Federal Abramoff Probe Inches Closer To Roy Blunt
The federal investigation into lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his ties to the Republican leadership keeps making fascinating twists and turns. Today's NY Times reports on a $9 million mega-deal Jack worked on with the President of Gabon.
But of more interest to Missourians is the cash that flowed through Jack to the House GOP Leadership and then on to almost every major Republican candidate for anything in Missouri.
The feds are already looking into whether there were official actions taken for the money that Abramoff showered so liberally on key GOP leaders.
It's only a matter of time before the feds take notice of Majority Leader Roy Blunt (R-K Street) and his keen interest in Indian gaming matters. In May of 2003, at Abramoff's urging, Roy Blunt sent a letter to Gale Norton, Secretary of the Interior, taking the side of Abramoff's client in an Indian gaming dispute. Just a few short weeks later, Blunt joined Speaker Dennis Hastert, then-Majority Leader Tom DeLay, and Chief Deputy Whip Eric Cantor, in yet another letter to Norton, once again siding with the Abramoff client. These letters were designed to aid Abramoff's prized client, the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana and their casino gambling operations.
The letter signed by the entire GOP leadership was drafted by Abramoff protege, Todd Boulanger, who is married to Jessica Boulanger, Blunt's official spokeswoman at the time.
According to an August 2000 USA Today story, posted at Tray.com, one of Abramoff's tribal clients, the Mississippi Band of Choctaws was a major source of the undisclosed campaign contributions that fed into DeLay's ARMPAC Convention, which in turn donated $150,000 to Blunt's ROYB Fund. And from the ROYB Fund, money flowed into the campaigns of numerous Missouri Republicans, and the state party.
Blunt's political committees have also been the recipient of direct contributions from Abramoff clients.
Abramoff's tribal clients have also been a major source of contributions for Senator Kit Bond's political slush fund, the Missouri Millenium Fund.
This is only going to keep getting more and more interesting.
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Scanlon Guily Plea Holds Nothing But Bad News For MO GOP
According to the Washington Post story on the guilty plea of former DeLay staffer and Abramoff partner, Michael Scanlon:
Congressional Scholar: Abramoff Scandal Worst In 100 Years
Blunt leadership
I have been carefully watching the actions of all leadership in regards to the actions they have taken and who's interest those decisions seemed to favor. Mr. Blunt is, of course, the main concern for his policies have been foremost in our states direction. Of all the disappointments in leadership, his actions have been the most difficult to stomach and the most obvious of partisonship. He has taken none of our needs and concerns into account at any level and has instead played with our future and that of our children. He has abandoned our elderly and poor, ignored the roads and bridges, and now is implicated possibly in money misuse to influence elections at all levels.
Meanwhile he uses the religious right and their one issue voting pattern to support his abuses at the expense of all our states members. I feel their hearts are in the right place, but they have allowed too many incapable people to hold power by repeating the one message they wish to hear. Many of the abuses we seem to suffer are because religion is getting too involved in elections and has no even vision of the needs of its people. They seem to have but one vision and we are all being held in its grip.
Separated at Birth?: Jetton and Abramoff