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GOP lobbyist scores big with tribes
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2002
Financially successful tribes are more than happy to pay Jack Abramoff, a Republican lobbyist, $500 an hour to argue their cause in Washington, D.C.
Report details extent of Abramoff fraud of Sandia Pueblo By JENNIFER TALHELM | Associated Press
June 23, 2006
Leaders of New Mexico’s Sandia Pueblo were initially impressed by lobbyist Jack Abramoff when they went looking for help convincing Congress in 2002 to make the main ridge of Sandia Mountain the pueblo’s eastern boundary.
The Albuquerque Tribune: National Government
Lobbyist made 1.17M off pueblo
By James W. Brosnan
Scripps Howard News Service
January 4, 2006
Sandia Pueblo’s dealings with Abramoff and Scanlon have not drawn as much attention in Washington as the two men’s efforts to help the Mississippi Choctaws and Louisiana block a rival tribe’s casino, but the Sandia case is typical of their methods.
Former Sandia Pueblo Gov. Stuwart Paisano hired Abramoff in February 2002 to lobby for federal legislation to settle the pueblo’s long-standing claim to Sandia Mountain.
At $500 an Hour, Lobbyist’s Influence Rises With G.O.P. By DAVID E. ROSENBAUM
April 3, 2002 [mjh: at most 2 months after Sandia hired Abramoff.]
In the last six months of 2001, the Coushatta Indians, a tribe with 800 members and a large casino in southwest Louisiana, paid $1.76 million to the law firm of Jack Abramoff, a Republican lobbyist here.
Last month, the Bush administration handed the tribe a big victory by blocking construction of a casino by a rival tribe that would have drained off much of the Coushattas’ business.
William Worfel, vice chairman of the Coushattas, views the administration’s decision as a direct benefit of the eye-popping lobbying fees his tribe paid Mr. Abramoff, more money than many giant corporations like AOL Time Warner and American Airlines paid lobbyists in the same period.
“I call Jack Abramoff, and I get results,” Mr. Worfel said. “You get everything you pay for.”
In the seven years since Republicans gained control of the House of Representatives, Mr. Abramoff, 43, has used his close ties to Representative Tom DeLay of Texas, the Republican whip, and other conservatives in the House to become one of the most influential — and, at $500 an hour, best compensated — lobbyists in Washington.
He is also an important Republican fund-raiser.
Mr. Abramoff’s recent success and importance in Republican circles is a reminder that … the business of lobbying has been humming along quite nicely, more out of the spotlight than usual but more profitable than ever for those with the right connections.
Unlike many lobbyists who take almost any client who is willing to pay their fee, Mr. Abramoff says he represents only those who stand for conservative principles. They include three Indian tribes with big casinos and, until recently, the Northern Mariana Islands.
“All of my political work,” he said, “is driven by philosophical interests, not by a desire to gain wealth.”
Mr. Abramoff argues that Indian reservations and the island territory, which is exempt from United States labor laws, are “just what conservatives have always wanted, which is enterprise zones — tax-free, regulation-free zones where with the right motivation, great industry could take place and spill out into the general communities.”
His success in making this case to Republicans in the House has paid off handsomely. …
For lobbyists, perception of influence can often be as valuable as actual influence. …
Mr. Abramoff’s background and personality hardly fit the mold of the typical Washington lobbyist. … [H]is religion is a central element of his life. …
Most unusual, he is, by his own description, a committed ideologue.
In the early 1980’s, Mr. Abramoff was chairman of the College Republican National Committee, where he made important contacts. Among those on his staff were Grover Norquist, now a leading conservative strategist here and president of Americans for Tax Reform, and Ralph Reed, the former director of the Christian Coalition, who is a prominent Republican political consultant. …
Mr. Abramoff’s rising influence is also illustrative of another trend in lobbying: success can be built on a strong relationship between a lobbyist and a single, powerful lawmaker. His interest in raising money for Republicans and conservative causes is the foundation of Mr. Abramoff’s relationship with Mr. DeLay, who is determined to meld the lobbyists on K Street here into the Republican Party’s political, legislative and fund-raising operations.
Mr. Abramoff described the bond this way: “We are the same politically and philosophically. Tom’s goal is specific — to keep Republicans in power and advance the conservative movement. I have Tom’s goal precisely.”
Mr. Norquist, who is friendly with both men, said of Mr. Abramoff, “He walks in to see DeLay and DeLay knows that he is representing clients whose views are in sync with DeLay’s views.”
The Albuquerque Tribune: National
What is puzzling to the New Mexico delegation is why Sandia Pueblo paid $2.7 million to Abramoff and Scanlon – two men they never saw – over a strictly local, albeit contentious, bill.
Washington and the West » Duped by Abramoff, tribe still smiling
Of the several tribes Abramoff is accused to have cheated, the Sandia have perhaps received the least attention. And Sandia’s association with one of the most vilified men in Washington raises few eyebrows here — perhaps because they won. They now control the craggy peaks that play a central role in the pueblo’s spiritual life, and are the location of sacred sites that are important to the tribe’s religious ceremonies.
For 20 years, the tribe sued the Interior Department and sent attorneys into courtrooms without a clear victory. Within a year of hiring Abramoff, they had their mountain….
The tribe’s governors and lieutenant governors — always men — are picked by religious leaders after a period of seclusion.
Paisano was replaced two days before Abramoff’s plea agreement made many of the tribe’s dealings with the lobbyist public.
But the former governor said he has no idea why he was replaced or if it has anything to do with the scandal.
“Out of respect … for my culture, I didn’t ask,” he said.