Thanks and A Tip of The Iceberg
This nation owes the folks who brought forth charges against influence peddlars and filthy politicians a great vote of thanks for their work. It appears that our country will soon right itself after many years of falling towards malfeasance, criminal actions by trusted elected officials, and corruption in the highest levels of our government.
This work could not have been easy, and no doubt there were times when it felt less than safe.
Obviously, with so much corruption potentially laid bare, and so much money and determination to hide illegal acts, this writer is certain that there were times when these lawyers may have felt that their lives, and indeed, the lives of their loved ones, could be forfeit.
It only stands to reason.
The courage that it takes in the beginnings of these investigations can only be guessed, and the fact that in this case, love of country took a front seat to all other considerations must create a new definition for ‘patriot’.
These people deserve the undying thanks of The People of The United States of America.
This writer, for one, vows to never tell another ‘lawyer’ joke.
___________________________________________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASETUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2006WWW.USDOJ.GOV
CRM(202) 514-2007TDD (202) 514-1888
Former Lobbyist Jack Abramoff Pleads Guilty to ChargesInvolving Corruption, Fraud Conspiracy, and Tax Evasion
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Former lobbyist Jack A. Abramoff has pleaded guilty to a three-count information charging him with conspiracy, aiding and abetting honest services mail fraud, and tax evasion, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division announced today. Abramoff, 47, entered his plea today in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia, before Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle. Under the terms of a plea agreement, Abramoff faces up to 30 years in prison, a fine of more than $750,000 and mandatory restitution estimated to be approximately $26.7 million. Abramoff has agreed to cooperate with law enforcement officials in an ongoing criminal investigation. Abramoff’s former business partner, Michael Scanlon, previously pleaded guilty in this investigation and is cooperating with law enforcement officials.
According to the plea agreement signed by Abramoff, from 1994 through early 2004 he was employed in the Washington, D.C. offices of two law firms. During this time, Abramoff lobbied public officials in the federal government, principally members of Congress. He also sought to further his client’s interests through grassroots work, public relations services and election campaign support. The information charges Abramoff with receiving undisclosed kickbacks from Scanlon, who owned and operated Capital Campaign Strategies, LLC (CCS). Abramoff and Scanlon conspired to defraud four Native American Indian tribes that either operated or were interested in operating gaming casinos. Each of these four clients, which were tribes located in Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, and Michigan, hired Abramoff through his employers to give advice regarding how best to limit competition from competing casinos or, in one instance, to re-open a previously closed casino. Once Abramoff had established a relationship with the tribal clients, he recommended Scanlon and CCS as the primary provider for grassroots work and public relations services. As Abramoff and Scanlon knew, the clients relied on Abramoff’s recommendation because of his expertise in these matters. As part of the scheme described in the information and plea agreement, Abramoff and Scanlon charged fees that incorporated huge profit margins and then split the net profits in a secret kickback arrangement. As both men knew, the secrecy of the kickback arrangement was crucial to the success of their scheme, and Scanlon and Abramoff concealed the arrangement from the tribal clients. Scanlon also formed other companies which were used essentially to receive funds from clients for work performed by CCS and others.
Abramoff also admitted that as one means of accomplishing results for their clients, he, Scanlon, and others engaged in a pattern of corruptly providing things of value to public officials, including trips, campaign contributions, and meals and entertainment, with the intent to influence acts by the public officials that would benefit Abramoff and Abramoff’s clients. For example, Abramoff and Scanlon provided things of value to a public official (described as Representative #1) and members of his staff, including, but not limited to, a lavish trip to Scotland to play golf on world-famous courses, tickets to sporting events and other entertainment, regular meals at Abramoff’s upscale restaurant, and campaign contributions for the Representative, his political action committee, his campaign committee, and other political committees on behalf of the Representative. At the same time, and in exchange for these things of value, Scanlon and Abramoff sought and received the Representative’s agreement to perform directly and through others a series of official acts, including but not limited to agreements to support and pass legislation, and agreements to place statements in the Congressional Record. Count Two of the criminal information charged Abramoff with aiding and abetting honest services fraud for arranging with a Texas Indian tribe to solicit another Indian tribe to mail a $50,000 payment, in order to assist Abramoff in paying for the golf trip he offered and provided to Representative #1 and some of his staff members. As stipulated in the agreement, through Abramoff’s scheme with Scanlon as well as several frauds he committed with others not including Scanlon, Abramoff received approximately $25 million in undisclosed criminal kickbacks and other fraudulently obtained funds. The tax evasion charge stems largely from Abramoff’s failure to report and pay taxes on income payments which he attempted to hide by causing them to be sent instead to certain non-profit entities that he controlled. Abramoff used the unreported income for his personal benefit and to carry out the fraud and corruption schemes described in the plea agreement and information. Abramoff also admitted that, in order to carry out his tax evasion, he caused others to prepare false invoices and false entries in books and records of certain non-profit entities and he caused them to file false reports with the Internal Revenue Service. Through this conduct, Abramoff evaded payment of approximately $1.7 million in federal income tax from 2001 to 2003.
“Government officials and governmental action are not for sale,” said Assistant Attorney General Fisher. “The Justice Department will aggressively investigate and prosecute these types of cases, which have such a devastating impact on the public’s trust of the government. We will not shy away from this responsibility.”
“Today’s plea is the result of determined efforts by United States investigators and attorneys working to vindicate the trust the American people deserve to have in the institutions of their government, including the tax system that supports it,” said Eileen J. O’Connor, Assistant Attorney General for the Tax Division. “People who enrich themselves by engaging in illegal activities compound their crimes by failing to pay taxes on their ill-gotten gains.”
“Beyond the illegal evasion of $1.7 million in taxes owed, one of the most disturbing elements of this whole sordid story is the blatant misuse of charities in a scheme to peddle political influence,” said IRS Commissioner Mark W. Everson. “At the IRS, one of our four service-wide enforcement priorities is deterring abuse within tax-exempt entities for tax avoidance or other unintended purposes.”
“Today’s pleas are not a victory, but rather milestones in ensuring that our citizens are indeed provided honest government services,” said FBI Assistant Director Chris Swecker of the Criminal Investigative Division. “This has been a lengthy and exhaustive investigation involving multiple FBI Field Offices, the Internal Revenue Service, and Inspectors General of the Department of Interior and General Services Administration. Protecting the interests of our government processes is the number one criminal priority of the FBI.. No criminal resources of the FBI will be spared in support of this important mission. ”
The Inspector General for the Department of the Interior, Earl E. Devaney, said, “As a partner in this task force for over two years, our focus has been on ensuring the integrity of both the Department’s programs and the officials who oversee them. To the extent that Mr. Abramoff can shed light in this regard, we welcome today’s events.” This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Mary K. Butler and M. Kendall Day of the Public Integrity Section, which is headed by Chief Noel L. Hillman; Guy D. Singer and Nathaniel B. Edmonds of the Fraud Section, which is headed by Acting Chief Paul E. Pelletier; and Stephanie D. Evans of the Tax Division’s Southern Criminal Enforcement Section, which is headed by Chief Bruce M. Salad. The case was investigated by various law enforcement agencies, including Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, General Services Administration Office of Inspector General, and the Department of the Interior Office of the Inspector General. Abramoff has also been indicted by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Florida. The Miami prosecution is being handled by U.S. Attorney R. Alexander Acosta and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lawrence D. LaVecchio and Paul F. Schwartz.
###
06-002
Department of Justice website
__________________________________________________________________________________
Jan 4, 11:07 AM EST
Bush to Give Up $6,000 Linked to Abramoff
By PETE YOST Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush's re-election campaign is giving up $6,000 in campaign contributions connected to lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who faced more guilty pleas as part of a broad-ranging political corruption investigation.
The once-powerful lobbyist was due in federal court in Miami later Wednesday to plead guilty to fraud charges stemming from his purchases of a Florida gambling boat fleet called SunCruz. The plea is part of an agreement with prosecutors requiring him to cooperate in a broad corruption investigation into members of Congress.
In a plea agreement with government prosecutors Tuesday, Abramoff agreed to tell the FBI about alleged bribes to lawmakers and their aides on issues ranging from Internet gambling to wireless phone service in the House.
The full extent of the investigation is not yet known, but Justice Department officials said they intended to make use of the trove of e-mails and other material in Abramoff's possession as part of a probe that is believed to be focusing on as many as 20 members of Congress and aides.
"The corruption scheme with Mr. Abramoff is very extensive and we will continue to follow it wherever it leads," said Assistant Attorney General Alice Fisher, head of the Justice Department's criminal division.
Bush joined several lawmakers, including House Speaker Dennis Hastert and former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, who have announced plans to donate Abramoff's campaign contributions to charity.
Abramoff raised at least $100,000 for the Bush-Cheney '04 re-election campaign, earning the honorary title "pioneer" from the campaign. But the campaign is giving up only $6,000 directly from Abramoff, his wife and one of the Indian tribes that he worked to win influence for in Washington.
Abramoff, his wife and the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan each donated $2,000 to the Bush campaign, said Republican National Committee spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt. The rest of the money that Abramoff brought in was from other individuals whom he encouraged to donate to Bush.
"At this point, there is nothing to indicate that contributions from those individual donors represents anything other than enthusiastic support for the (Bush-Cheney) BC-04 relection campaign," Schmitt said.
White House press secretary Scott McClellan said Wednesday that Bush does not know Abramoff personally, although it's possible that the two met at holiday receptions. Abramoff attended three Hanukkah receptions at the Bush White House, the spokesman said.
DeLay will give campaign contributions connected to Abramoff to charities, his spokesman, Kevin Madden, said in an e-mail Wednesday. The Texas Republican received at least $57,000 in political contributions from Abramoff, his lobbying associates or his tribal clients between 2001 and 2004. DeLay is now awaiting trial in Texas on charges of laundering campaign money used in races for the state legislature.
Court papers in Abramoff's case refer to an aide to DeLay who helped stop anti-gambling legislation regarding the Internet during a time in which DeLay was in the House Republican leadership. Abramoff, the papers state, paid the staffer's wife $50,000 from clients that benefited from the actions of the staffer, identified by a person close to the investigation as Tony Rudy, DeLay's former deputy chief of staff.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the probe is ongoing. Rudy did not return a phone call Tuesday at his lobbying firm.
DeLay, R-Texas, voted against his party on the Internet anti-gambling legislation which was designed to make it easier for authorities to stop online gambling sites.
DeLay attorney Richard Cullen said he believes that when the investigation is completed and the truth is known that the Justice Department will conclude that his client, who had risen to House majority leader before stepping down from the post last year, did nothing wrong.
Abramoff pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiracy, mail fraud and tax evasion, with his conduct outlined in court papers that refers to "a stream of things of value to public officials in exchange for a series of official acts and influence."
The political ramifications of the Abramoff probe were apparent, with minority Democrats intending to make ethics a campaign issue in this election year. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said Abramoff's confession in court was "not a surprise because this Republican Congress is the most corrupt in history and the American people are paying the price."
Some political consultants and analysts are comparing potential damage from the Abramoff investigation to the 1992 House banking scandal that led to the retirement or ouster of 77 lawmakers.
Abramoff's cooperation has made lawmakers nervous.
The court papers in the Washington case refer to Rep. Bob Ney, R-Ohio, saying that regarding SunCruz, the congressman placed a statement drafted by Abramoff partner Michael Scanlon in the Congressional Record. The statement, the court papers say, was calculated to pressure the owner of SunCruz to sell on terms favorable to Abramoff.
Ney denies wrongdoing, saying that "at the time I dealt with Jack Abramoff, I obviously did not know, and had no way of knowing, the self-serving and fraudulent nature of Abramoff's activities."
Abramoff and his former partner, Adam Kidan, are charged with concocting a false $23 million wire transfer making it appear they contributed a sizable stake of their own cash into the $147.5 million purchase of cruise ships.
The court papers released Tuesday in Washington raised questions about Ney's former chief of staff, Neil Volz. The documents say the ex-staffer contacted the congressman on behalf of an Abramoff client that won a lucrative deal from Ney to improve cell phone reception in House buildings.
Volz contacted his ex-boss within one year of leaving the congressman's staff, the court papers say, a possible violation of federal conflict of interest laws which impose a one-year lobbying ban.
Volz referred questions to his attorney, who was not immediately available for comment.
Abramoff was once a well-connected lobbyist able to command almost unimaginable fees: A Louisiana tribe once paid Scanlon and him more than $30 million over 26 months. Now facing up to 11 years in prison, Abramoff apologized after pleading guilty.
"Words will not ever be able to express my sorrow and my profound regret for all my actions and mistakes," Abramoff said. "I hope I can merit forgiveness from the Almighty and those I've wronged or caused to suffer."
© 2006 The Associated Press.
This work could not have been easy, and no doubt there were times when it felt less than safe.
Obviously, with so much corruption potentially laid bare, and so much money and determination to hide illegal acts, this writer is certain that there were times when these lawyers may have felt that their lives, and indeed, the lives of their loved ones, could be forfeit.
It only stands to reason.
The courage that it takes in the beginnings of these investigations can only be guessed, and the fact that in this case, love of country took a front seat to all other considerations must create a new definition for ‘patriot’.
These people deserve the undying thanks of The People of The United States of America.
This writer, for one, vows to never tell another ‘lawyer’ joke.
___________________________________________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASETUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2006WWW.USDOJ.GOV
CRM(202) 514-2007TDD (202) 514-1888
Former Lobbyist Jack Abramoff Pleads Guilty to ChargesInvolving Corruption, Fraud Conspiracy, and Tax Evasion
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Former lobbyist Jack A. Abramoff has pleaded guilty to a three-count information charging him with conspiracy, aiding and abetting honest services mail fraud, and tax evasion, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division announced today. Abramoff, 47, entered his plea today in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia, before Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle. Under the terms of a plea agreement, Abramoff faces up to 30 years in prison, a fine of more than $750,000 and mandatory restitution estimated to be approximately $26.7 million. Abramoff has agreed to cooperate with law enforcement officials in an ongoing criminal investigation. Abramoff’s former business partner, Michael Scanlon, previously pleaded guilty in this investigation and is cooperating with law enforcement officials.
According to the plea agreement signed by Abramoff, from 1994 through early 2004 he was employed in the Washington, D.C. offices of two law firms. During this time, Abramoff lobbied public officials in the federal government, principally members of Congress. He also sought to further his client’s interests through grassroots work, public relations services and election campaign support. The information charges Abramoff with receiving undisclosed kickbacks from Scanlon, who owned and operated Capital Campaign Strategies, LLC (CCS). Abramoff and Scanlon conspired to defraud four Native American Indian tribes that either operated or were interested in operating gaming casinos. Each of these four clients, which were tribes located in Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, and Michigan, hired Abramoff through his employers to give advice regarding how best to limit competition from competing casinos or, in one instance, to re-open a previously closed casino. Once Abramoff had established a relationship with the tribal clients, he recommended Scanlon and CCS as the primary provider for grassroots work and public relations services. As Abramoff and Scanlon knew, the clients relied on Abramoff’s recommendation because of his expertise in these matters. As part of the scheme described in the information and plea agreement, Abramoff and Scanlon charged fees that incorporated huge profit margins and then split the net profits in a secret kickback arrangement. As both men knew, the secrecy of the kickback arrangement was crucial to the success of their scheme, and Scanlon and Abramoff concealed the arrangement from the tribal clients. Scanlon also formed other companies which were used essentially to receive funds from clients for work performed by CCS and others.
Abramoff also admitted that as one means of accomplishing results for their clients, he, Scanlon, and others engaged in a pattern of corruptly providing things of value to public officials, including trips, campaign contributions, and meals and entertainment, with the intent to influence acts by the public officials that would benefit Abramoff and Abramoff’s clients. For example, Abramoff and Scanlon provided things of value to a public official (described as Representative #1) and members of his staff, including, but not limited to, a lavish trip to Scotland to play golf on world-famous courses, tickets to sporting events and other entertainment, regular meals at Abramoff’s upscale restaurant, and campaign contributions for the Representative, his political action committee, his campaign committee, and other political committees on behalf of the Representative. At the same time, and in exchange for these things of value, Scanlon and Abramoff sought and received the Representative’s agreement to perform directly and through others a series of official acts, including but not limited to agreements to support and pass legislation, and agreements to place statements in the Congressional Record. Count Two of the criminal information charged Abramoff with aiding and abetting honest services fraud for arranging with a Texas Indian tribe to solicit another Indian tribe to mail a $50,000 payment, in order to assist Abramoff in paying for the golf trip he offered and provided to Representative #1 and some of his staff members. As stipulated in the agreement, through Abramoff’s scheme with Scanlon as well as several frauds he committed with others not including Scanlon, Abramoff received approximately $25 million in undisclosed criminal kickbacks and other fraudulently obtained funds. The tax evasion charge stems largely from Abramoff’s failure to report and pay taxes on income payments which he attempted to hide by causing them to be sent instead to certain non-profit entities that he controlled. Abramoff used the unreported income for his personal benefit and to carry out the fraud and corruption schemes described in the plea agreement and information. Abramoff also admitted that, in order to carry out his tax evasion, he caused others to prepare false invoices and false entries in books and records of certain non-profit entities and he caused them to file false reports with the Internal Revenue Service. Through this conduct, Abramoff evaded payment of approximately $1.7 million in federal income tax from 2001 to 2003.
“Government officials and governmental action are not for sale,” said Assistant Attorney General Fisher. “The Justice Department will aggressively investigate and prosecute these types of cases, which have such a devastating impact on the public’s trust of the government. We will not shy away from this responsibility.”
“Today’s plea is the result of determined efforts by United States investigators and attorneys working to vindicate the trust the American people deserve to have in the institutions of their government, including the tax system that supports it,” said Eileen J. O’Connor, Assistant Attorney General for the Tax Division. “People who enrich themselves by engaging in illegal activities compound their crimes by failing to pay taxes on their ill-gotten gains.”
“Beyond the illegal evasion of $1.7 million in taxes owed, one of the most disturbing elements of this whole sordid story is the blatant misuse of charities in a scheme to peddle political influence,” said IRS Commissioner Mark W. Everson. “At the IRS, one of our four service-wide enforcement priorities is deterring abuse within tax-exempt entities for tax avoidance or other unintended purposes.”
“Today’s pleas are not a victory, but rather milestones in ensuring that our citizens are indeed provided honest government services,” said FBI Assistant Director Chris Swecker of the Criminal Investigative Division. “This has been a lengthy and exhaustive investigation involving multiple FBI Field Offices, the Internal Revenue Service, and Inspectors General of the Department of Interior and General Services Administration. Protecting the interests of our government processes is the number one criminal priority of the FBI.. No criminal resources of the FBI will be spared in support of this important mission. ”
The Inspector General for the Department of the Interior, Earl E. Devaney, said, “As a partner in this task force for over two years, our focus has been on ensuring the integrity of both the Department’s programs and the officials who oversee them. To the extent that Mr. Abramoff can shed light in this regard, we welcome today’s events.” This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Mary K. Butler and M. Kendall Day of the Public Integrity Section, which is headed by Chief Noel L. Hillman; Guy D. Singer and Nathaniel B. Edmonds of the Fraud Section, which is headed by Acting Chief Paul E. Pelletier; and Stephanie D. Evans of the Tax Division’s Southern Criminal Enforcement Section, which is headed by Chief Bruce M. Salad. The case was investigated by various law enforcement agencies, including Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, General Services Administration Office of Inspector General, and the Department of the Interior Office of the Inspector General. Abramoff has also been indicted by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Florida. The Miami prosecution is being handled by U.S. Attorney R. Alexander Acosta and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lawrence D. LaVecchio and Paul F. Schwartz.
###
06-002
Department of Justice website
__________________________________________________________________________________
Jan 4, 11:07 AM EST
Bush to Give Up $6,000 Linked to Abramoff
By PETE YOST Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush's re-election campaign is giving up $6,000 in campaign contributions connected to lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who faced more guilty pleas as part of a broad-ranging political corruption investigation.
The once-powerful lobbyist was due in federal court in Miami later Wednesday to plead guilty to fraud charges stemming from his purchases of a Florida gambling boat fleet called SunCruz. The plea is part of an agreement with prosecutors requiring him to cooperate in a broad corruption investigation into members of Congress.
In a plea agreement with government prosecutors Tuesday, Abramoff agreed to tell the FBI about alleged bribes to lawmakers and their aides on issues ranging from Internet gambling to wireless phone service in the House.
The full extent of the investigation is not yet known, but Justice Department officials said they intended to make use of the trove of e-mails and other material in Abramoff's possession as part of a probe that is believed to be focusing on as many as 20 members of Congress and aides.
"The corruption scheme with Mr. Abramoff is very extensive and we will continue to follow it wherever it leads," said Assistant Attorney General Alice Fisher, head of the Justice Department's criminal division.
Bush joined several lawmakers, including House Speaker Dennis Hastert and former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, who have announced plans to donate Abramoff's campaign contributions to charity.
Abramoff raised at least $100,000 for the Bush-Cheney '04 re-election campaign, earning the honorary title "pioneer" from the campaign. But the campaign is giving up only $6,000 directly from Abramoff, his wife and one of the Indian tribes that he worked to win influence for in Washington.
Abramoff, his wife and the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan each donated $2,000 to the Bush campaign, said Republican National Committee spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt. The rest of the money that Abramoff brought in was from other individuals whom he encouraged to donate to Bush.
"At this point, there is nothing to indicate that contributions from those individual donors represents anything other than enthusiastic support for the (Bush-Cheney) BC-04 relection campaign," Schmitt said.
White House press secretary Scott McClellan said Wednesday that Bush does not know Abramoff personally, although it's possible that the two met at holiday receptions. Abramoff attended three Hanukkah receptions at the Bush White House, the spokesman said.
DeLay will give campaign contributions connected to Abramoff to charities, his spokesman, Kevin Madden, said in an e-mail Wednesday. The Texas Republican received at least $57,000 in political contributions from Abramoff, his lobbying associates or his tribal clients between 2001 and 2004. DeLay is now awaiting trial in Texas on charges of laundering campaign money used in races for the state legislature.
Court papers in Abramoff's case refer to an aide to DeLay who helped stop anti-gambling legislation regarding the Internet during a time in which DeLay was in the House Republican leadership. Abramoff, the papers state, paid the staffer's wife $50,000 from clients that benefited from the actions of the staffer, identified by a person close to the investigation as Tony Rudy, DeLay's former deputy chief of staff.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the probe is ongoing. Rudy did not return a phone call Tuesday at his lobbying firm.
DeLay, R-Texas, voted against his party on the Internet anti-gambling legislation which was designed to make it easier for authorities to stop online gambling sites.
DeLay attorney Richard Cullen said he believes that when the investigation is completed and the truth is known that the Justice Department will conclude that his client, who had risen to House majority leader before stepping down from the post last year, did nothing wrong.
Abramoff pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiracy, mail fraud and tax evasion, with his conduct outlined in court papers that refers to "a stream of things of value to public officials in exchange for a series of official acts and influence."
The political ramifications of the Abramoff probe were apparent, with minority Democrats intending to make ethics a campaign issue in this election year. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said Abramoff's confession in court was "not a surprise because this Republican Congress is the most corrupt in history and the American people are paying the price."
Some political consultants and analysts are comparing potential damage from the Abramoff investigation to the 1992 House banking scandal that led to the retirement or ouster of 77 lawmakers.
Abramoff's cooperation has made lawmakers nervous.
The court papers in the Washington case refer to Rep. Bob Ney, R-Ohio, saying that regarding SunCruz, the congressman placed a statement drafted by Abramoff partner Michael Scanlon in the Congressional Record. The statement, the court papers say, was calculated to pressure the owner of SunCruz to sell on terms favorable to Abramoff.
Ney denies wrongdoing, saying that "at the time I dealt with Jack Abramoff, I obviously did not know, and had no way of knowing, the self-serving and fraudulent nature of Abramoff's activities."
Abramoff and his former partner, Adam Kidan, are charged with concocting a false $23 million wire transfer making it appear they contributed a sizable stake of their own cash into the $147.5 million purchase of cruise ships.
The court papers released Tuesday in Washington raised questions about Ney's former chief of staff, Neil Volz. The documents say the ex-staffer contacted the congressman on behalf of an Abramoff client that won a lucrative deal from Ney to improve cell phone reception in House buildings.
Volz contacted his ex-boss within one year of leaving the congressman's staff, the court papers say, a possible violation of federal conflict of interest laws which impose a one-year lobbying ban.
Volz referred questions to his attorney, who was not immediately available for comment.
Abramoff was once a well-connected lobbyist able to command almost unimaginable fees: A Louisiana tribe once paid Scanlon and him more than $30 million over 26 months. Now facing up to 11 years in prison, Abramoff apologized after pleading guilty.
"Words will not ever be able to express my sorrow and my profound regret for all my actions and mistakes," Abramoff said. "I hope I can merit forgiveness from the Almighty and those I've wronged or caused to suffer."
© 2006 The Associated Press.
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