We’ve seen several guilty pleas and resignations — Now, the ballad of Casino Jack has brought a conviction the hard way. Former White House procurement head and Abramoff flunky David Safavian is found guilty on 4 of 5 counts of lying and obstruction of justice. “Each count carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.” So that takes care of Safavian…which GOP luminary will face trial next? Ralph Reed, perhaps? Or will it be Bob Ney?
Tag: Jack Abramoff
Volz comes clean.
“David was kind of the brains of the operation.” In the continuing trial of David Safavian, flipped Casino Jack flunky Neil Volz testifies to explain how the Abramoff operation courted — and was courted by — its “champions.” “‘When I was on Capitol Hill, I was given tickets to sporting events, concerts, free food, free meals,’ he testified. ‘In return, I gave preferential treatment to my lobbying buddies.’“
Twisted Reed.
In related news, another member of Team Abramoff, former Christian Coalition head Ralph Reed, runs into more campaign trouble, this time involving his 1999 attack on proposed federal wage and worker laws in the Marianas Islands. “‘The radical left, the Big Labor Union Bosses, and Bill Clinton want to pass a law preventing Chinese from coming to work on the Marianas Islands,’ the mailer from Reed’s firm said. The Chinese workers, it added, ‘are exposed to the teachings of Jesus Christ’ while on the islands, and many ‘are converted to the Christian faith and return to China with Bibles in hand.’ A year earlier, the Department of the Interior — which oversees federal policy toward the U.S. territory — presented a very different picture of life for Chinese workers on the islands. An Interior report found that Chinese women were subject to forced abortions and that women and children were subject to forced prostitution in the local sex-tourism industry.“
Denny’s Grand Slam?
Oh, that’s why. In related news, ABC News is reporting that Casino Jack’s #1 guy, GOP Speaker Dennis Hastert, is a target in the widening Abramoff investigations. And, what’s more, ABC is sticking by its story even after a DOJ denial. “‘You guys wrote the story very carefully but they are not reading it very carefully,’ a senior official said.“
Casino Jack and White House Dave.
“Mr. Safavian’s lawyer, Barbara Van Gelder, said the government’s case was based on ‘guilt by association.’ The Justice Department, she said, ‘is trying to take Jack Abramoff’s state of mind and say that everybody who dealt with him had that same state of mind.’” Casino Jack flunky and former top White House procurement official David Safavian prepares for his day in court, later this week. Speaking of guilt by association, “Ms. Van Gelder said in a telephone interview that the defense case had been complicated in recent days by the refusal of some defense witnesses to testify, citing their constitutional rights against self-incrimination.” Update: It has begun.
Oh, those records.
“Everybody knew that Judicial Watch had gotten the shaft. It just wasn’t clear how. Well, here’s how: the Secret Service doesn’t have the records – the White House does. That’s because the Secret Service transfers their more comprehensive visitor logs, called WAVES (Workers Appointments and Visitors Entry System) records, to the White House every 60 days.” TPM‘s Paul Kiel explains why the Secret Service records of Abramoff came up basically blank. (Via Now This.)
Abramoff the Record.
Not a smoking gun just yet…The Secret Service logs obtained by Judicial Watch reveal only two short White House trips taken by Casino Jack, one in 2001 and one in 2004. “The White House said last week that the Secret Service’s logs documenting Abramoff’s entries into the executive mansion complex might not reveal all meetings. ‘I don’t know exactly what they’ll be providing, but they only have certain records and so I just wouldn’t view it as a complete historical record,’ spokesman Scott McClellan said.” Ok, then, I won’t.
I’d like to buy a Volz.
As the Bunk would say, this is great po-lice work. Prosecutors flip another Casino-Jack-implicated GOP congressional aide in Neil Volz, former chief of staff to Delay/Abramoff flunky Bob Ney, meaning that — despite handily winning his Ohio primary last week — the “Mayor of Capitol Hill” is as good as gone. “Volz…is the fifth cooperating witness, including Abramoff, who has pleaded guilty and agreed to provide evidence against Ney in the ongoing criminal investigation.”
House of Corruption.
“Their bill…is an insult to voters who the GOP apparently believes are dumb enough to be snookered by this feint. The procedures under which it is to be debated, allowing only meaningless amendments to be considered, are an insult also — to the democratic process.” Neverthless, despite the Post‘s pleading yesterday, the House makes a bet that Abramoff won’t stick and passes the GOP’s phantom reform bill 217-213. “Joan Claybrook, president of the liberal group Public Citizen, said the measure is ‘a fraud on the American public.’” A fraud…and hopefully a fatal error for the GOP majority, should Casino Jack’s travails remain front-page fodder from now through November.
Judicial Watches Jack.
“The American people deserve the truth concerning admitted felon Jack Abramoff’s visits and meetings with Bush administration officials in the White House” Once a thorn in the side of the Clinton White House, Judicial Watch shows once again that it’s an equal opportunity executive irritant by forcing the Secret Service to turn over records of Casino Jack’s visits to the White House. “The visitor logs are to be delivered to Judicial Watch by May 10.“