The Abramoff Connection: Guam's paper trail

[PhilipShore]

KUAM News
http://www.kuam.com/news/21235.aspx


Once considered the nation's most powerful lobbyist and now a convicted felon, Jack Abramoff's ties to Guam have been revealed. KUAM News recently sent a Freedom of Information Act request to the Guam Judiciary requesting information about the previous court administration's dealings with California-based attorney Howard Hills and the disgraced lobbyist.

The paper trail behind the former Superior Court administration's hiring of Hills and Abramoff sheds new light on the great lengths local officials went to fight congressional efforts to have an independent judiciary.

KUAM News initially reported that in October 2002 a power struggle within the local judiciary was noted, as Congress was reviewing a measure that would give the Guam Supreme Court control over the entire Judicial Branch. The struggle continued for several years, as taxpayers footed the growing bill. In April 1998 then-Superior Court administrative director Tony Sanchez entered into an agreement with Hills. Sanchez at the time explained why hills had been retained, saying, "He helps with regards to our federal court case, which is an issue right now before the U.S. Supreme Court and certainly will determine whether certain laws are in place and so forth and are related to the Judicial Council." As House Resolution 521, the Judicial Empowerment Act, moved through Congress, Hills' role became more important than ever.

In 2001 presiding judge Alberto Lamorena instructed Hills to hire former congressional staffer Manase Mansur as a subcontractor to assist the court. Mansur was paid $90,000 for his services, but that wasn't the only person Hills claims court officials asked him to hire. A year later the name of one of the nation's most powerful lobbyists at the time came up. But in 2002 Sanchez claimed he had no knowledge that the court had hired Jack Abramoff. When Sanchez was asked by KUAM News if he was ever give any indications that lobbyist would be hired, after he found out the Supreme Court was going to, he replied, "I think we discovered the lobbyist was clearly in place when we were there , but never discussed the matter."