Ga. Repubs sit on bribe funds from Abramoff
When Will Georgia Republicans Return Tainted Abramoff and Cunningham Money?
As Repubs Around the Nation Scramble, GA Repubs Do Nothing
(Atlanta) Georgia Republican members of Congress are holding tight to the tainted money they took from convicted Republican superlobbyist “Casino Jack” Abramoff and convicted Republican Congressman Randy “Duke” Cunningham, even funds that came directly from Abramoff or Cunningham, their wives or, in the case of Cunningham, his Congressional campaign or his PAC.
Unlike Republican members of Congress across America, Georgia’s two Republican U.S. Senators and two Republican U.S. House members have refused to return the money they got from the guilty Abramoff. Plus, don’t forget that U.S. Senate investigators released an email proving that GOP Lt. Gov. candidate Ralph Reed solicited and received money through Abramoff for his campaign for Georgia GOP Chair. Duke Cunningham’s money is still burning a hole in the accounts of both Georgia GOP Senators, a GOP member of Congress, and a former GOP member of Congress who seeks to return.
According to the Federal Elections Commission records, Sen. Johnny Isakson received $4,000 from Abramoff and his wife on October 18, 2003. Sen. Saxby Chambliss’s campaign raked in $1,000 on November 2, 2002. Rep. Jack Kingston took $1,000 on August 31, 2001, and Rep. Phil Gingrey received $500 on October 29, 2002. E-mails that were released by U.S. Senate investigators show that Reed personally solicited Abramoff for money for his campaign for GOP Chair, and that as a result Abramoff extracted $10,000 from one of his tribal clients for Reed’s campaign. [Political Money Line, www.tray.com; Galloway, “Nonprofits used to funnel tribal money,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 6/23/2005]
“Georgia Republicans are increasingly brazen in their disregard for ethics,” said Bobby Kahn, Chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia. “Yesterday, Gov. Perdue forced the firing of Georgia’s longtime, nonpartisan ethics watchdog, and today, we see Republican members of Georgia’s Congressional delegation and Ralph Reed sitting idly by even as others across the nation disgorge their tainted cash.”
According to the Center of Responsive Politics, Sen. Isakson received $1,000 from Cunningham’s American Prosperity PAC in 2004, and Sen. Chambliss pulled in $901 in 2000. Rep. Gingrey took $1,000 in 2003 from Cunningham’s Congressional campaign, and former Rep. Max Burns pulled in $5,500 between Cunningham’s Congressional campaign and his PAC. [Center of Responsive Politics, www.opensecrets.org]
Earlier this week, Abramoff, Reed’s close friend and former business associate, pleaded guilty to federal charges in Washington and Miami. As was reported in the Washington Post, Abramoff pleaded guilty in Washington to “fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy to bribe public officials in a deal that requires him to provide evidence about members of Congress.” Abramoff joined his business partner Michael Scanlon, also a close Reed associate, in pleading guilty to charges that threaten numerous high-ranking Republican officials. The Associated Press reported, “Any such plea agreement likely would secure the Republican lobbyist's testimony against several members of Congress who received favors from him or his clients. The Justice Department is believed to be focusing on as many as 20 lawmakers and aides.” [Schmidt and Grimaldi, “Abramoff Pleads Guilty to 3 Counts; Lobbyist to Testify About Lawmakers In Corruption Probe,” Washington Post, 1/4/2006; Sherman (AP), “Abramoff Makes Plea Deal, Will Cooperate,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 1/3/2006]
According to the Center of Responsive Politics, the following Georgia Republican Congressman, or current candidates for Congress, received the following amounts in “political contributions from Abramoff, the tribes that hired him, and SunCruz Casinos, since 1999” for their Congressional campaigns or their PACs.
Recipient
Total
Jack Kingston (R-Ga)
$17,000
Johnny Isakson (R-Ga)
$9,000
Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga)
$5,500
Mac Collins (R-Ga)
$2,000
John Linder (R-Ga)
$1,000
Phil Gingrey (R-Ga)
$500
[Center of Responsive Politics, http://www.capitaleye.org/abramoff_recips.asp]
Reed worked with Abramoff and Scanlon to peddle influence with lawmakers in Washington D.C. and in numerous states on a wide range of gambling-related issues. Despite Reed’s earlier claims to have always opposed gambling, he and Abramoff coordinated an intricate scheme to funnel money through a series of nonprofits, including shell organizations, to fund efforts to kill federal legislation that would have banned Internet gambling. Reed even tried to defeat 10 Republican Congressmen who voted for the anti-gambling legislation – using money from an Internet gambling company in the effort. Reed's firm, Century Strategies, was paid $4.2 million by Abramoff and Scanlon to help their casino clients in Alabama, Louisiana and Texas. A Texas prosecutor is currently considering criminal charges against Reed for his work with Abramoff in Texas.
Late last year, former GOP Congressman Cunningham pleaded guilty to accepting $2.4 million in bribes from two defense contractors and two co-conspirators. [“Brazen Conspiracy,” Washington Post, 11/29/2005]
“Like so much of the rest of Perdue’s and the Republicans’ ‘New Georgia,’ it’s a case of saying one thing and doing another,” said Kahn. “Come November, Georgia voters will have a chance to have their say on the hypocrisy that is now the order of day.”
To read more about Ralph Reed, visit www.TheRealRalphReed.com.
As Repubs Around the Nation Scramble, GA Repubs Do Nothing
(Atlanta) Georgia Republican members of Congress are holding tight to the tainted money they took from convicted Republican superlobbyist “Casino Jack” Abramoff and convicted Republican Congressman Randy “Duke” Cunningham, even funds that came directly from Abramoff or Cunningham, their wives or, in the case of Cunningham, his Congressional campaign or his PAC.
Unlike Republican members of Congress across America, Georgia’s two Republican U.S. Senators and two Republican U.S. House members have refused to return the money they got from the guilty Abramoff. Plus, don’t forget that U.S. Senate investigators released an email proving that GOP Lt. Gov. candidate Ralph Reed solicited and received money through Abramoff for his campaign for Georgia GOP Chair. Duke Cunningham’s money is still burning a hole in the accounts of both Georgia GOP Senators, a GOP member of Congress, and a former GOP member of Congress who seeks to return.
According to the Federal Elections Commission records, Sen. Johnny Isakson received $4,000 from Abramoff and his wife on October 18, 2003. Sen. Saxby Chambliss’s campaign raked in $1,000 on November 2, 2002. Rep. Jack Kingston took $1,000 on August 31, 2001, and Rep. Phil Gingrey received $500 on October 29, 2002. E-mails that were released by U.S. Senate investigators show that Reed personally solicited Abramoff for money for his campaign for GOP Chair, and that as a result Abramoff extracted $10,000 from one of his tribal clients for Reed’s campaign. [Political Money Line, www.tray.com; Galloway, “Nonprofits used to funnel tribal money,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 6/23/2005]
“Georgia Republicans are increasingly brazen in their disregard for ethics,” said Bobby Kahn, Chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia. “Yesterday, Gov. Perdue forced the firing of Georgia’s longtime, nonpartisan ethics watchdog, and today, we see Republican members of Georgia’s Congressional delegation and Ralph Reed sitting idly by even as others across the nation disgorge their tainted cash.”
According to the Center of Responsive Politics, Sen. Isakson received $1,000 from Cunningham’s American Prosperity PAC in 2004, and Sen. Chambliss pulled in $901 in 2000. Rep. Gingrey took $1,000 in 2003 from Cunningham’s Congressional campaign, and former Rep. Max Burns pulled in $5,500 between Cunningham’s Congressional campaign and his PAC. [Center of Responsive Politics, www.opensecrets.org]
Earlier this week, Abramoff, Reed’s close friend and former business associate, pleaded guilty to federal charges in Washington and Miami. As was reported in the Washington Post, Abramoff pleaded guilty in Washington to “fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy to bribe public officials in a deal that requires him to provide evidence about members of Congress.” Abramoff joined his business partner Michael Scanlon, also a close Reed associate, in pleading guilty to charges that threaten numerous high-ranking Republican officials. The Associated Press reported, “Any such plea agreement likely would secure the Republican lobbyist's testimony against several members of Congress who received favors from him or his clients. The Justice Department is believed to be focusing on as many as 20 lawmakers and aides.” [Schmidt and Grimaldi, “Abramoff Pleads Guilty to 3 Counts; Lobbyist to Testify About Lawmakers In Corruption Probe,” Washington Post, 1/4/2006; Sherman (AP), “Abramoff Makes Plea Deal, Will Cooperate,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 1/3/2006]
According to the Center of Responsive Politics, the following Georgia Republican Congressman, or current candidates for Congress, received the following amounts in “political contributions from Abramoff, the tribes that hired him, and SunCruz Casinos, since 1999” for their Congressional campaigns or their PACs.
Recipient
Total
Jack Kingston (R-Ga)
$17,000
Johnny Isakson (R-Ga)
$9,000
Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga)
$5,500
Mac Collins (R-Ga)
$2,000
John Linder (R-Ga)
$1,000
Phil Gingrey (R-Ga)
$500
[Center of Responsive Politics, http://www.capitaleye.org/abramoff_recips.asp]
Reed worked with Abramoff and Scanlon to peddle influence with lawmakers in Washington D.C. and in numerous states on a wide range of gambling-related issues. Despite Reed’s earlier claims to have always opposed gambling, he and Abramoff coordinated an intricate scheme to funnel money through a series of nonprofits, including shell organizations, to fund efforts to kill federal legislation that would have banned Internet gambling. Reed even tried to defeat 10 Republican Congressmen who voted for the anti-gambling legislation – using money from an Internet gambling company in the effort. Reed's firm, Century Strategies, was paid $4.2 million by Abramoff and Scanlon to help their casino clients in Alabama, Louisiana and Texas. A Texas prosecutor is currently considering criminal charges against Reed for his work with Abramoff in Texas.
Late last year, former GOP Congressman Cunningham pleaded guilty to accepting $2.4 million in bribes from two defense contractors and two co-conspirators. [“Brazen Conspiracy,” Washington Post, 11/29/2005]
“Like so much of the rest of Perdue’s and the Republicans’ ‘New Georgia,’ it’s a case of saying one thing and doing another,” said Kahn. “Come November, Georgia voters will have a chance to have their say on the hypocrisy that is now the order of day.”
To read more about Ralph Reed, visit www.TheRealRalphReed.com.
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