I've been swimming in corruption.
I've been reviewing old Jack Abramoff files and how the scandal connects to a number of GOP Candidates for the elections this fall.
Not surprisingly, it seems like everybody in the Grand Old Party was hooked into the Abramoff/Gingrich/DeLay/Bush era of incompetence and corruption.
As Jack told Vanity Fair:
"Any important Republican who comes out and says they didn't know me is almost certainly lying," he says. Such lies are not just, well, lies, but dumb to boot, he adds, for, as his own humiliations suggest, old e-mails never die; they just sit on hard drives, waiting to be subpoenaed and then to be leaked to the press. "This is not an age when you can run away from facts," he declares. "I had to deal with my records, and others will have to deal with theirs."
And there is more to the paper trail than just email. There are invoices, donations, Bills, Resolutions, appropriations and endless clues embedded in press releases, news accounts and old Web sites.
Some are politically embarrassing, some smell fishy and some are clear criminal acts.
To the Jump...
I'm having a hard time putting together a list of the Republican Congressmen with a Jack Abramoff problem. There are so many. Every time I think I'm done, I find a few more.
It is August in an election year. After the primaries next week things will slow down a little as everybody gets ready for the Fall push.
This makes it a great time to name the Abramoff-Connected GOP Weasels. These links need to be researched. The connections need to be developed. The pay-for-play, the bribe, the favor, the crime, the appropriation, the Legislation, the grant, the waiver and the other GOP droppings left as byproducts of the Abramoff scandal are a rich dung pile of evidence.
Pick somebody off the list and start to firm up the connections. Blog. Write. Leak. Push the story. 2006 is now.
As I start, I want to remind folks that this GOP corruption is about more than ripping off casinos. It is about how the Republican Party has spent the last eleven years protecting a system of sweatshops, human trafficking, force prostitution and forced abortion on the Commonwealth of North Mariana Islands (CNMI) for fun, power and profit. Here are a few background Diaries for those who want the grotesque details:
Tom DeLay's connection to sex, money and cockfights...
Sex, Abortion, Sweatshops and GOP Values
NEW Abramoff News: The Chinese/Sweatshop/GOP Connection
Jack Abramoff explains how the GOP protected sweatshops
WOW! No wonder Rove & Abramoff block the 2002 CNMI/Guam Security Report
So on to the names. It seems best to put them into four categories.
Category 1: Jack's "Gimme Five" GOP Players
Category 2: Jack's Sweatshop and Sex Abuse GOP Heroes
Category 3: Jack's Money Washing GOP Appropriators
Category 4: Jack's Army of GOP Shadows
For each Abramoff-Connected GOP Weasel I'll include their District, some links to their Abramoff ties and (most importantly) links to the Democrats who will defeat these scoundrels in November.
The key to Victory in November is us. These candidates need our time, research skills, energy, focus and donations, so please adopt a Democrat and help take down these Jack's GOP Weasels:
Category 1: Jack's "Gimme Five" GOP Players
These GOP slimeballs have multiple connections to Abramoff. They could be placed in any category, but their deep corruptions and public connections to Abramoff send them to the top of the list. Some helped get Jack started while others carried his water and jumped whenever Jack and Tom needed an appropriation or a favor. They all stand out for their greed and some for their stupidity. They are all "Toast" because their deep involvement with Abramoff has broken in the news media and/or been a feature of DOJ indictments or subpoenas. Their ties to Abramoff will be an issue in their campaigns this Fall. (Think Ralph Reed).
#1:
Tom DeLay (TX-22) is
a well known scumbag. The bug man was thick as thieves with Abramoff. Half the indictments so far are former DeLay staffers. More fireworks are expected when Tom's Preacher and henchman, Ed Buckham, cops a plea or is indicted (
And it looks like the end is near for Mr. Ed). As for DeLay,
no matter how hard he tries to leave they just keep pulling him back in. Unless the Supreme Court decides to intervene, it looks like The Congressman from Enron is being forced back into the race against a strong Democrat:
Nick Lampson. Let's show Lampson a lot of love and support!
#2: Bob Ney (OH-18) is Congressman #1 in the Abramoff plea deals. His complete corruption is legendary. Ney is a Dead Man running for Congress, but those Republicans love to vote for their undead, so Democrat Zach Space needs all the help we can give him.
#3: Conrad Burns (MT) is very close to being named as Senator #1 in a coming Abramoff Scandal indictment and/or plea deal. The corruption and banality of Burns seems to know no bounds. He is sick and a major GOP weasel. Fortunately for Montana and America, Democrat Jon Tester is running hard to defeat Burns in November. Please do what you can to help.
#4: I expect John Doolittle (CA-4) will be named as Congressman #3 when the next Abramoff scandal indictments and/or plea deals are announced. In an earlier post I laid out the case against Doolittle. He will be indicted. The trouble is timing. It might happen before November, but it could also happen after the election. Another open question is what crime will he be indicted for first. Doolittle offers prosecutors a cornucopia of corruption. I expect more bad news will break for Doolittle within days, maybe even hours. And if things weren't bad enough for John Family Plan Doolittle, an American Hero, Charlie Brown, is the Democrat running to defeat the major crook. Charlie needs our help and we should be happy to lend a hand.
#5: Richard Pombo (CA-11) is a well known asshole. Sorry for the crudeness, but Dick Pombo deserves it. In addition to wholesale attacks on the planet, he has been on Abramoff's team since at least 1996. Currently, he is the GOP obstacle to a hearing and a vote for H.R. 5550, the Human Dignity Act, the Bill would extend US labor, immigration and custom laws to the Mariana Islands. This Justice is long overdue, but Pombo protects the CNMI system of abuse (AKA Slavery 2.0) instead. Pombo has over a decade of working with Abramoff under his belt. A lot of legislation and money has been changing hands and he is corrupt on many levels (for details, see the many Pombo Diaries by L of E). Connecting the dots between Pombo and Abramoff will require some more research, but I have a feeling the stories will break soon. The Democrat running to remove this force of darkness is Jerry McNerney. Please give him your support.
Category 2: Jack's Sweatshop and Sex Abuse GOP Heroes
Now this is a troubling category. You can include the first five in this group. They were all "Heroes of the CNMI", as Jack puts it. But there are more "heroes" and some have avoided their moment in the Abramoff scandal. And yet, they are very involved in the scandal. In many cases they were with Jack, Tom, Ed and Grover as they plotted the K Street project and how to exploit workers of the Mariana Islands as a means to fund the effort to establish one-party-rule in the USA. Some are in competitive races. Some are not. All of them should be defeated. At the very least, the Republican Party should be forced to spend resources protecting the "safe" seats. And a number of these seats we should take, as we have some great candidates taking on Jack's Sweatshop and Sex Abuse GOP Heroes:
#6:
Dana Rohrabacher (CA-46) has known Jack Abramoff since they were young pups in the Reagan White House
running dirty tricks with Ollie North out of the basement. Their
trip to Angola is legendary. Dana was the first Congressman to sign on to the CNMI project with Jack. He lent Abramoff "credibility" to build his lobbying empire. John Duncan (TN-2) explained that he took a 1996 Holiday to the Marianas because Dana asked him to go. Rohrabacher is without morals. His annual
Chili and Tequila Blowout is a GOP frog march with drinks. Dana is perhaps, the
evilest man in the GOP caucus. I want to call attention to
Jim Brandt a Vietnam Vet and the Democrat who is running against Abramoff's long-time pal and partner in many crimes over the decades. He needs our support and attention.
#7: Don Young (AK) rose to power in the GOP by being the Congressional backstop of the system of sweatshops, human trafficking, force prostitution and forced abortion on CNMI. He became the Chair of the House Resources Committee because he would do the bidding of Jack, Tom and their Chinese patrons. Young never let any legislation to end the abuse out of the Committee. And he knew what was going on. Many people presented his with facts and testimony and the truth about the abuse was always under his nose. For example, during Young's February 1999 visit to the Territory the locals were working on legislation that would force pregnant guest workers to leave the islands (because the babies would become US Citizens). When Young left the Resources Committee in 2000 he moved to Chair the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. There, he would keep the money flowing to build ports and airports to support his Chinese patrons. There are several Democrats running in an Alaskan primary for the opportunity to defeat this GOP slime ball. The winner deserves our support.
#8: Ralph Hall (TX-4) used to be a Democrat, but now he is a Republican. Good thing, because Hall is so evil that worked with Dana and Jack to place an attack on a rape victim into the Congressional Record. Hall was one of Abramoff's first Congressmen to visit the CNMI and he worked closely with Jack to defeat any extension of justice to the Marianas Islands. He is in Texas and in a "safe" seat, but he should not have it easy. The Democrat running an uphill campaign against this Texas version of Duke Cunningham is Glenn Melancon. Help him if you can.
#9: Denny Hastert (IL-14) is Speaker of the House because he did what he was told. From 1998 until this very moment he works hard to ensure that justice will never come to the Marianas Islands. Denny is for sale and Jack Abramoff was one one of his buyers. But Denny's real work was in helping DeLay demand that each member of the GOP caucus start a Leadership PAC to help launder the money flowing into the system from the DeLay/Abramoff slush fund. Big Denny is corrupt, but we have a giant killer amongst us. He is Democrat John Laesch and he'll need our help knocking Hastert to the mat. And it can be done (Think Tom DeLay).
#10: Brian Bilbray (CA-50) is a long-time supporter of the corruption on the Marianas Islands. He spent New Year's on the Islands with Dana Rohrabacher and Jack Abramoff. Bilbray's pet immigration project, to deny US Citizenship to children born to two immigrant parents was enthusiastically supported by the sweatshop owners and human traffickers of Saipan. (It is hard to exploit, buy and sell US Citizens and their parents; on the other hand with the CNMI system of guest workers exploitation is easy). It is time for Francine Busby to hit Bilbray hard on his ties to Abramoff and the crimes on the Marianas Islands. Brian needs the full Ralph Reed treatment.
Category 3: Jack's Money Washing GOP Appropriators
Now any could money laundering scheme needs the bribes and it needs the payoffs. In Congress you can only get so far if you don't control the appropriation process. From the moment Newt Gingrich became Speaker of the House the GOP Leadership set about using the US Treasury to reward friends and punish enemies. Newt gave DeLay a lot of power to enforce compliance. Tom took even more power than planned and eventually Newt was out the door. By 1998 the DeLay/Abramoff slush fund controlled Congress. If you wanted to move up in the ranks you took care of the GOP patrons, especially the off-the-books contributors. If you knew how to play ball you could become one of Jack's Money Washing GOP Appropriators:
#11:
Jack Kingston (GA-1) has been in the shadows of the Abramoff scandal, but the CNMI billing records show that he is right in the thick of delivering money for the GOP's sweatshop owning, abortion forcing, sex selling, human trafficking GOP patrons. I look forward to Kingston's moment in the spotlight. He has
other problems as well and a solid Democratic opponent in the
Rev. Jim Nelson one of the
Fighting Dem Vets taking on the GOP this year.
#12: John Sweeney (NY-20) moved up to the Appropriations Committee with CNMI Hero, John Doolittle in 2001. To seal the deal, Sweeney took a little trip to the Marianas Islands to help Jack Abramoff land a lobbying contract. And once Jack had his gig, Sweeney met with convicted Team Abramoff member Tony Rudy to help work out how to send free money to the CNMI. Perhaps that's why Sweeney's name surfaced in reports about the Abramoff investigation. And yes, Sweeney is for sale. Kirsten Gillibrand is the Democrat running to end Sweeney's reign of corruption. Please help her if you can.
#13: Charles H. Taylor (NC-11) has an Abramoff problem and he is for sale. And Taylor has a great Democratic opponent, Heath Shuler who deserves our support. This is a race we should win in November, but we have to help.
#14: Jerry Lewis (CA-41) is already in a world of trouble for his ties to the Duck Cunningham Scandal. And yet, it is through Chairman Lewis that the two scandals merge. One can be sure that old Jerry got some of the action. His aide, Jeff Shockey, was one of the first Congressional Staffers to take Jack's Marianas junket. And Jeff and Jerry are frequent guest stars in the Abramoff billing records from CNMI. Oh, and so was the Duke. All of this could be trouble for the GOP's slush fund in-House manager. Louie Contreras is the Democrat hoping to upset a GOP powerhouse this fall. Send his some support. That is how upsets happen.
Category 4: Jack's Army of GOP Shadows
And then there is this group of folks. I know that they are tied to Abramoff, but the depth of the connection requires more research, more digging into sources like Open Secrets, Capital Eye, Thomas.gov, the Washington Post Voter's Project, the Center for Public Integrity, Lobbying Disclosure Forms, GPO Access, and many other locations of GOP scandal droppings. Especially useful are old press reports and Web sites. These folks are in the scandal shadow. It is time to bring them out into the light. So here are some Abramoff-connected GOP Weasels and their Democratic challengers:
#15:
Shelley Moore Capito (WV-2) seems to be
for sale and she has several Abramoff connections as well as a few
other problems. Perhaps her Abramoff connection is from her time on the
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee back in 2001 when money was flowing out of that Committee to Jack's pals on the Marianas. Her work with Jack might be how she got a choice seat on the Rules Committee. Time for a change in West Virginia and Democrat
Mike Callaghan is going to be the change agent. Lend him a hand.
#16: Steven LaTourette (OH-14) is another GOP Congressman who's name has come up with an Abramoff scandal connection. It might have something to do with his seat on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee a favorite Abramoff cookie jar. Lewis Katz is the Democrat working to replace this GOP weasel.
#17: George Radanovich (CA-19) has been on the Resource Committee since Abramoff first started to protect the GOP system of guest worker slavery. He has an interesting scandal connection. All the Abramoff plea agreements make note of travel to Saipan in January 2000 (see Ney's Aide Cops Plea = BIG trouble for the GOP). Well it turns out that Radanovich was on the trip and his travel disclosure form (PDF) is online. This should help TJ Cox the Democrat running against him this fall.
#18: Jon Porter (NV-3) is another one who seems very tied into the Abramoff Scandal. There is a lot of money from the GOP Leadership PACs flowing his way. There are lots of suggested connections, like the fact that he moved right onto the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee when he took office. With some research I think the connection can be made.
Tessa Hafen is the Democrat running to turn Porter out of office. Help her take back our House.
.#19: J. D. Hayworth (AZ-5) is deep into the Abramoff money and that doesn't count the Leadership PACs and the off-the-books "donations". And there are some other problems with JD. Again, some more research with increase the chances that Democrat Harry Mitchell will win in November. Let's connect the dots.
#20: Tom Davis (VA-11) is another Republican with an Abramoff connection in his closet. Worries about those connections may be behind the recent announcement that the House Government Reform Committee is investigating connections between Jack Abramoff and the White House. Now that's putting some distance between your campaign and GW Bush! Of course Davis has his strongest challenger in years, Democrat Andy Hurst and a District that is turning blue. Help Andy get the red out.
#21: Duncan Hunter (CA-52) has been part of Abramoff's inner circle for years. They are all California boys with a Reagan complex. His seat on the Armed Services Committee got him a role in the Duke Cunningham scandal. And it got him a role in the Abramoff scandal. A lot of land on CNMI was in the control of the US Armed Forces. Jack's pals wanted some of that land to build casinos and to improve airports to serve those casinos. They got the land and I think Hunter had a hand in the deal. John Rinaldi is the Democrat running to defeat Hunter this fall.
I am sure that there are more GOP Candidates who should be on this list.
There are a few Governors with an Abramoff problem (Ehrlich in Maryland comes to mind) and there are some returning GOP Candidates (like Max Burns in Georgia challenging Democrat John Barrow) who travel with an Abramoff monkey on their backs.
And then there is George W Bush and Ben Fitial, the Governor of CNMI. It really is hard to tell who is the most corrupt, but I'm going to have to give this one to the shifty fella from Texas.
In the end I still think there will be 50 GOP Congress Members tied to Abramoff.
As if on queue, TPMmuckraker is reporting that Ed Buckham is close to a deal (or indictment) and that more of the GOP money laundering infrastructure is being investigated.
Drip, drip, drip....
And I am certain that I'm missing some Senators and a few more Republican Members of Congress.
Let me know who I missed and I will try to add them to the list. I'll also keep an eye out for them as I sift through tons of files and documents.
I hope we are able to fill in the gaps soon. It will help take these rascals down and that will help us take this Country back in 2006.
Let's get to work.
UPDATE:
Thanks for the support. I will update this list as the weeks go by and I have some time to look into some of the suggested GOP Candidates.
And the news is breaking. TPMmuckraker is reporting about Doolittle and the Marianas Islands:
A TPMmuckraker investigation shows that Doolittle stayed in close touch with the island's needs through Abramoff and his team. According to billing records from Abramoff's lobbying firm in 2001, Doolittle met several times each month with members of Team Abramoff to discuss the concerns of the Northern Marianas (CNMI) government, which had been an Abramoff client since 1994. He signed "Dear Colleague" letters praising the islands; he met a number of times with island officials; and he was responsible for earmarking at least $400,000 in federal funds for the CNMI.
This is the kind of story that could break about most of the folks on the list (although Doolittle is one of Team Abramoff's stars).