Gordon Smith hearts Jack Abramoff…
by Sid AndersonJanuary 4th, 2006 at 18:41:30
…at least he did until yesterday when uber-lobbyist Jack Abramoff pleaded guilty to fraud and conspiracy charges. Today Senator Gordon Smith is scrambling to get rid of his Abramoff money faster than you can say “Golf trips to Scotland.”
The whole Abramoff scandal saw its first disinfecting sunlight in the Senate Indian Affairs Committee where Smith just happens to hold a seat, but instead of questioning Abramoff during the committee hearings, Smith was silent. Willamette Week knows why (via Blue Oregon):
Smith and Abramoff aren’t strangers. The senator has held fundraisers at a D.C. restaurant that Abramoff owned until recently, and he has taken thousands of dollars in campaign donations from Abramoff and his tribal clients.
…Abramoff and his tribal clients have contributed to Smith, before and after Smith was named to the Indian Affairs Committee in January 2003.
This isn’t the first time Smith has been caught with his hand in the lobbyist cookie jar. He has so much hubris that he actually held a fundraising event last June at the posh Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon where corporate lobbyists paid $3,000 to $5,000 a piece to tee off with Smith:
When asked if he felt any uneasiness about holding the event in light of the additional media scrutiny of lawmaker travel involving golf this year, Smith simply said he thought it was a welcome departure from the usual dinner or cocktail-party fundraising circuit.
I suppose when he went on an industry paid golf trip to Scotland in 2003, it too must have been a nice break from those boring cocktail-party fundraisers in DC.
Will someone please pass me a paper bag…
January 11th, 2006 at 11:20 am
I have a little theory with this. I am thinking of the new casino that is going in at Cascade Locks. Is it possible that Smith and Kulongoski both involved in this with Abramoff? Though, this may not be true considering that the Warm Springs tribe never hired Abramoff, but did give to multiple Oregon politicos. Time will tell.
February 3rd, 2006 at 6:51 pm
I would doubt that scenario very seriously. Indians, having secured a means to join mainstream America in profitable endeavors may have the means to hire certain lobbyists, good or bad, but have not shown a particular fondness to aligning there business’s with politics. They have been thrown into political arenas reluctantly and only to defend their right to exist or operate a casino. If they’ve never had an alliance with Abramoff don’t throw them into this or any scandal because they are “Indians”.
February 5th, 2006 at 9:20 pm
Im so tired of listening to both sides talk about tribes, as if tribes are the only, or the worst of lobbying clients, or who donate to political parties. Jack Abramoff charged extremely high prices to the tribes and even emailed partners about how he was doing nothing to help them. Acknowledge that this problem is systemic; liberal, conservative, both have interest groups paying for politics. But dont blame “indians” because it casts the attention off of mainstream America.