Apart from his lobbying in Congress, Abramoff raised at least $100,000 for President Bush's 2004 re-election effort, making him a "Pioneer". So how credible is White House spokesman Scott McClellan's remark, "the President does not know [Abramoff], nor does the President recall ever meeting him"?
According to Texans for Public Justice, the Bush administration seems to know the 661 Pioneers very well indeed. They and their spouses have been given literally hundreds of lucrative jobs (listed in more detail on this amazing site), from Cabinet posts (2) to ambassadorships (24), plus over a hundred federal contracts totalling over $84 billion in federal 2002 (talk about ROI!)
Maybe some Pioneers are simply more Pioneering than others?