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Abramoff Associates, Lobbyists, and Extremists Pay Tribute to Tom Delay's Record of Accomplishment

May 12, 2005

Tonight, conservatives will gather to show their support for Tom DeLay and honor his record of conservative accomplishments -- or at least that is what the American Conservative Union wants you to think. But Thursday night is just an opportunity for conservative Republican House Members, corporate lobbyists, right wing extremists, and associates of disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff to create some badly needed favorable press for Tom DeLay and a chance to do some business at the same time. What favors are these lobbyists and their clients repaying tonight? What will this political farce buy them tomorrow?

David Keene Lobbied for Organization Linked to Abramoff. According to Senate records, David Keene lobbied for the United Seniors Association, now known as USA Next, from 1998 through 2004 while a lobbyist at the Carmen Group. Abramoff served as a board member for United Seniors, a group created by archconservative and GOP direct-mail guru Richard Viguerie that lobbied for Medicare cuts in the 1990s. The United Seniors Association is also known as USA Next, the group that earlier this year was criticized for running ads linking the AARP to gay marriage and accusing them of not supporting US. Troops. [Senate Office of Public Records, sopr.senate.gov; Chicago Tribune, 4/10/05; The Hill, 3/26/03; American Prospect, 6/04; Saint Paul Pioneer Press (Minnesota), 3/27/05]

Keene Lobbied for Conservative Groups and Corporate Interests. According to Senate filings, Keene has lobbied for a varied portfolio of special interests through the Carmen Group. His clients have included Survival Incorporated (manufacturer of survival equipment and armored vests for United States military), the Hyundai Motor Company, and the United Seniors Association. [Senate Office of Public Records]

Norquist And Abramoff, Old Friends. Grover Norquist helped run Jack Abramoff's 1981 campaign for National Chairman of the College Republicans and then served as executive director of the organization under Abramoff. Abramoff served as a board member of Americans for Tax Reform (ATR), which was founded by Norquist in 1985. [National Journal, 10/11/03; The Hill, 3/26/03; http://www.atr.org/home/about/index.html]

Abramoff Directed Funds to ATR. According to Newsweek, tribal leaders from the Saginaw Chippewa Indian tribe of Michigan, an Abramoff client, had "three or four" meetings at the White House--including one with Bush and another with Rove - after they gave a $25,000 donation to Americans for Tax Reform at Abramoff's request. The Agua Caliente tribe donated about $20,000 to ATR, and the Louisiana Coushatta also sent a $25,000 check; both were Abramoff clients. [Newsweek, 5/2/05; Washington Post, 9/29/04; Houston Chronicle, 4/13/05]

Norquist Lobbied For Corporate Interests, Gambling Industry. According to Senate filings, Americans for Tax Reform founder Grover Norquist has lobbied for a variety of corporate interests, including EchoStar Communications (Satellite Communications), the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, and BP America. Norquist also lobbied for the Interactive Gaming Council on the issue of internet gambling. [Senate Office of Public Records]

Feulner Involved in Questionable Malaysia Trip With Abramoff and DeLay. In August 2001, DeLay led a delegation to Malaysia where he attended informal meetings and a fancy dinner in his honor given by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad in Kuala Lumpur. Jack Abramoff attended the dinner thrown in DeLay's honor. Edwin Feulner was president of the Heritage foundation at the time of the trip. Feulner also went to Malaysia, saying that, "I sat by the pool while they played golf." Feulner worked for Belle Haven Consultants as a senior advisor. Official travel disclosure stated that the Heritage Foundation sponsored the travel. However, Time magazine reported that former Wyoming Senator Malcolm Wallop, a Heritage senior fellow who was on the trip, said Heritage did not pay for the trip and that Belle Haven Consultants, a for-profit, Hong Kong-based firm linked to the Malaysian government, played a key role. According to Wallop, "Heritage had nothing to do with it… Belle Haven did." Both DeLay's office and the Heritage Foundation insist Heritage paid for the trip. [Time, 4/25/05; Washington Post, 4/17/05; Member Travel Disclosure Form, 3/19/02]

Abramoff Organization Launched Partnership with Bauer. Jack Abramoff helped Rabbi Danny Lapin found Toward Tradition, an organization that still lists Abramoff as a board member. Towards Tradition launched a project to promote Jewish-Christian partnership named the American Alliance of Jews and Christians (AAJC), which was led Lapin and Gary Bauer. The AAJC's Board of Advisers included Abramoff. [Indiana Jewish Post & Opinion, 7/17/02; http://www.towardtradition.org/boardmembers.htm]

Bauer Co-Chaired Conservative Christian-Jewish Group With Abramoff. Gary Bauer co-chaired the American Alliance of Jews and Christians (AAJC) with Jack Abramoff. AAJC was a project launched by Toward Tradition, a nonprofit Mercer Island faith-based, right-wing political coalition run by Rabbi Daniel Lapin and founded by Abramoff. The Alliance's board of advisers included Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, Watergate conspirator Charles Colson, Abramoff, Rabbi Daniel Lapin's longtime friend and fellow radio talker Michael Medved. [Seattle Weekly, 2/23/2005; Indiana Jewish Post & Opinion, 7/17/2002]

Bauer's Former Campaign Manager On Board of United Seniors With Abramoff. Lionel Van Deerlin pointed out in a Copley News Service Op-Ed the right-wing connections within the United Seniors Association: Charles W. Jarvis, who managed Gary Bauer's presidential campaign, joined Abramoff on the board of United Seniors Association. The group has supported pharmaceutical company positions on prescription drugs and oil companies' positions in the fight over the energy bill. It also contributed to the "Swift Boat" veteran's anti-Kerry campaign. [Copley News Service, 3/3/2005]

Blackwell Led Lobbyist Party ID Project. Morton Blackwell's Leadership Institute compiled a list of political contributions from lobbyists at the top 20 K Street firms that identified many of the lobbyists by party affiliation and included the amount each had given to both Democrats and Republicans in 1998. Abramoff was listed as one of biggest givers with $22,000 in contributions to Republicans. [National Journal's Congress Daily, 9/16/1998]

Brad O'Leary and Abramoff Are Dinner Friends. Brad O'Leary and Jack Abramoff were seen having dinner together at Sequoia in 1994. Both O'Leary and Abramoff have backgrounds in the entertainment industry. [Washington Times, 10/14/94]

Black and Abramoff Both Raised Beltway Dollars for Bush. In June 1999, Abramoff and Black were among the names listed as co-chairmen for a Bush fundraiser at the Washington Hilton. The co-chairmen had to raise at least $25,000 each. [New York Post, 5/20/99; Robert Novak Column]

Black Lobbied for Big Business and Russian Oil Interests. According to Senate filings, Charles Black, who is a member of BKSH and Associates, a "Washington government relations firm," has been registered to lobby for a variety of corporate interests. Black's clients have included Yukos Oil (a Russian Oil Company), Accenture Corporation, and G-tech on the issue of internet gaming. [Senate Office of Public Records]

Family Research Council's Perkins Purchased Avowed KKK Leader's Phone List. In 1996 while running Woody Jenkins' failed Senate Bid, Perkings signed a contract for $82,500 to purchase a phone bank connected to David Duke. The Jenkins campaign was later fined for attempting to conceal the purchase from elections officials. [AP, 10/25/02]

Blackwell Admired Abramoff's Style. Even in his early 20's, says Morton Blackwell, a former Reagan aide and longtime mentor to young conservatives: ''Jack was a good politician. He clearly was a leader.'' [New York Times, 5/1/2005]

Republican Activist Distributed "Purple Heart Band-Aids" at GOP Convention. According to the Associated Press, Morton Blackwell, a longtime GOP activist from Virginia and president of the Leadership Institute, distributed bandages with purple hearts on them, mocking the service of Sen. John Kerry. The message accompanying the band-aid stated: "It was just a self-inflicted scratch, but you see I got a Purple Heart for it." [Associated Press, 8/30/04]

Phyllis Schlafly Believes Equal Pay For Women Leads To Same Sex Marriage. A conservative activist and the leader of the anti-ERA movement in the 70s, Schlafly continues to oppose the Equal Rights Amendment today saying "It's just as bad as it ever was. And it's perfectly obvious now that it would give us same-sex marriages." [AP State & Local Wire, 2/16/2005]

Marsha Blackburn Received $5,000 from DeLay's Political Action Committee. According to FEC fillings Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) received $5,000 from Tom DeLay's TRMPAC during the 2004 election cycle. Blackburn also donated $1,000 to DeLay's Legal Defense Fund. [www.tray.com]

Livingston Lobbied for Indian Gaming Interests. In 2001, former Rep. Bob Livingston was retained by a California development company that helped bankroll the Lytton Band of Pomos's planned opening of a "card room" near Oakland, CA. A bill had been introduced that would have scuttled the planned casino. Livingston along with other lobbyists succeeded in killing the bill in the House, clearing the way for the new casino. [California Journal, 7/1/02]

Bob Livingston, Defense Lobbyist. Former Congressman Bob Livingston is now a DC lobbyist who represents defense contractors such as Northrup Grumman and Lockhead Martin; energy corporations like El Paso Electric Corp, US Oil & Gas Association, and ChevronTexaco; and pharmaceutical companies like Pharmacia. [Senate Office of Public Record, senate.sopr.gov; Roll Call 4/21/2005]