By ERICA WERNER – 20 hours ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — Two former top Justice Department officials emerged Wednesday as figures in the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal as prosecutors disclosed plans to turn over some of their correspondence to defense attorneys preparing for trial in the case.

The officials are former Solicitor General Paul Clement and David Ayres, one-time chief of staff to former Attorney General John Ashcroft.

Clement and Ayres were among Justice Department officials in e-mail correspondence with Kevin Ring, a former team Abramoff lobbyist and Capitol Hill aide who's facing trial on 10 counts of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, bribery and fraud.

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By Wayne Madsen

Sep 16, 2008, 00:26

(WMR) -- WMR has learned from a senior Democratic congressional source that the Bush family, most notably former President George H. W. Bush, is reaping windfall profits from the transfer of title of public federal and state lands to private hands. The elder Bush, according to our sources, has a vested financial interest in land title companies that specialize in the transfer of public lands to private interests.

The revelations represent the first evidence that the elder Bush has benefited from the transfer of public lands to private hands in a giant scheme to defraud federal and state governments, as well as the American taxpayers and Native Americans.

The land-grabbing scheme primarily involves the transfer of federal lands, including Native American lands and national forest system lands, in the Rocky Mountain West, state lands in Texas, and both federal and state lands in California, Mississippi, and Florida to private entities. The scheme is also at the center of the scandal surrounding jailed GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff who conspired to privatize federal lands and assets around the country to benefit his corporate clients.

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Indictment: Heather Wilson's Office Tied to Abramoff

The Abramoff corruption probe has already snared one GOP Congressman, Bob Ney, and implicated a few more, most prominently Rep. John Doolittle of California. But could there be another to add to the list: Rep. Heather Wilson of New Mexico?

An examination by TPMmuckraker of the indictment of former Jack Abramoff associate Kevin Ring, filed yesterday, suggests that Wilson's office was tied in to Abramoff's corruption network at a level not previously known. And John McCain's 2005 investigation into Abramoff's fleecing of Indian tribes, which McCain conducted as chair of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, made no mention of that fact.

The Ring indictment contains the following statements from prosecutors:

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Former Abramoff lobbyist, Hill aide indicted

27 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — A one-time congressional aide who went on to work with jailed lobbyist Jack Abramoff has been indicted on public corruption charges.

A 10-count federal indictment unsealed Monday charges Kevin Ring, 37, with conspiring with Abramoff to corrupt congressional and executive-branch officials by giving them things of value as a reward for helping Ring and his clients.

Prior to becoming a lobbyist with Abramoff, Ring worked for Rep. John Doolittle, R-Calif., who remains under investigation in the Abramoff probe.

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By EAMON JAVERS | 9/8/08 4:56 AM EST

Abramoff had been one of the financiers of evangelical leader Ralph Reed’s brass-knuckled efforts to defeat McCain in the 2000 South Carolina Republican primary.
Photo: AP

A new book released the day after Sen. John McCain accepted the Republican presidential nomination attacks one of his trademark political successes: his investigation of now-jailed lobbyist Jack Abramoff in 2004 and 2005.

“The Perfect Villain: John McCain and the Demonization of Lobbyist Jack Abramoff,” by former Boston Globe freelancer Gary S. Chafetz and put out by small independent publisher Martin and Lawrence press, aggressively puts forth the case that McCain’s investigation into Abramoff wasn’t the high-minded reform crusade he has made it out to be on the campaign trail, but rather was pure political payback.

Abramoff had been one of the financiers of evangelical leader Ralph Reed’s brass-knuckled efforts to defeat McCain in the 2000 South Carolina Republican primary. Shorly after McCain lost that campaign to Bush, he quit the race.

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Lobbyist Abramoff gets 4 more years in prison

By Donna Smith

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff was sentenced on Thursday to serve four more years in prison in a corruption scandal that rocked Washington's power elite and helped Republicans lose control of Congress.

Abramoff is already serving a nearly six-year term on unrelated charges and the new sentence will be served at the same time, meaning he will not spend any extra time behind bars once his original sentence ends in 2012.

But Abramoff will serve at least four more years in prison, even if his lawyers are successful in getting a reduction in his first sentence on charges of fraud in the purchase of a Florida casino cruise line. When his terms expire, he will have spent nearly six years in prison.

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Palin's Lobbyist Has Abramoff Ties

It looks like Sarah Palin's claim to represent a cleaner brand of politics could be about to take a bruising.

The Washington Post reports today that, while Mayor of Wasilla, Palin oversaw the hiring of a lobbyist, Steven Silver -- a former chief of staff to now-indicted GOP senator Ted Stevens -- to help win federal earmarks for the city.

But Silver appears to have additional ties that could further undercut Palin's image as a squeaky-clean reformer. According to Senate lobbying disclosure reports examined by TPMmuckraker, from 2002 to 2004 Silver listed as a client Jack Abramoff's lobbying firm, Greenberg Traurig. On Greenberg's behalf, Silver lobbied the federal government on "issues relating to Indian/Native American policy," "exploration for oil and gas" and "legislation relating to gaming issues" -- the very issues that Abramoff headed up for Greenberg at the time. In other words, Silver appears to have been a part of "Team Abramoff."

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Justice Dept Seeks Reduced Abramoff Sentence

Since his conviction on fraud and conspiracy charges, former lobbyist Jack Abramoff has spent more than 3,000 hours helping more than 100 law enforcement agents in an ongoing federal corruption probe that has implicated "scores of other persons not yet charged," attorneys said in court filings today.

The Post's James V. Grimaldi reports that the extent of Abramoff's cooperation was described in documents from both prosecutors and defense lawyers. They are seeking leniency from the judges who heard the two cases that landed the Republican influence broker in federal prison in Cumberland, Md.

If a federal judge in Washington accepts the recommendation from the Justice Department, Abramoff would serve no more than another three years and three months in prison, not accounting for credit for good behavior awarded by the Bureau of Prisons. Abramoff's attorneys are seeking even more leniency that could have him released from prison by 2010.

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Justice Dept Seeks Reduced Abramoff Sentence

Since his conviction on fraud and conspiracy charges, former lobbyist Jack Abramoff has spent more than 3,000 hours helping more than 100 law enforcement agents in an ongoing federal corruption probe that has implicated "scores of other persons not yet charged," attorneys said in court filings today.

The Post's James V. Grimaldi reports that the extent of Abramoff's cooperation was described in documents from both prosecutors and defense lawyers. They are seeking leniency from the judges who heard the two cases that landed the Republican influence broker in federal prison in Cumberland, Md.

If a federal judge in Washington accepts the recommendation from the Justice Department, Abramoff would serve no more than another three years and three months in prison, not accounting for credit for good behavior awarded by the Bureau of Prisons. Abramoff's attorneys are seeking even more leniency that could have him released from prison by 2010.

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Related
McCain And Abramoff Linked In New Web Ad

On the campaign trail, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) often touts his work fighting corruption, highlighting the Senate Indian Affairs Committee investigation he led into the Jack Abramoff scandal. In May, he bragged:

I led the Abramoff investigation. I saved the American people — excuse me, not only American people, but native Americans, millions — hundreds of millions — millions and millions of dollars.

In particular, the committee put out a 357-page report on its findings. Mentioned on at least 38 pages is former Christian Coalition director Ralph Reed, who assisted Abramoff in overbilling Indian tribal clients out of millions of dollars.

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Related
Why Didn’t McCain Call Ralph Reed To Testify During Abramoff Investigation?


Tainted

Added: August 14, 2008



VOICEOVER: "On the campaign trail, John McCain claims that he fought to expose Jack Abramoff and his corrupt cronies..."

MCCAIN: "And I led the investigation."

VOICEOVER: "It was a scandal that rocked the country, linking all the way to the Bush White House and Republicans in Congress, sending two former Republican Congressmen to prison.

"But, now, desperate to raise campaign cash to run more negative attack ads, John McCain is cozying up to Jack Abramoff's cronies.

"Ralph Reed, a key business partner of Jack Abramoff helped the convicted former Republican lobbyist launder 2 million dollars through a front group to finance a gambling campaign.

"Now, Ralph Reed has signed up to raise money for John McCain. Reed has even been appointed to McCain's Victory 2008 Team.

"Ralph Reed's murky connections to Jack Abramoff run so deep, it cost him a race for Lt. Governor in Georgia.

"While most people now see Ralph Reed as a tainted man raising tainted money, John McCain sees him as a source of campaign cash.

"John McCain -- more of the same old politics.

The New York Times

August 14, 2008

In Split Role, McCain Adviser Is Sometimes a Lobbyist

By MICHAEL COOPER

When Senator John McCain led a Senate investigation three years ago of Jack Abramoff, the disgraced lobbyist who later pleaded guilty to fraud charges, Mr. Abramoff’s old firm turned to a former McCain campaign adviser for help.

The firm, Greenberg Traurig, which had quickly cut its ties to Mr. Abramoff, hired Randy Scheunemann, who had been the McCain campaign’s foreign policy adviser in 2000 — and is again this year — for advice on handling the Senate investigation.

“After Greenberg Traurig severed ties to Mr. Abramoff, Mr. Scheunemann advised the law firm on how best to cooperate with the Senate investigation,” said Brian Rogers, a spokesman for the McCain campaign. “The record reflects that the law firm cooperated.”

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Related
Obama and Greenberg Traurig

Ralph Reed: Come meet my new friend John McCain

Friday, August 8, 2008, 02:06 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

If you read this space, you knew this was coming. But even now that the odd-couple alliance between Ralph Reed and John McCain is complete, you still can’t believe that it’s true.

On Thursday afternoon, Republicans around Georgia received an invitation from Reed, who will serve as a host of a “special event” for McCain at the downtown Marriot Marquis on Aug. 18.

“John McCain believes in a strong national defense, a smaller, more accountable government, steady economic growth and opportunity, the dignity of life and traditional values,” wrote Reed, whose 2006 campaign for lieutenant governor sank under the weight of evidence detailing his relationship with Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff — much of it uncovered by McCain’s Indian Affairs Committee.

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Thursday 31 July 2008

by: Bill Moyers and Michael Winship, t r u t h o u t | Perspective

Jack Abramoff. (Artwork: Hai Knafo)

    Like the largesse he spread so bountifully to members of Congress and the White House staff - countless fancy meals, skybox tickets to basketball games and U2 concerts, golfing sprees in Scotland - Jack Abramoff is the gift that keeps on giving.

    The notorious lobbyist and his cohorts (including conservatives Tom DeLay, Grover Norquist and Ralph Reed) shook down Native American tribal councils and other clients for tens of millions of dollars, buying influence via a coalition of equally corrupt government officials and cronies dedicated to dismantling government by selling it off, making massive profits as they tore the principles of a representative democracy to shreds.

    A report earlier this summer from the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform builds on an earlier committee investigation that detailed some 485 contacts between Abramoff and the Bush administration. According to the new report, "Senior White House officials told the Committee that White House officials held Mr. Abramoff and members of his lobbying team in high regard and solicited recommendations from Mr. Abramoff and his colleagues on policy matters."

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WOW: Domestic Spies, Abramoff & the Great Philly Puppet Raid of 2000...

Russian and Serb Interests Paid for Congressman Weldon’s Family Vacation to Europe

By Ken Silverstein

Back in January of 2007, the House Ethics Committee (“Press 1 if you are a member of Congress covering up a criminal offense. Press 2 if…”) released a statement saying that it had reviewed a foreign trip by Congressman Curt Weldon and determined that he had violated the gift-rule ban. Weldon, said the statement–which was signed by Republican Doc Hastings, then the Committee chairman, and Howard Berman, then the ranking Democrat–had traveled abroad in January 2003 with “several” unnamed family members. “Donors,” who were also not identified, picked up the tab for much of the trip, said the committee. The statement also failed to disclose where precisely Weldon & Co. had traveled, but did say that the congressman had been told to reimburse the trip’s financial sponsors for some $23,000 in expenses.

So where did Curt Weldon go? I’ve learned that he traveled to Europe and Russia (stops included Vienna and Moscow) with ten family members and acquaintances. The trip was paid for by three private foreign groups, including a Russian aerospace manufacturer and members of a controversial Serb family who were barred from entering the United States due to their alleged ties to war criminal Slobodan Milosevic. Very soon after the trip the Russian firm and the Serb family retained Karen Weldon, the congressman’s young, politically inexperienced daughter, to be their Washington lobbyist–which led to charges about whether her father was steering business to her, charges that are currently the subject of a federal investigation.

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Big McCain Fundraiser Has Abramoff Connection

Abramoff's ex-partner gets prison sentence cut

By CURT ANDERSON – 43 minutes ago

MIAMI (AP) — Disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff's ex-partner in a Florida casino boat deal is getting his prison sentence for fraud cut in half.

A federal judge in Miami agreed Wednesday to reduce the sentence for 43-year-old Adam Kidan from just under six years to nearly three years. Kidan and Abramoff pleaded guilty in 2006 to fraud in connection with their 2000 purchase of the SunCruz Casinos operation.

Prosecutors and Kidan's attorney say he has cooperated fully with investigators in the SunCruz case and the 2001 murder of former SunCruz owner Gus Boulis.

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E-Mail Shows How Key Officials Aided Lobbyist in Ousting Foe

By R. Jeffrey Smith 

Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, June 19, 2008; A17

If lobbyists find the path to their clients' riches obstructed by an implacably hostile federal official, they might achieve success by an end run or an appeal to more senior authorities. But a more extreme solution -- if the foe has high-level support -- is to pull strings at the White House and orchestrate the official's removal.

That option was chosen by Jack Abramoff and his colleagues at the Washington office of Greenberg Traurig in the Bush administration's early days, to oust Alan Stayman from a State Department negotiating job. Stayman had earned their ire by advocating labor reforms in the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. protectorate where Abramoff's clients wanted to keep paying immigrants less than the federal minimum wage to work in textile factories.

Stayman was supported by James A. Kelly, who was a White House aide to President Ronald Reagan and served as the State Department's assistant secretary of state for East Asia and the Pacific from 2001 to 2005. Kelly, citing ongoing negotiations with Micronesia and the Marshall Islands, told his department's personnel office on May 1, 2001, that he wanted Stayman to remain for two more years. 

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Related
Nicholas F. Benton: Deeper Abramoff Tie to White House

The New York Times

June 17, 2008

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 11:56 a.m. ET

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The first Bush administration official convicted in the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal is entitled to a new trial, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday.

David Safavian, the former chief of staff for the General Services Administration, was convicted of lying to investigators about his relationship with Abramoff, the disgraced lobbyist who has admitted bribing government officials. Safavian was sentenced to 18 months in prison but the sentence was put on hold while the appeal played out.

''David Safavian has been destroyed by this,'' attorney Barbara Van Gelder, who defended Safavian at trial, said Tuesday. ''He has been debarred. He's been unemployable and he's been seen as a villain. This is vindication.'

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