Abramoff Personal Secretary Sue Ralston
With President of the Corrupted States George W. Bush
Don't forget that Jack Abramoff's own secretary, Susan Ralston, became Karl Rove's Personal Assistant, and that Abramoff said he contacted Rove personally on relieving his client Tyco from having to pay some taxes and still be able to get federal contracts. Abramoff said "he had contact with Mr. Karl Rove" on Tyco.
But that's not the half of it! It was only revealed this August that in 2002 Bush himself fired a prosecutor, Frederick Black, investigating Abramoff over a scandal in Guam. Rove recommended the replacement and the inquiry of Abramoff ended! ""The demotion of ... Black looks political and should be investigated," Melanie Sloan, executive director of CREW, said in a press release." It would be Obstruction of Justice by Bush if true, and I personally believe it to be Obstruction, given what we already know.
Yet the media today is just asking about staff meetings. There's way more than that alreday under investigation!
DoJ Inspector General Glen Fine is investigating Bush's ending of Abramoff's Guam Scandal
John Conyers in August asked for an investigation for possible Obstruction of Justice charges against Bush for abruptly ending an inquiry on Abramoff and Guam. Bush (or the RNC) never repaid Abramoff's firm, Greenberg, $314,000 in bills for the 2000 Recount, making it in effect a HUGE in-kind contribution to Bush! SO BUSH OWES ABRAMOFF BIG-TIME. And Abramoff himself was a "Pioneer", raising over $100,000 for Bush in 2004.
Rove now says he has "no recollection" of Flippin Jack calling him about breaks for Tyco.
An early administration attempt to cover for Abramoff?
A U.S. grand jury in Guam opened an investigation of controversial lobbyist Jack Abramoff more than two years ago, but President Bush removed the supervising federal prosecutor and the inquiry ended soon after.
Aug 07, 2005 -- 12:24:03 PM EST
The article goes on to explain that the Superior Court in Guam hired Abramoff to lobby against a bill under consideration in Congress which would have placed the Superior Court under the authority of the island's Supreme Court -- which certainly sounds like a sensible approach (the bill later passed). Perhaps because of the oddity -- to say the least -- of an inferior court hiring lobbyists to secure its independence from a superior (or in this case, Supreme) court, the Superior Court arranged for a cut-out from Laguna Beach, California, an attorney named Howard Hills.
More details from the Times ...
The transactions were the target of a grand jury subpoena issued Nov. 18, 2002, according to a copy obtained by The Times. The subpoena demanded that Anthony Sanchez, administrative director of the Guam Superior Court, release records involving the lobbying contract, including bills and payments.
A day later, the chief prosecutor, U.S. Atty. Frederick A. Black, who had launched the investigation, was demoted. A White House news release announced that Bush was replacing Black.
Black was also apparently less than popular with the island's immigrant-labor-driven textile businesses because he had started a post September 11th investigation into whether the island's loose immigration policies represented a security risk ...
The acting U.S. attorney was a controversial official in Guam. At the time he was removed, Black was directing a long-term investigation into allegations of public corruption in the administration of then-Gov. Carl Gutierrez. The inquiry produced numerous indictments, including some of the governor's political associates and top aides.
Black also arranged for a security review in the aftermath of Sept. 11 that was seen as a potential threat to loose immigration rules favored by local business leaders. In fact, the study ordered by Black eventually cited substantial security risks in Guam and the Northern Marianas.
Abramoff, who then represented the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, alerted his clients in a memo about the expected report and warned: "It will require some major action from the Hill and a press attack to get this back in the bottle."
It is of course important to remember that all of this happened before the scandals began to erupt around Abramoff. Thus it would have been before he became so radioactive that the White House began to wash its collective hands of him. Note that the article suggests Karl Rove's direct involvement in the choice of Black's replacement.
TPM Cafe
LA Times article
FROM CREW: "The fact that Mr. Black's demotion apparently resulted in the termination of a serious public corruption investigation into a friend of the White House, makes the situation all the more egregious," according to Sloan. "This administration needs to be held accountable for its actions. An investigation by the Department of Justice Inspector General would be a good first step."
Black was demoted a day after a Nov. 18, 2002 federal grand jury subpoena directed at Anthony Sanchez, administrative director of the local court at the time the payments to Abramoff were made through a California attorney, according to the watchdog's letter to the Justice Department inspector general.
From Bloomberg, Oct 30, 2005: Justice Department Inspector General Glenn Fine is looking into the reasons behind Black's removal as acting U.S. attorney, spokesman Paul Martin said. The Los Angeles Times reported in August that Black's demotion came after he began exploring Abramoff's lobbying efforts on behalf of court officials in Guam, another U.S. territory.
Here is a summary of the case from Political Amazon on the Rhodes blog:
1) In May Abramoff was retained BY A SECRET ARRANGEMENT with the Guam Superior Court, paid with a series of $9000 checks (laundered through his agent in California) to disguise the arrangement between Abramaoff and the Guam Superior Court. No separate contract was authorized for Abramoff's lobbying on the behalf of the Superior Court. No explanation has been given by the court regarding Abramoff's retention and his work.
2) Abramoff was retained to "...lobby against a court revision bill then pending in the U.S. Congress. The legislation, since approved, gave the Guam Supreme Court authority over the Superior Court."
3) U.S. Attorney Frederick A. Black--who had held the acting U.S. Attorney assignment for over a decade--issued a grand jury subpoena on 11/18/2002; the subpoena demanded that the administrative director of the Guam Superior Court release records regarding the contract with Abrahmoff, including bills and payments.
4) A day later, a White House news release indicated that Bush Jr was replacing Atty. Gen. Black.
5) Atty. Gen. Black was also, when dismissed, conducing a long-term investigation in corruption into reported corruption in the administration of then-Gov. Carl Gutierrez. Black's inquiry had resulted in numerous indictments (which included some of the governor's political pals and aides).
6) Atty. Gen. Black had also, after 9/11, started a major security review of Guam and the Northern Marianas. At the time, Abramoff represented the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas. The business community liked the loose immigration rules because it provided a labor source. Atty. Gen. Black's study ended with outlining major security risks in Guam and the Northern Marianas.
7) Abramoff, after the findings of the security risks was published, "...alerted his clients in a memo about the expected report and warned: 'It will require some major action from the Hill and a press attack to get this back in the bottle.'....he and his aides expected to meet in the near future with Justice Department officials, according to Abramoff billing documents released this year by the Marianas government."
8) After the subpoenas were released for information from the Superior Court, Guam's federal grand jury took no further action. However, 3 weeks later 100 pages of documents had been provided, which were turned over to the FBI investigating the case.
9) Black's replacement was Leonardo Rapadas, at the recommendation of the Guam Republican Party. He was confirmed--without debate-- in May 2003. "Fred Radewagen, a lobbyist who had been under contract to the Gutierrez administration, said he carried that recommendation to top Bush aide Karl Rove in early 2003."
10) Upon assuming his position, Rapadas immediately recused himself from the ongoing public corruption investigation of ex-gov. Gutierrez because Rapadas was "...a cousin of 'one of the main targets," according to a confidential memo to Justice Department officials."
The traditional media is just asking Scotty about staff meetings with Abramoff. They should be asking about the DoJ investigation of Bush stopping the Abramoff investigation by Black in 2002 in the Marianas case.
And what about the $314,000 bill for the 2000 recount that was never paid to Abramoff's law firm Greenberg Traurig? Where's that question? The RNC does not list it as an in-kind contribution, it is an UNPAID 5-YEAR OLD BILL.
I guess we all know what Scotty would answer: "THE WHITE HOUSE DOES NOT COMMENT ABOUT ONGOING INVESTIGATIONS".
Please Beam Scotty these questions...
Update [2006-1-18 17:40:10 by Sherlock Google]: We should all be making noise for an independent counsel on the Black case as a Presidential Obstruction of Justice. ACTION ALERT!
Update [2006-1-19 10:41:38 by Sherlock Google]: Paul Rosenberg asked for proof there is a DoJ investigation, given below:
From Bloomberg, Oct 30, 2005: Justice Department Inspector General Glenn Fine is looking into the reasons behind Black's removal as acting U.S. attorney, spokesman Paul Martin said. The Los Angeles Times reported in August that Black's demotion came after he began exploring Abramoff's lobbying efforts on behalf of court officials in Guam, another U.S. territory. Bloomberg News
In addition, John Conyers himself replied in an earlier thread that there is an investigation:
No word yet (4.00 / 25)
The Inspector General does not, as a matter of course, give interim updates to Members of Congress about the progress of investigations.
Typically, the more serious and substantial investigations take several months. I learn about the outcome of the investigation when I am sent the final report of the IG about the matter (I usually receive it only shortly before the press gets it). I have not received any report yet, but you will know when I do.
Thanks for your continued vigilance on, as you appropriately put it, "this now very important case."
by Congressman John Conyers on Sun Dec 04, 2005 at 09:36:06 AM PDT
Conyers confirms DoJ investigation of Black Demotion