By Joel Seidman
Producer NBC News
WASHINGTON - A report released in June by the
Department of Justice's Inspector General, Glenn Fine, contained what may have
been be the first references of disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff's strong ties
to White House Political Director Ken Mehlman, but it was only today that the
extent of that relationship was revealed.
Melhman is now the Chairman of the Republican
National Committee.
The June report said that Abramoff was receiving
information about the U.S. territories in the Pacific -- Guam and the
Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas -- directly from White House
information "recommended" to be given to Abramoff by Mehlman. Both
territories were clients of Abramoff lobbying firm.
The IG report says White House political official
Leonard Rodriguez told investigators he had "kept Abramoff aware of
information relevant to Guam ... at the behest of Ken Mehlman,” the White
House Political Director, who “recommended or suggested that I reach out to
make Jack
aware of issues related to Guam."
But the House Government Reform Committee report
released today says Abramoff and his team reached out themselves to the White
House Office of Political Affairs some 17 times. Six times, Abramoff’s
team had direct contact with Mehlman.
The report says, on Oct. 9, 2002, Abramoff e-mailed
Mehlman to seek an endorsement from President Bush for Republican candidates
running in Guam.
Within two weeks, Susan Ralston, an aide to Karl
Rove, e-mailed Abramoff: "Ken asked me to let you know that he has
the quote to be approved for your Guam candidates."
Abramoff also vigorously lobbied the White House to
back Benigne Fitial, a garment plant operator and newspaper publisher who was
running for governor in the Northern Marianas under the banner of a third
party known as the "Covenant Party."
The Marianas, famous for their low-paying garment
factories, hired Abramoff to keep the islands' workers exempt from U.S. laws
like the minimum wage. In the e-mail in May, Abramoff writes: "I
met with Rove tonight. They are not going to allow (Juan) Babauta to
have his way and they are looking forward to your arrival."
The House report says an entry in an electronic
calendar indicates that the event probably occurred at a "Tax Policy
Dinner" at Grover Norquist's home. Abramoff received an e-mail on
Oct. 31, 2001, from Ralston, stating the White House would not endorse the GOP
candidate:
"You win :). KR said no endorsement."
Abramoff urged White House officials, including Rove
and Mehlman, to intervene to remove a State Department employee, Allen Stayman,
who advocated labor reforms and opposed their efforts in the Marianas.
Todd Boulanger, who worked for Abramoff wrote,
"It will be a great day when Stayman is whacked."
Tony Rudy, a former aide to Tom DeLay, who also
worked for Abramoff, said in an e-mail exchange released by the committee,
"Mehlman said he would get him fired." Stayman was eventually
let go from his State Department post.
Despite Abramoff's lobbying, Republican candidate
Juan Babauta was elected Governor of the Commonwealth in 2001. After the
election, the Commonwealth terminated their relationship with Abramoff as a
lobbyist. But in 2006 Fitial became governor and wrote a letter on behalf of
Abramoff to the Miami judge who would sentence him to 70 months in jail in the
SunCruz casino scandal which Abramoff pleaded guilty to defrauding investors.
Fitial wrote, Abramoff was a "personal friend
and political champion" of the "beleaguered" Pacific islands.
"He was a natural crusader and political activist, with great sympathy
for our un- represented Commonwealth," the governor wrote on official
stationary.
The lobbying of Mehlman described in the House
documents also included a discussion between Abramoff and Mehlman at a White
House reception regarding political appointments. And there was a
meeting with Rudy when they discussed efforts to secure federal funds for the
Mississippi
band of the Choctaw Indians, an Abramoff client.
After that meeting with Mehlman, Rudy wrote Abramoff: "Mehlman said
he would 'take care of this.' He was a rock star."
Rock star or not, Abramoff offered Mehlman tickets to
a U2 concert on June 15, 2001. The documents don't say whether Mehlman
attended, or if he did, whether he paid for his own tickets.
Mehlman first started working with Rove in the Bush
campaign in 1999 and later managed Bush's re-election in 2004. He told
Newsweek recently, "We've learned a lot from each other--from what we've
done right and what we've done wrong," he said.
© 2006 MSNBC Interactive
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