Big Donations From Abramoff's Tribal Clients ProbedBy Mary Curtius, Times Staff Writer
WASHINGTON -- The head of a Republican environmental organization clashed repeatedly today with senators who accused her of trying to use her friendship with an Interior Department official to further the business interests of super-lobbyist Jack Abramoff's tribal clients. Italia Federici, president of the Council of Republicans for Environmental Advocacy, told an incredulous Senate Indian Affairs Committee that she believed Abramoff's tribal clients donated $500,000 over a three-year period to her organization because they were generous, not because they hoped she would help them thwart the efforts of competing tribes to open casinos. ADVERTISEMENT <http://ads.PointRoll.com/DefaultAd/?ad=147U7320051111233651&pub=latimes&size=300_250&click=1&code=no&scr=no&bu=123456789> Her testimony came as the committee was wrapping up a lengthy inquiry into Abramoff's collection of $82 million in fees from tribal clients. The investigation has raised questions about whether he improperly used his relationships with powerful lawmakers and administration officials to further the interests of the tribes. Abramoff, who is under indictment in an unrelated case, is under federal investigation along with several associates for lobbying efforts on behalf of the tribes. The scandal has touched powerful lawmakers, including former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas), whose trip to a Scottish golfing resort with Abramoff has come under scrutiny. DeLay, who once described Abramoff as a close friend, has denied any wrongdoing and has asked the House Ethics Committee to investigate his travels. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), chairman of the committee, and Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) pressed Federici to explain e-mails Abramoff sent her in 2002, asking her to contact then-Deputy Interior Secretary Steven J. Griles, the second-highest ranking official at the agency. Abramoff wanted to enlist Griles in his effort to defeat applications from tribes seeking to open casinos that would threaten the business interests of Abramoff's tribal clients. "Any objective observer would see that there is a clear connection between contributions to your organization and work that you would have been doing on behalf of Mr. Abramoff with the Department of the Interior," McCain told Federici. But she insisted that that there was no quid pro quo. "I never asked Steve to put the kibosh on anything," she said. "I was responding to Jack at the time, he was a friend in a way that I would respond to any friend who had a need or a question," she said. Federici said that she had "political" conversations with Griles and other Interior officials, passing on warnings to them from Abramoff that the casino permits they were considering issuing were opposed by leading conservative activists and lawmakers. She said she had no idea that Abramoff was funding the anti-casino campaign of conservative activist Ralph Reed and others. Federici, who said she has been friends with Griles for at least a decade, founded the forerunner to the Council of Republicans for Environmental Advocacy with Gale Norton, now the secretary of the Interior. Norton handed control of the group to Federici when Norton joined President Bush's Cabinet. Echoing other Abramoff associates who have testified before the committee in hearings that began more than a year ago, Federici insisted that she had been duped by the lobbyist. "I had no reason in 2002 to believe that Mr. Abramoff was anything other than a truthful, friendly, charismatic, well-liked and well-respected Republican advocate in Washington," Federici said. When she found out that Abramoff had funded the anti-casino campaign, Federici said, "I felt tremendously manipulated." According to documents and testimony gathered by the committee, Abramoff used money collected from tribes to fund charities he established including a Jewish school for boys and a sniper training clinic in the West Bank that the tribes knew nothing about. -- The most common elements are hydrogen and stupidity - Harlan Ellison ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Purchase Contribute 3 from House of Fusion, a Macromedia Authorized Affiliate and support the CF community. http://www.houseoffusion.com/banners/view.cfm?bannerid=53 Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:182886 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
