washington lobbyist

You can't select who ends up sitting on a board with you, but you sure as hell can select who works on your campaign. So perhaps John McCain needs to explain this to the American people:

William Timmons, the Washington lobbyist who John McCain has named to head his presidential transition team, aided an influence effort on behalf of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein to ease international sanctions against his regime.

The two lobbyists who Timmons worked closely with over a five year period on the lobbying campaign later either pleaded guilty to or were convicted of federal criminal charges that they had acted as unregistered agents of Saddam Hussein's government.

During the same period beginning in 1992, Timmons worked closely with the two lobbyists, Samir Vincent and Tongsun Park, on a previously unreported prospective deal with the Iraqis in which they hoped to be awarded a contract to purchase and resell Iraqi oil. Timmons, Vincent, and Park stood to share at least $45 million if the business deal went through.

Of course whenever McCain is asked about the lobbyists on his campaign he ends up lying to the American people. So who is the real John McCain? Do we really want someone who employs allies of Saddam Hussein to run this country?

This is great news for Ohio:

Republican Rep. Bob Ney (news, bio, voting record), dogged by a corruption scandal involving disgraced Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff, will not seek re-election in the November mid-term election, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee said on Monday.

"Bob Ney was forced out of this race by the reality of an electorate demanding change from the culture of corruption in Washington and a Congress that compulsively puts special interests first at every opportunity," the DCCC, which helps organize and fund key races, said in a statement.

Ney's office could not be reached for comment.

The National Republican Congressional Committee said it would make a comment on Ney at around 9 a.m. EDT. (1300 GMT).

The DCCC had targeted Ney's race in central Ohio as one of their best chances to win one of 15 seats the party needs to wrest control of the House of Representatives from the Republicans.

Ney has asked Ohio State Sen. Joy Padgett to run in his place, the DCCC said.

If Ney and his infinite stubbornness decided not to run then he apparently is figuring on being charged very soon. So who will be next to fall from the Abramoff tree of corruption?

OK. This has to be one of the most ridiculous things I have read in ages. Via
the Cincinnati Enquirer:

Abramoff's dad furious at Clooney jab

By Erica Solvig The (Palm Springs, Calif.) Desert Sun

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. - The father of controversial Washington lobbyist
Jack Abramoff is responding to actor George Clooney for what he's describing
as a "glib and ridiculous attack" on his son.

Frank Abramoff of Rancho Mirage, Calif., in a letter addressed to Clooney
and sent Thursday to the Desert Sun newspaper of Palm Springs, said he was
watching the Golden Globes on Monday night when Clooney, during his
acceptance speech for best supporting actor, thanked Jack Abramoff "just
because" and made a comment about the lobbyist's name.

"Who would name their kid Jack with the last words 'off' at the end of
your last name? No wonder that guy is screwed up," said Clooney, a Kentucky
native, during the internationally televised awards show.

In the letter, Frank Abramoff furiously defends the name, saying his son
is named after Frank's father. In the two-page letter, he calls Clooney's
act a "lapse in lucidity" and an "obscene query."

He also wrote: "One wonders how your father would respond, were the roles
reversed." Clooney's father, Nick, is a veteran Cincinnati journalist.

Former GOP lobbyist Abramoff admitted bribing public officials and
defrauding his American Indian clients of millions of dollars.

In a telephone interview with the Desert Sun on Thursday, Frank Abramoff
said Clooney was "an idiot" and described the actions as "pure,
unadulterated stupidity."

Washington Post:

Abramoff Indicted in Fraud Case

Washington Lobbyist Arrested in L.A.

By James V. Grimaldi Washington Post Staff Writer Thursday, August 11, 2005; 5:51 PM

MIAMI, Aug. 11 -- Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff was indicted by a federal grand jury Thursday as part of a wide-ranging fraud case stemming from the purchase of a Florida casino cruise line from a businessman later murdered in Fort Lauderdale, the U.S. attorney announced.

Abramoff, a key figure in ethics investigations into House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.), was arrested in Los Angeles in late afternoon Eastern time and was expected to be taken to a U.S. magistrate there. He was indicted along with Adam Kidan, the former owner of the Dial-A-Mattress franchise in Washington. Kidan, 41, of New York City, will surrender to the FBI here by Friday morning, his attorney, Martin I. Jaffe, said in a written statement.

Abramoff and Kidan were indicted on five counts of wire fraud and conspiracy. The maximum penalty for each of the six counts is five years in prison and $250,000 fine.

In the statement, Kidan said, "I did nothing wrong and these allegations are totally unfounded." He also said he has "cooperated fully with the federal investigation."

Abramoff, 46, remains the subject of a separate federal corruption investigation in Washington stemming from his work for casino-rich Indian tribes.

A federal grand jury in Fort Lauderdale has been investigating allegations of bank fraud, the details of which are outlined in papers filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court.