Post by Pinto Bean on Jan 20, 2006 23:21:37 GMT -5
As the Abramoff scandal unfolds, just what is the White House hiding? If we go back to the Plame Gate scandal, we as the American public were told by the White House press secretary that staff members (specifically, Cheney and Rove) were not involved. The next step was flat out refusal to be forthcoming with any details and it was only after Scooter Libby was indicted that they admitted to any involvement, though it seems clear they knew all along all about the corruption.
Now we have Abramoff making guilty pleas and singing to the prosecutor in his cooperative efforts as he hopes to mitigate his time in prison. We also now know that he had MASSIVE dealings with both the Bush election team, and the White House (he hand picked Roves assistant). Sadly it seems that it is business as usual as Scott Mc Clellan informs the press that the White House refuses to release any information on just who in the White House that Abramoff had PRIVATE MEETINGS with.
THE ARTICLE:
White House won't publicize details about Abramoff visits
Lobbyist had private meetings with Bush's staff, spokesman says
07:59 PM CST on Tuesday, January 17, 2006
www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/washington/stories/011806dnnatabramoff.11e8e488.html
Associated Press
WASHINGTON – The White House is refusing to reveal details of tainted lobbyist Jack Abramoff's visits with President Bush's staff.
Mr. Abramoff had "a few staff-level meetings" at the Bush White House, presidential spokesman Scott McClellan said Tuesday. But he would not say with whom Mr. Abramoff met, which interests he was representing or how he got access to the White House.
Since Mr. Abramoff pleaded guilty two weeks ago to conspiracy, mail fraud and tax evasion charges in an influence-peddling scandal, Mr. McClellan has told reporters he was checking into Mr. Abramoff's meetings.
Mr. McClellan said Tuesday that he checked on them at reporters' requests but wouldn't discuss the private staff-level meetings.
He has said Mr. Abramoff attended three Hanukkah receptions at the White House but corrected himself Tuesday to say there were only two – in 2001 and 2002.
Mr. McClellan said Mr. Bush does not know Mr. Abramoff personally, although it's possible the two met at the holiday receptions.
Mr. Abramoff was one of Mr. Bush's top fundraisers, having brought in at least $100,000 for the Bush-Cheney '04 re-election campaign and earning the honorary title "pioneer." The campaign took $6,000 of the contributions – which came directly from Mr. Abramoff, his wife and one of the Indian tribes he represented – and donated it to the American Heart Association. But the campaign has not returned the rest of the money that Mr. Abramoff raised.
More Details from Wikipedia:
An article published in the New York Times on November 10, 2005 alleged that Abramoff asked for $9 million in 2003 from the president of the African nation of Gabon, Omar Bongo to arrange a meeting with President Bush and directed his fees to a Maryland company now under federal scrutiny. Bongo did meet with President Bush in the Oval Office on May 26, 2004. There has been no evidence in the public record that Abramoff had any role in organizing the meeting or that he received any money or had a signed contract with Gabon.
White House and State Department officials described Mr. Bush's meeting with President Bongo, whose government is regularly accused by the United States of human rights abuses, as routine. The officials said they knew of no involvement by Mr. Abramoff in the arrangements. Officials at Gabon's embassy in Washington did not respond to written questions.[41]
Susan Ralston, Special Assistant to the President and Assistant to the Senior Advisor Karl Rove from 2001 to 2005, worked as an administrative assistant for Jack Abramoff and Ralph Reed before being hired as the most senior assistant to Karl Rove in The West Wing of the White House.
Now we have Abramoff making guilty pleas and singing to the prosecutor in his cooperative efforts as he hopes to mitigate his time in prison. We also now know that he had MASSIVE dealings with both the Bush election team, and the White House (he hand picked Roves assistant). Sadly it seems that it is business as usual as Scott Mc Clellan informs the press that the White House refuses to release any information on just who in the White House that Abramoff had PRIVATE MEETINGS with.
THE ARTICLE:
White House won't publicize details about Abramoff visits
Lobbyist had private meetings with Bush's staff, spokesman says
07:59 PM CST on Tuesday, January 17, 2006
www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/washington/stories/011806dnnatabramoff.11e8e488.html
Associated Press
WASHINGTON – The White House is refusing to reveal details of tainted lobbyist Jack Abramoff's visits with President Bush's staff.
Mr. Abramoff had "a few staff-level meetings" at the Bush White House, presidential spokesman Scott McClellan said Tuesday. But he would not say with whom Mr. Abramoff met, which interests he was representing or how he got access to the White House.
Since Mr. Abramoff pleaded guilty two weeks ago to conspiracy, mail fraud and tax evasion charges in an influence-peddling scandal, Mr. McClellan has told reporters he was checking into Mr. Abramoff's meetings.
Mr. McClellan said Tuesday that he checked on them at reporters' requests but wouldn't discuss the private staff-level meetings.
He has said Mr. Abramoff attended three Hanukkah receptions at the White House but corrected himself Tuesday to say there were only two – in 2001 and 2002.
Mr. McClellan said Mr. Bush does not know Mr. Abramoff personally, although it's possible the two met at the holiday receptions.
Mr. Abramoff was one of Mr. Bush's top fundraisers, having brought in at least $100,000 for the Bush-Cheney '04 re-election campaign and earning the honorary title "pioneer." The campaign took $6,000 of the contributions – which came directly from Mr. Abramoff, his wife and one of the Indian tribes he represented – and donated it to the American Heart Association. But the campaign has not returned the rest of the money that Mr. Abramoff raised.
More Details from Wikipedia:
An article published in the New York Times on November 10, 2005 alleged that Abramoff asked for $9 million in 2003 from the president of the African nation of Gabon, Omar Bongo to arrange a meeting with President Bush and directed his fees to a Maryland company now under federal scrutiny. Bongo did meet with President Bush in the Oval Office on May 26, 2004. There has been no evidence in the public record that Abramoff had any role in organizing the meeting or that he received any money or had a signed contract with Gabon.
White House and State Department officials described Mr. Bush's meeting with President Bongo, whose government is regularly accused by the United States of human rights abuses, as routine. The officials said they knew of no involvement by Mr. Abramoff in the arrangements. Officials at Gabon's embassy in Washington did not respond to written questions.[41]
Susan Ralston, Special Assistant to the President and Assistant to the Senior Advisor Karl Rove from 2001 to 2005, worked as an administrative assistant for Jack Abramoff and Ralph Reed before being hired as the most senior assistant to Karl Rove in The West Wing of the White House.