Does anybody really trust the Bush Justice Department to investigate this scandal that is tied to an activist (Abramoff) who has been raising, laundering and spending money for the GOP for over 25 years?
Just take a quick look Abramoff's resume:
Credited with delivering Massachusetts for Reagan in 1980 by posting 10,000 absentee ballots from College Republicans (Reagan won by 7,000 votes).
As head of the College Republicans in the earlier 1980 he worked hand and glove with Grover Norquist to reshape the College GOP into an activist right-wing farm club for the GOP. In that roll he was the mentor (and leader) for many well-known GOP activists, like Ralph Reed (Ralph and Jack became so close that they would sleep on each other's couch and Ralph introduced Jack to his wife).
He was Executive Director of "Citizens for America" a Reagan White House "citizen lobbying" effort that helped Ollie North organize the Contra speaking tours (that helped break open the Iran-Contra scandal).
He was the lobbyist for the South African secret police during Aparthied and became a filmmaker in an attempt to break the cultural boycott of the late 1980s.
He was involved with the lobbying and fundraising for the "Contract with America".
Jack helped Tom DeLay raise $700,000 in hard money and more tha $2 million in soft money for competitive GOP races in 1994. This lead to DeLay's victory for GOP whip over Newt's candidate.
He was the lobbyist for sweatshop interests on the US Territory of the Commonwealth of North Marianas Islands (Saipan). The family that owns these factories is based in Hong Kong and has made many, many donations to the GOP. Today their factories on Saipan are closing and their factories in China are taking advantage of the lowering of textile quotas, while Bush and the GOP sit on their hands.
His largest client was Native American tribes with casino issues (like Saipan, also a ward of the Federal government). This scandal is widely reported.
He was the point of the spear for the Norquist/DeLay K Street Project.
His lobbying shop was a training ground for GOP operatives. Most of Tom DeLay's staff over the last ten years worked with Jack when they left Tom.
He was a major Bush fundraiser (with large contributions to the Florida recount) and a member of the Bush transition team for the department of the Interior.
There is more. Behind every dollar Jack raised is another scandal. The $9 million from sweatshops and $82 million from tribal casinos did not go into his pocket. The vast majority of the money (and more) was funneled illegally into GOP campaigns and the effort to build a one-party America.
People who have received contributions from Abramoff over the last decade--
SAXTON, H JAMES (R
BUNNING, JIM (R)
DELAY, THOMAS DALE (R)
SMITH, ROBERT C (R)
SMITH, GORDON HAROLD (R)
NEY, ROBERT W (R)
MCCOLLUM, BILL (R)
RYAN, PAUL D (R)
PITTS, JOSEPH R (R)
DAVIS, THOMAS M III (R)
LAZIO, RICK A (R)
PIROZZI, ELIA (R)
HILLEARY, W VAN (R)
RELY ON YOUR BELIEFS FUND
JONES, WALTER B. (R)
PRESTON GATES ELLIS
T.E.A.M. PAC
AMERICANS FOR A REPUBLICAN MAJORITY POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE
EHRLICH, ROBERT LEROY JR (R)
UNITED STATES FAMILY PAC
NORTH CAROLINA REPUBLICAN EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (R)
MONDAY MORNING POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE
LATHAM, THOMAS P (R)
PHILLIPS, HOWARD (OTH)
FAIRCLOTH, DUNCAN M (R)
BORDONARO, MOLLY HERING (R)
HAYWORTH, JD (R)
RHODES, ARTHUR D (R)
ALBY, BARBARA (R)
BROOKS, SUSAN (R)
HOFMEISTER, GARY (R)
CRANE, PHILIP M (R)
SUSAN B ANTHONY LIST PAC INC
HASTINGS, DOC (R)
ROHRABACHER, DANA (R)
SCARBOROUGH, CHARLES JOSEPH (R)
BURTON, DANNY L (R)
CHENOWETH, HELEN P (R)
D!CK ARMEY CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE (R)
CHRISTENSEN, JON LYNN (R)
RYUN, JIM R (R)
GUTKNECHT, GILBERT W JR. (R)
LARGENT, STEPHEN MICHAEL (R)LEFEVER, TIMOTHY J (R)
CREMEANS, FRANK A (R)
HILL, RICK (R)
BROWNBACK, SAMUEL DALE (R)
CUBIN, BARBARA L (R)
NETHERCUTT, GEORGE JR. (R)
PAUL, RONALD E. (R)
WITTIG, SUE (R)
SNOWBARGER, VINCENT K (R)
COBURN, TOM A (R)
JONES, WALTER B. (R)
ADERHOLT, ROBERT B (R)
WATTS, JULIUS CEASER JR (JC) (R)
COX, CHRISTOPHER HON. (Rep)
CHRYSLER, RICHARD R (R)
PERRY, BRENT CLARK (R)
CRANE, PHILIP M (R)
CHENOWETH, HELEN P (R)
SUNUNU, JOHN E (R)
FUNDERBURK, DAVID B (R)
DUNN, JENNIFER (R)
TATE, RANDALL JOHN (R)
ENGLISH, PHILIP S (R)
POMBO, RICHARD (R)
WICKER, ROGER F. (R)
PICKERING, CHARLES W. JR. (R)
METCALF, JACK (R)
GRAMM, WILLIAM PHILLIP (R)
NORTH, OLIVER LAURENCE (R)
PHILLIPS, HOWARD (OTH)