Reply #9: A New Specter of Criminality? Jack Abramoff and his associates and White House officials

[L. Coyote]

What Monica Doesn't Know
By Dan Froomkin
Special to washingtonpost.com
Wednesday, May 23, 2007; 1:04 PM
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/blog/2007/05/23/BL2007052300893_pf.html

.............. A New Specter of Criminality?

Scot J. Paltrow writes in the Wall Street Journal: ... "It is the first indication that Abramoff-related probes, mainly limited until now to his dealings with lawmakers and federal agency officials, may be advancing into the White House. The former Rove aide, Susan Ralston, previously had served as a top aide to Mr. Abramoff."

Waxman's memo is worth a read.... "In September 2006, Chairman Davis and Ranking Member Waxman released a staff report summarizing what the Committee had learned from a review of billing records and e-mails provided to the Committee by Mr. Abramoff's former lobbying firm, Greenberg Traurig. According to these billing records and e-mails, Mr. Abramoff and his associates had 485 lobbying contacts with White House officials between January 2001 and March 2004. ......"

..... The e-mails and billing records described some instances in which White House officials took actions sought by Mr. Abramoff ....

The Waxman memo quotes Ralston's attorney, former assistant White House counsel Brad Berenson ... "The subjects this morning that she will be unable to testify to on those grounds are the subjects of the relationship between Jack Abramoff and his associates and White House officials, including Ms. Ralston, and the subject of the use by White House officials of political e-mail accounts at the RNC." ... "She has material, useful information about both of those subjects. She is more than willing to provide it to the committee. However, she will, as we have previously discussed, require a grant of immunity before she is comfortable going forward." ...........