaleye.org" shows Democrats and Republicans getting large amounts of donations in 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2006. It shows 105 Democrats and 185 Republicans getting heavy donations during that period.
A site at "freerepublic.com" shows 40 of the 45 members of the Senate Democrat Caucus received donations from Abramoff. A Washinton Post article from June 2, 2005 shows ties between Abramoff and senior-level Democrats. A Washington Times article from December 13, 2005 shows similar ties between Democrats and Abramoff.
I would feel much better about the coverage if it were honest. The corruption is on both sides of the political isle. That's no great revelation. Stop trying to hide the facts. Bring out all the facts and let the chips fall where they may.
With Friends Like These
Rep. Robert Ney faces questions over his connections to Jack Abramoff
Update: Rep. Bob Ney has said he will donate $9,000 in contributions he received from Jack Abramoff to a charity, the Associated Press reported January 4. By Courtney Mabeus
November 21, 2005 | The controversy surrounding former Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff has enveloped several powerful members of Congress, including Tom DeLay. Among those also on the hot seat is Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio), a lawmaker little known outside the beltway who wields considerable influence on Capitol Hill as chairman of the House Administration Committee.
Ney, who is also known as the "mayor" of Capitol Hill because of his committee's jurisdiction over everything from assigning House office space to overseeing lawmakers' expense accounts, has been accused by critics of doing favors for Abramoff's clients in exchange for campaign contributions.
Ney's political committees have received at least $54,000 from Abramoff, his business associates and his former clients since 1994. But despite the questions those contributions have raised, Ney seems determined to hold on to them.
Ney spokesman Brian Walsh said last month there were no plans to return campaign contributions to the lawmaker or his political action committee from Abramoff, his associates or former clients. Walsh also called news reports attempting to link Ney to Abramoff "misleading."
Last month, Sen. Jim Talent (R-Mo.) became one of the first lawmakers to return a contribution from Abramoff since the scandal began. A review of Talent's latest campaign finance report filed with the Federal Election Commission revealed that Talent returned a $2,000 contribution from Abramoff to his 2002 campaign, as well as a $1,000 donation made earlier this year by the political action committee of Greenberg Traurig LLP, Abramoff's former law firm.
Talent's decision followed Abramoff's indictment on wire and mail fraud charges in connection with his 2000 purchase of SunCruz Casinos, a casino boat company that he had formerly represented. Adam Kidan, a business partner, was also indicted.
Ney twice inserted comments in the Congressional Record that related to the SunCruz deal. Ney's first comments, submitted prior to the transaction in March 2000, assailed SunCruz's existing owner, Gus Boulis. The second comments, filed after the purchase in October that year, praised Kidan's new leadership. Abramoff's associate, Michael Scanlon, orchestrated the remarks, The Washington Post reported last month.
Months after Ney inserted his second comments, Boulis was murdered in Florida. One of the men arrested in the slaying has been linked to Kidan in news reports.
Ney raised $4,000 in campaign contributions during the 2001-2002 election cycle from individuals associated with SunCruz, including $1,000 from Kidan during that year. Kidan also contributed $1,000 to Ney in 2000.
Ney returned Kidan's money earlier this year after learning more about Kidan's background of bad business deals, Walsh said.
"The congressman just felt that it was the appropriate thing to do," Walsh said on October 27. "We were not aware of Mr. Kidan's background."
Ney has said Abramoff duped him. Walsh denied any connection between Ney and Abramoff, adding that neither Ney nor his staff was aware that Scanlon and Abramoff were working together.
Scanlon, a former aide to DeLay, was charged Friday by the Justice Department with conspiracy to corrupt a U.S. lawmaker, identified only as "Representative A." He is also accused of defrauding his Indian tribe clients.
The Justice Department has not said who Representative A is, but the document filed in court alleges that Scanlon and "Lobbyist A," thought to be Abramoff, gave a lawmaker gifts, meals, trips and campaign contributions in exchange for an agreement to pass legislation, have statements placed in the Congressional Record and promote Scanlon's client's application to provide the House with wireless service. Ney took a golfing trip to Scotland in 2002 that was sponsored by Abramoff. That same year, he also awarded a license to provide cellular service inside the Capitol and surrounding office buildings to a wireless company represented by Abramoff. That company, Foxcom (now MobileAccess) is not listed as a Ney contributor.
Abramoff is also under federal investigation for his dealings with at least six American Indian tribes, which have accused him and Scanlon of bilking them out of millions of dollars in fees. Scanlon went to work with Abramoff at the Washington lobbying shop of Greenberg Traurig in 2002.
From 1998 through 2004, the years that Abramoff represented the tribes, three of them, including the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians and the Saginaw Chippewa contributed at least $19,000 to Ney.
That $19,000 total does not include $5,000 in 2002 to Ney's American Liberty PAC from the Tigua Indian Reservation. Senate lobbying records do not show that the tribe ever hired Abramoff. However, documents released by the committee investigating Abramoff, Senate Indian Affairs, show that in the spring of 2002 he was working on legislative language on behalf of the tribe. During that time, Ney agreed to help insert language into legislation that would have helped the tribe re-open its Texas casino. The provision failed and the language was never included.
The Washington Post reported that Abramoff directed the Tiguas to contribute $32,000 to Ney and his PAC in three installments after the lawmaker agreed to help with the tribe's casino effort. It is unclear how those contributions were made, and as a result, that $32,000 is not included in the $54,000 total from Abramoff, his clients or associates.
Abramoff himself contributed $5,750 to Ney and his PAC between 1999-2000 and 2001-2002 election cycles. That total represents all the money that Abramoff has personally contributed to Ney. The PAC and employees of Greenberg Traurig, where Abramoff worked as a lobbyist from 2001 until his resignation in 2004, contributed $12,985 to Ney during Abramoff's tenure.
Employees of Preston, Gates and Ellis contributed $5,250 to Ney and his PAC while Abramoff worked there from 1994 until 2001. That total includes a $2,000 contribution from Scanlon.
In a related matter, the Associated Press reported Thursday that at least 33 lawmakers received more than $830,000 in Abramoff-related donations between 2001 and 2004 as Abramoff lobbied against a request for a casino by the Jena tribe of Choctaw Indians. The tribe was competing against the Louisiana Coushattas and Mississippi Choctaws, both Abramoff clients. Some of those lawmakers sent letters to the Department of the Interior opposing the tribe's request, many within days of receiving money from Abramoff clients, though those contacted by the AP claimed that the timing and donations were coincidental. Ney's PAC received $8,000 in contributions from the Mississippi Choctaws, all of it during the 2001-2002 and 2003-2004 election cycles. The Hill newspaper reported this month that Ney is setting up a legal defense fund to deal with the fallout over Abramoff. Word about the fund came less than a week after Ney received a Justice Department subpoena to hand over any documents related to Abramoff. Walsh has said he did not believe Ney was being targeted by the investigation.
Thats a nice site, thanks,
Someone asked me why I swear so much. I said, "Just becuss.":)
) from the start and not lied about itWe have term limits. That's undoubtedly the only thing that put him out. I shudder to think the panty-waist response he would have given to 9/11.
