Rove&Abramoff

[Rach3]

Corruption at the highest levels, again.

Abramoff and Rove Had 82 Contacts, Report Says

The House Government Reform Committee report, based on e-mail messages and other records subpoenaed from Mr. Abramoff’s lobbying firm, found 485 contacts between Mr. Abramoff’s lobbying team and White House officials from 2001 to 2004, including 82 with Mr. Rove’s office.

The lobbyists spent almost $25,000 in meals and drinks for the White House officials and provided them with tickets to numerous sporting events and concerts, according to the report, scheduled for release Friday.

The authors of the report said it was generally unclear from available records whether the aides reimbursed Mr. Abramoff for the meals or tickets.. Ethics rules bar White House officials from accepting lobbyists’ gifts worth more than $20.http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/29/washington/29abramoff.html?_r=1&ref=washington&oref=slogin

[Astronuc]

Democrats press White House on Abramoff contacts (http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=newsOne&storyID=2006-09-29T221643Z_01_N29366934_RTRUKOC_0_US-ABRAMOFF.xml&WTmodLoc=Home-C2-TopNews-newsOne-7)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats called on the White House on Friday to explain a congressional report showing many contacts with Jack Abramoff, but aides to President George W. Bush dismissed the notion the disgraced lobbyist wielded any influence.

Abramoff and his associates have pleaded guilty to conspiracy, fraud and related crimes, in an influence-peddling scandal that Democrats are using this election season to wrest control of Congress from the Republicans.

"For months, White House officials have refused to be straight with the American people about Jack Abramoff," said House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi of California.

"Now we know the truth: a disgraced lobbyist traded perks and campaign contributions for special access to the Bush White House," she said.

A report by a House of Representatives panel found Abramoff and his lobbying team had about 485 contacts with the White House, including 10 with Karl Rove, who is Bush's top political adviser.

E-mails and billing records were used to compile the report by the House Government Reform Committee that looked at the period spanning three years ended in 2003. So it's 10 contacts with Rove and 82 contacts with Rove's office. No surprise that the democrats will make as big a deal as possible during the next 5 weeks.