Political Skullduggery

Little by little the facts surrounding Jack Abramoff's political skullduggery are coming to light.

Cases in federal court produce a Chinese water torture of revelations in a steady (but often painfully slow) cascade-- drip, drip, drip.

Convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff had more extensive discussions than previously disclosed with a top General Services Administration official regarding federal property the lobbyist sought to acquire around the time the two men went on a $130,000 golf trip to Scotland in 2002, according to papers filed by prosecutors in federal court yesterday...

In their filing, prosecutors produced e-mails showing that Abramoff engaged in an aggressive campaign to secure for himself and clients the use of GSA-controlled property, including the Old Post Office in downtown Washington. Among his efforts, Abramoff considered trying to get a provision backing the land acquisition added to a bill being managed by House Administration Committee Chairman Robert W. Ney (R-Ohio), who also went with Abramoff on the golf trip, which prosecutors have called "lavish."...

The e-mails show how Abramoff and members of his team were strategizing among themselves and with Safavian about how to acquire or lease part of 600 acres of the Naval Surface Warfare Center-White Oak in Montgomery County. Abramoff wanted the property for a Jewish school he operated. He also wanted to gain use of the Old Post Office for a tribal client. A key strategy involved getting members of Congress, at Safavian's suggestion, to press the GSA on the issue.

Here's a political career that seems to have recently hit the wall:

Former Christian Coalition leader Ralph Reed was also on the trip with Abramoff, Ney, and Ney's chief of staff, William Heaton. Ney, who reported to the House that the trip was paid for by a think tank, is under investigation for allegedly promising to add a provision to the same bill for an Indian tribe attempting to reopen a shuttered Texas casino.

Speaking of politicians taking their turn in the barrel, several more names are becoming known from these court filings as having associated with our favorite lobbyist.

Two of the elected officials referred to in Friday's filings have been identified in published reports as Reps. Steven LaTourette, R-Ohio, and Don Young, R-Alaska. According to Roll Call, a Capitol Hill newspaper, the two representatives wrote to the GSA in September 2002, urging the agency to give preferential treatment to groups such as Indian tribes when evaluating development proposals for the Old Post Office.

LaTourette maintains he did nothing improper by advocating special opportunities for certain small businesses in areas known as HUBzones, or Historically Underutilized Business zones. His spokeswoman, Deborah Setliff, said that the letter was reviewed by Young's chief of staff and counsel and that it did not advocate any particular business over another.

A spokesman for Young did not return telephone calls.

I think I would be reluctant to talk to reporters if I were in a similar position myself.

Also, the first photo of President Bush with Jack Abramoff has become available to the general public, via the website of Time magazine.

It shows Bush greeting the leader of an Indian tribe with adviser Karl Rove watching on Bush's right and Abramoff in the background over Bush's left shoulder. The meeting took place May 9, 2001, at the Old Executive Office building next to the White House, Time said.