Abramoff comes to the White House

It was only a matter of time.  The Abramoff Scandal extends throughout the GOP, from the House Majority Leader all the way to the White House.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Jack Abramoff, the GOP lobbyist under investigation by federal authorities for possible fraud, repeatedly sought the help of Bush strategist Ralph Reed to open doors at the White House for his business clients, according to e-mails made public Sunday.

The e-mails show that Abramoff pushed for intervention from deputy White House chief of staff Karl Rove on at least three occasions since 2001 to promote business opportunities.

Reed, former head of the Christian Coalition and a candidate in the 2006 race for Georgia's lieutenant governor, wrote back obliging responses, according to the e-mails obtained by Time magazine. The e-mails are now being reviewed by federal investigators, Time reported.

Gosh, I'm stunned Karl Rove would be associated with these sorts of people.  But, oh, it gets better.

...10 days after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Abramoff promoted a business venture to rent cruise ships to the Federal Emergency Management Agency to house rescue workers off New York City.

Responding to Abramoff's request for help, Reed wrote on Sept. 21, 2001: "Put in a tag call to karl to find out the best contact at fema."

Four months later, Abramoff wrote Reed seeking "serious swat from Karl" in hopes of getting $16 million released by the Justice Department to fund a jail that his Choctaw Indian clients wished to build in Mississippi.

The Choctaws got their jail.  But Reed is playing dumb, stating through his spokeswoman that he does not remember responding to Abramoffs request.  However, further e-mails reveal Reed went to bat for Abramoff to block the nomination of Angela Williams to head of the Office of Insular Affairs:

Williams is the wife of Orson Swindle, former member of the Federal Trade Commission and a Vietnam prisoner of war with Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

Abramoff, not satisfied, responds in a Dec. 5, 2001 e-mail: "Any ideas on how we can make sure she does not get it? Can you ping Karl on this?"

Reed writes back: "i am seeing him tomorrow at the WH and plan to discuss it with him as well."

Williams didn't get the appointment.

File under "Culture of Corruption" and the growing rot of scandals eating George Bush and the Republican Party from the inside out.

*If this is a repetitive diary, my apologies, though I'm sure someone will let me know.

•  Fitzmas again!

  Wow, this is bigger than Fitzmas, this is a rollocking Fitzmahanukwanzukah!!

  Alas, the Virgin Mobile flash site (from 2003) isn't playing, but here's a link to the story.

  The Music Room.

  by madhaus on Sun Oct 23, 2005 at 10:54:47 PM PDT

  •  I found the movie

    Happy Chrismahanukwaanzakah to You!

    The Music Room.

    by madhaus on Sun Oct 23, 2005 at 11:04:04 PM PDT

    •  Thanks

      I never saw this - very funny. :-) Did it ever really air?

      by A Rational Being on Mon Oct 24, 2005 at 07:11:57 AM PDT

•  I do not doubt that Rove was also

  involved with Abramoff.  They speak the same language.  Does anybody know if the two investigations (Abramoff and Treasongate) will or can share evidence.  I am sure they must involve the same people.  I cannot imaging that DeLay got to keep all of the big piles of money that Abramoff pushed his way.  I think that there must have been money all around and Bush is famous for getting his share.

  Of course, I do not want anything whatsoever to derail either of these two investigations and it seems possible that commingling the investigations could do just that.

  by macmcd on Sun Oct 23, 2005 at 10:57:56 PM PDT

  •  It's been there all along

    Just listen to Jack:

    Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff bragged two years ago that he was in contact with White House political aide Karl Rove on behalf of a large, Bermuda-based corporation that wanted to avoid incurring some taxes and continue receiving federal contracts, according to a written statement by President Bush's nominee to be deputy attorney general.

    Timothy E. Flanigan, general counsel for conglomerate Tyco International Ltd., said in a statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee last week that Abramoff's lobbying firm initially boasted that Abramoff could help Tyco fend off a special liability tax because he "had good relationships with members of Congress," including House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.).

    This article, also from the WaPo, details the blooming scandals all around:

    Beyond the short-term problems, Republicans are particularly anxious about the sprawling investigations of conservative lobbyist Jack Abramoff, whose business and political dealings regularly brought him into contact with dozens of lawmakers and top White House officials. Among insiders, he was one of the most familiar faces among the generation of operatives and lobbyists who came of age when Republicans took control of Congress after the 1994 elections.

    The Music Room.

    by madhaus on Sun Oct 23, 2005 at 11:07:21 PM PDT

    •  My next questions is: Would two different

      grand juries or prosecutors be investigating the same person for two separate criminal enterprises or would the individual become the target of one of the investigatory agencies for all of the criminal acts he has been involved in?

      by macmcd on Mon Oct 24, 2005 at 08:53:45 AM PDT

•  There are many connections between Jack and the WH

  In some ways the Time article is spin, designed to demonstrate that Jack had a hard time getting to Rove. I doubt it, but I do believe that there were times when Jack needed help to jump to the front of the graft line.

  I've outline some in past dairies like New Bush-Abramoff-DeLay connections and $25K to Grover gets face time with Bush.

  And then there is the scandal involving the role Jack and his WH connections played in demoting a U.S. attorney in Guam who was investigating him.

  Jack is the key. So far, I think he is connected to over 25 separate GOP scandals...
  

  by dengre on Mon Oct 24, 2005 at 06:36:17 AM PDT

  •  The criminality is so pervasive that

    it seems like it would be overwhelming even to a hero like Fitzgerald.  Are there any Republicans who are untainted by corruption.  Perhaps there is no Republican left with integrity who can say, "Mr. President, it is time to resign for the good of the country and for the good of the party."  Whew, can you imagine the eruption that will occur when that happens if there is any Republican left to do it.  I am practically giddy just thinking about it.

    by macmcd on Mon Oct 24, 2005 at 09:00:19 AM PDT