Pelosi/Waxman Request Docs Relating to Abramoff's..$9m..meeting with Bush

[truthpusher]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnw/20051111/pl_usnw/pelosi_and_waxman_request_documents_relating_to_abramoff_s_request_for9_million_to_arrange_meeting_with_bush107_xml

Pelosi and Waxman Request Documents Relating to Abramoff's Request for $9 Million to Arrange Meeting with Bush
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8 minutes ago
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WASHINGTON, Nov. 11 /U.S. Newswire/ -- House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Henry Waxman (news, bio, voting record), ranking member on the Government Reform Committee, sent a letter this morning to Harriet Miers, counsel to the President, requesting that she provide Congress with documents relating to lobbyist Jack Abramoff's request for $9 million to arrange a meeting between President Bush and Omar Bongo, president of Gabon.


Below is the text of the letter:

November 11, 2005
Ms. Harriet Miers
Counsel to the President
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Ms. Miers:

Yesterday's New York Times reported that President Bush met with Gabon's President Omar Bongo in May 2004, ten months after lobbyist Jack Abramoff asked President Bongo for $9 million to arrange such a meeting. Mr. Abramoff's offer and the size of the requested payment raise questions about what role Mr. Abramoff may have played in the scheduling of this meeting between President Bush and President Bongo.

We are writing to request that you provide us with all White House and State Department documents and correspondence regarding the arrangement of the meeting.

According to the Times, a draft agreement between Mr. Abramoff and Gabon dated August 7, 2003, asked for $9 million in lobbying fees to pay for a "public relations effort related to promoting Gabon and securing a visit for President Bongo with the President of the United States."(See note 1) The Times reports that this draft agreement came just 10 days after Mr. Abramoff wrote to President Bongo on July 28, 2003, suggesting that "he had unusual influence to arrange a meeting with President Bush." In that letter, Mr. Abramoff noted: "Without advance resources, I have been cautiously working to obtain a visit for the president to Washington to see President Bush."

(snip)

We therefore request the following documents:


-- All records relating to any contacts or communications between White House staff and Jack Abramoff, the firm Greenberg Traurig, and the firm GrassRoots Interactive regarding a visit by representatives of Gabon.

-- All records relating to any contacts or communications between the State Department and Jack Abramoff, the firm Greenberg Traurig, and the firm GrassRoots Interactive regarding a visit by representatives of Gabon.

(snip)

We request that you provide these materials by November 30, 2005.

More here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnw/20051111/pl_usnw/pelosi_and_waxman_request_documents_relating_to_abramoff_s_request_for9_million_to_arrange_meeting_with_bush107_xml

Link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnw/20051111/pl_usnw/pelosi_and_waxman_request_documents_relating_to_abramoff_s_request_for9_million_to_arrange_meeting_with_bush107_xml

[maximovich]

1. I Love It

This administration is beginning to reap what the sow.

[Warren Stupidity]

2. Culture of corruption!

Nominated. Kicked. Go Dems! Keep the pressure on from all fronts!

[babylonsister]

4. I'll join you, Warren! K & R! It's mind-boggling to

witness all the stench reeking from this party!

[Vidar]

3. Way to stay on 'em, Nancy!

[rodeodance]

5. we will see what the 'good woman' has to say/responds.

[BR_Parkway]

9. "I'm sorry, we can't comment on an ongoing investigation"

or some such words.

[rodeodance]

6. nominate.....

[rodeodance]

7. glad to see the NYT is repording this matter.

...We are writing to request that you provide us with all White House and State Department documents and correspondence regarding the arrangement of the meeting.

According to the Times, a draft agreement between Mr. Abramoff and Gabon dated August 7, 2003, asked for $9 million in lobbying fees to pay for a "public relations effort related to promoting Gabon and securing a visit for President Bongo with the President of the United States."(See note 1) The Times reports that this draft agreement came just 10 days after Mr. Abramoff wrote to President Bongo on July 28, 2003, suggesting that "he had unusual influence to arrange a meeting with President Bush." In that letter, Mr. Abramoff noted: "Without advance resources, I have been cautiously working to obtain a visit for the president to Washington to see President Bush."

[wordpix]

8. go, Pelosi and Waxman---let's get the bastards.

[Judi Lynn]

10. Bush has photos up of the event on the White House site.....

Hoooooray for House Leader Nancy Pelosi and Congressman Henry Waxman. Isn't it great to see Harriet Miers back at her old job?

[wordpix]

11. and for only $9 MM, you, too, could meet the Chimp

[brook]

13. Love the pix.

$9 million for a chin wag. Hmmm. Kudos to Nancy & Henry for not letting this slip under the radar. Gotta keep the GOP bastards on the ropes until that last bell rings.

K&R :kick:

[0007]

16. 9 million for break wrestling?

[bluedeminredstate]

12. Kick

This is a very interesting and important bit of news. If the WH ignores the request I hope the Reps who wrote the letter raise Hell!

:kick:

[loudsue]

14. Omar Bongo probably feels ripped off by this, too. The congressmen

should contact HIM, and also ask him for his records/letters relating to this incident.

You know...just in case chimpinchief doesn't "bother" to turn up the documents, or in case Abramhoff shreaded his.

What would you like to bet that, somewhere under the bush cabal table, there was some of that $9 million that Bongo paid Abramhoff?? I wouldn't be a bit surprised if chimp is taking $$ under the table to for a short meeting with desperate leaders of other countries.

:kick::kick::kick:

[Supersedeas]

15. the chimpinchief is busy rewriting history for the Corporate stenographers

[Vinca]

17. You've got to wonder.

What are the chances the President of Gabon, a country the Chimp most likely had never heard of, would be invited to the White House? This stinks to high heaven.

[loudsue]

19. That's why I wonder if the chimp is taking $$ under the table

for "meetings" such as this. Or...possibly Rove... or both. $9Mil is quite a chunk of change to charge someone for "consulting fees". There's "under the table" money going on somewhere, and that's the kind of business the republicans running this government work. Just look at Noe, Delay, etc. They're ALL about slick palms.

:kick::kick::kick:

[cantstandbush]

18. Now they're talkin! This is what they need to keep doing. n/t

[leesa]

20. Oh yes, indeedy...these will be interesting! This might be the kind of

thing that lands the thug Bush in jail...like Capone getting busted for tax evasion.

[Carla in Ca]

21. Isn't that the same amount 'missing' from Iraq?

Just asking.

[texpatriot2004]

22. Thank you to Pelosi/Waxman for this inquiry. nm

[indepat]

23. If $9 million were being paid to arrange a meeting with me, I'd want my

share.

[PhilipShore]

24. UPI: Democrats want to know role of lobbyist

UPI
11/12/2005

http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20051112-083750-2254r

WASHINGTON, Nov. 12 (UPI) -- Two top Democrats have formally asked the White House to release documents that might disclose an indicted lobbyist's role in a diplomatic meeting.

Democratic Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Henry Waxman, the senior Democrat on the Government Reform Committee, wrote in a letter to the White House's counsel they want any documents that may explain Jack Abramoff's involvement in a meeting between President Bush and the president of West African country of Gabon.

[William769]

25. And the plot thickens.

[Maggie_May]

26. We are on a roll!

[Gregorian]

27. RIBBIT!

George, whatta ya want me to do with all these papers!?

Forgive me. I'm just learning photoshop.