Lobbyist Sought $9 Million to Set Bush Meeting (Abramoff)

[hang a left]

Lobbyist Sought $9 Million to Set Bush Meeting


By PHILIP SHENON
Published: November 10, 2005

WASHINGTON, Nov. 9 - The lobbyist Jack Abramoff asked for $9 million in 2003 from the president of a West African nation to arrange a meeting with President Bush and directed his fees to a Maryland company now under federal scrutiny, according to newly disclosed documents.

The African leader, President Omar Bongo of Gabon, met with President Bush in the Oval Office on May 26, 2004, 10 months after Mr. Abramoff made the offer. There has been no evidence in the public record that Mr. Abramoff had any role in organizing the meeting or that he received any money or had a signed contract with Gabon.

White House and State Department officials described Mr. Bush's meeting with President Bongo, whose government is regularly accused by the United States of human rights abuses, as routine. The officials said they knew of no involvement by Mr. Abramoff in the arrangements. Officials at Gabon's embassy in Washington did not respond to written questions.

"This went through normal staffing channels," said Trent Duffy, a White House spokesman, who said the meeting was "part of the president's outreach to the continent of Africa."

A document from Mr. Abramoff's files that was released last week by a Senate committee shows that in the summer of 2003 he pushed to sign President Bongo as a client, even offering to travel to Gabon immediately after an August golfing vacation to Scotland "with the congressmen and senators I take there each year."

snip>

http://nytimes.com/2005/11/10/politics/10lobby.html?hp&ex=1131598800&en=c143a0d022b49971&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[seafan]

1. This is explosive. There is much new info here, with many names.

A Gabon connection with Abramoff? VERY interesting.

[cantstandbush]

44. Well, this should be very easy to prove or disprove. n/t

[texpatriot2004]

2. So, the pResident's outreach to Africa comes w/ a $9 Mil price

tag to be paid to a lobbyist? Hmm. Sounds odd, immoral and illegal?

[tridim]

4. Where does that 9 million go?

Into Abramoff's pocket? To the RNC? To Bush's offshore account? Where?

[bklyncowgirl]

6. Like Deep Throat said "Follow the Money"

My guess is it's into Abramoff's pockets. He's essentially a con man with a political agenda.

[girl gone mad]

16. But he must be sharing some of it with Bush.

Surely the President isn't going to agree to the meeting purely out of the goodness of his heart.

[shanti]

36. sure, but since it's being laundered

we'll never truly know.

[Tight_rope]

39. Oh I paint Bush as a greedy mutherfucker too...I know he got something!

[joemurphy]

7. And what does the President of Gabon in return for paying

$9 Million for a visit with Bush?

[tridim]

8. And where did he get the 9 million?

US aid money? Drug money? So many questions.

[pinto]

13. I'd guess the $ goes to Abramoff. He's a grifter...he'd sell his Ma.

[starroute]

18. Possibly to Abramoff's Eshkol Academy

The article says, "directed his fees to a Maryland company now under federal scrutiny," and Eshkol Academy was in Rockville, MD.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A55283-2004Sep27?language=printer

E-mails at the time showed Abramoff pushing for more money for his enterprise. He sent an e-mail to Scanlon in February 2003 stating: "Please make sure the next $1M from Coushatta for me goes to Eshkol Academy directly. Please tell them that we are 'using the school as our conduit for some of activities.' " The e-mail added that "if that won't fly with them, use CAF," referring to the Capital Athletic Foundation, or the National Center for Public Policy Research.

Abramoff repeated the request in e-mails in March and April. The Eshkol Academy "is our front group," the first e-mail said. The second said: "I really need to get those funds into Eshkol asap. Let me know what we have to do."

[dmr]

30. Isn't Rove Bush's* gatekeeper? And, wasn't Susan Ralston,

who came from Abramoff's office Rove's gatekeeper? And, doesn't/didn't Grover Norquist helps Ralston/Rove with their agenda keeping?

I don't know, but seems like 9 million is a lot of money to line a few pockets.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

35. Ralston's getting called to testify...again...by Fitzgerald:

http://www.philippinenews.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=4997403295ea354107194d4960b18353

[leesa]

33. "...directed his fees to a Maryland company now under federal scrutiny"

Have to go to work, but wasn't there a company from Maryland who had supplied a chemical needed for gas production for Saddam Hussein. I just glanced at the article somewhere at work yesterday and have no idea if it is related to this.

[bklyncowgirl]

3. Wow this Abramoff scandal just keeps on getting sleazier and sleazier

So now in addition to extorting money from Indian tribes, paying off the Christian Coalition to torpedo rival gaming interests, laundering money through a phony think tank headed by a lifeguard, taking Tom Delay and other Corrupt Congresscritters on golf trips, he shook down a third world dictator for $9 million just to get him some face time with the Chimp.

This would make a great movie! Kind of like "The Producers" meet "All the President's Men".

[seafan]

5. Joe Wilson is a former Ambassador to Gabon. Might be very helpful

in this investigation with his detailed knowledge of the country.

Mr. Abramoff is in quite a bit of trouble, it appears.

[AlCzervik]

9. Wow, this is big indeed, i hope this gets major traction.

[hang a left]

10. Abramoff inquiry broadens

Abramoff inquiry broadens

RAW STORY

Print This | Email This

Thursday's New York Times will feature a front page story on Jack Abramoff, the lobbyist linked to former House GOP leader DeLay, RAW STORY has learned.

Excerpts from the forthcoming story:
#

The lobbyist Jack Abramoff asked for $9 million in 2003 from the president of a small West African nation to arrange a meeting with President Bush and directed his fees to a Maryland company now under federal scrutiny, according to newly disclosed documents.
Advertisement

The African leader, President Omar Bongo of Gabon, met with Bush in the Oval Office on May 26, 2004, 10 months after Abramoff made the offer. There has been no evidence in the public record that the lobbyist had any role in organizing the meeting or that he received any money or had a signed contract with Gabon.

White House and State Department officials described Bush's meeting with Bongo as routine. Gabon is regularly accused by the United States of human rights abuses.

The officials said they knew of no involvement by Abramoff in the arrangements. Officials at Gabon's embassy in Washington did not respond to written questions.

"This went through normal staffing channels," Trent Duffy, a White House spokesman, told the Times. He said the meeting was "part of the president's outreach to the continent of Africa."

DEVELOPING HARD...






http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Abramoff_inquiry_broadens_1109.html

[Zen Democrat]

11. Wow. This connects Abramoff directly to George W. Bush.

Abramoff got the money. Bush did the meeting. Wow.

[aquart]

12. Wait. Where does it say the Gabon guy paid the money?

[rocktivity]

37. Whether the Gabon leader paid the money or not

Abramoff had no business asking for it since he's not a direct employee of Bush.

:headbang:
rocknation

[truthisfreedom]

14. the stench from the offal office is putrid these days.

[deminks]

15. WP has an article on one of the letters to the Gabonese President

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/09/AR2005110901931.html?nav=rss_politics/fedpage

August in Libreville?


Thursday, November 10, 2005; Page A27

Members of Congress who accompanied former K Street lobbying powerhouse Jack Abramoff on golf trips to Scotland in the summer of 2003 might have looked for another junket instead if they had seen this three-page pitch letter Abramoff wrote on July 28 that year to Gabonese President Omar Bongo.

Abramoff's lobbying activities for his firm Greenberg Traurig LLP, including trips he arranged for members of Congress, are the subject of a criminal investigation as well as an inquiry by the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, which included this letter in documents released last week.

(snip from letter)

"Our firm was approached by a neighboring nation which also desired such a meeting, and indeed much more than a meeting. Of course, our firm's main strength is not in just setting up meetings, but in changing and impacting US policy, so to the neighbor, the meeting is important, but merely the tip of the iceberg."

"The neighbor has offered to put up the resources which are necessary to not only secure a meeting, but more importantly, to commence a policy effort in Washington which could impact America's Africa policy in limited ways. These resources are substantial and would be used to build a support network for the neighbor which would enable the decision makers to move the neighbor up on the priority list. . . ."

(end snips)

Smirky and Jack playing one country off of another. Interesting.

[wordpix]

38. so now we see how US foreign policy REALLY works---pit one

neighboring country against another and ask for millions---highest bidder wins U.S. goodies for his country (name your pick---guns, bombs, fighter jets)---all in the name of democracy and fighting terror around the world.

[upi402]

17. Mr Bush meet President Bongo

Dang!
You just can't make this shit up and be any more sureal!

[GrpCaptMandrake]

19. Absolutely!

President Bonghit, meet President Bongo.

Holy smoke!

And this line: "White House and State Department officials described Mr. Bush's meeting with President Bongo, whose government is regularly accused by the United States of human rights abuses, as routine."

Routine? ROUTINE? $9 Million and you get "routine?" What do you suppose you get for $10 Million? A "backrub" (nudge-nudge, wink, wink) from Jeff Gannon and a handful of goodies from Rush?

Remember the riots in Freeperville over "the Clintons selling the Lincoln Bedroom?"

:rofl: :spray: :rofl: :spray: :rofl: :spray: :rofl: :spray:

[expatriot]

28. So Bush took some from the Bongo on the sly, eh? nt

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

20. -kick-

I love the smell of West African cash in the morning.

[Skink]

21. Bongo meet Bonzo.

:dunce:

[expatriot]

29. Bongo meet Bonzo, the anti-Bono. nt

[Peter Frank]

22. Kicked & recommended...

:kick:

[drfresh]

23. The scandals keep on comin' and comin'!

These last few weeks are quite breathtaking. I've been waiting 5 years for this!

[Brundle_Fly]

24. BOOM.

that's how raw story summed it up.

BOOM.

Jack Abramoff.

BOOM.

GWB.

BOOM.

Croney A. Croney B.

BOOM.

[Brundle_Fly]

25. BOOM.

that's how raw story summed it up.

BOOM.

Jack Abramoff.

BOOM.

GWB.

BOOM.

Croney A. Croney B.

BOOM.

[Rainscents]

26. Part of the money went to Laura's new face lift!

[expatriot]

27. Repulsive. Utterly repulsive. Middle America will find it repulisive too

God... they can't even go to Africa on a "humanitarian mission" without stealing from the poor. nt

[Ganja Ninja]

31. How much money do these bastards need?

It's their downfall. We should have used it against them years ago to set them up and take them down. God they're greedy!

[usregimechange]

32. kick

[RedEarth]

34. George, so you're buddies with "Christian Wacko" Abramoff too ..lol

[Cocoa]

40. Bongogate

:wow:

[onehandle]

41. The President, the dictator and a $9m demand for Oval Office chat

More trouble swirled around the disgraced Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff yesterday, after reports that he sought $9m from the leader of the west African country of Gabon to organise a White House meeting with President George Bush.

The episode was revealed in documents released by a senate committee investigating other dubious dealings of the scandal-battered Mr Abramoff, most vividly a personal letter from the lobbyist to President Omar Bongo, dated 28 July 2003. Mr Abramoff informed the Gabonese leader that his lobbying firm had already been approached by "a neighbouring nation" which had offered money to launch a major lobbying effort in Washington, its centrepiece a meeting with Mr Bush.

But Mr Abramoff wrote that he had been assured that Gabon still wanted to use the services of his firm, and would match its neighbour's offer.

The documents, obtained by leading US newspapers, show that the lobbyist drew up a draft contract for Gabon to pay $9m to the privilege.

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article326320.ece

[calimary]

42. Wasn't Gabon the African country to which Joseph Wilson was our

ambassador at one time?

Sorry - I'm getting a little too tinfoil-hat-crazed. My mind immediately went to suspicions that this might be another avenue to try to poke holes in Wilson for further revenge and smear purposes. As in the likely cheney directive to underlingsP: "see what you can get on this guy, 'eh?|"

[callady]

43. Sleaze

From article:

It also throws fascinating light on the brazen modus operandi of super-rich lobbyists such as Mr Abramoff, as they traded on their connections with senior figures in the administration and Congress to bring in lucrative new business.

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article326320.ece