Reward to Abramoff if he Rats Out Election Frausters

[Einsteinia]

Now THIS is something to dream about:

Just in from the Velvet Revolution:


1/2/06: JACK ABRAMOFF STARTS OFF THE NEW YEAR BY PROMISING TO BRING DOWN DOZENS OF DIRTY POLITICOS AND VR OFFERS TO HELP HIM WITH $100,000 OF HIS LEGAL BILLS IF HE DIVULGES CONCLUSIVE INFORMATION CONFIRMING THE RIGGING OF THE 2004 ELECTION

Republican criminal Jack Abramoff today reached an agreement with Department of Justice Prosecutors to plead guilty to a host of charges including fraud, conspiracy and tax evasion in exchange for his complete cooperation against other political criminals who participated in his vast criminal enterprise. Those in the know expect him to bring down dozens of Congressmen, their staff and wives, including Republican election racketeerers Tom Delay and Robert Ney.

VR has a reward out for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those who rigged the 2004 presidential vote in Ohio. We now make an offer directly to Mr. Abramoff. VR will pay $100,000 toward his legal bills if he provides us and the Department of Justice with conclusive proof that the 2004 Presidential election was rigged in favor of the Republicans. We have received numerous tips that Mr. Abramoff made deals with Republican power brokers who were in a position to illegally rig the election. Moreover, we have indications that he had ties with folks associated with Diebold and ES&S. Finally, press accounts have revealed that much of the money paid out by Abramoff was used to affect elections, leading us to conclude that he should know of illegal schemes to rig the vote.

We hope Mr. Abramoff takes up our offer and we note that his plea agreement requires a complete accounting of all his criminal activity and his knowledge of the criminal activity of others. So, if he knows about election rigging and does not disclose it, and the feds find out, then his plea agreements in Florida and Washington, DC are off. And just to drive this home, if we don't get this info from Mr. Abramoff, we will make similar offers to his co-conspirators when they start rolling. Jack, do yourself a favor and come real clean....


http://www.velvetrevolution.us/#010206

[MissWaverly]

1. Wow, I am kicking this to the Greatest Page

You have made my day!

[Kagemusha]

2. Ummmm.

I don't think offering cash for testimony is very kosher or.. legal.. I hope they're just kidding, myself.

[kster]

3. Kick-n-recommended........nt

[The Witch]

4. hehehe great idea.

probably shady, but great ;-D

[Ellipsis]

5. This guy lights cigars with a $100,000.

[troubleinwinter]

7. He claims he's broke!

[Brundle_Fly]

9. his suit at the courtroom

was a $5,000 armani custom, and the hat was probably another $2200

he's about as broke, as his moral code.

[Ellipsis]

11. Maybe, in the I'm gonna get plastic surgery, See ya later Bye...

Swiss bank account broke.


This guys been "workin it" for a long time. I find that hard to beleive... but ya never know.

But if he knows ANYTHING... and rats...I would be delighted.

:hi:

[proud2BlibKansan]

6. Wowee zowee

:toast: :woohoo: :toast: :woohoo: :toast:


:yourock:

[Nothing Without Hope]

8. Not nearly as much as the criminals could offer him: more money

and a chance to stay alive. Besides, you know he must have untold millions in secret bank accounts. He's set up for life, and he dares not cross the criminal cabal.

But it's a nice thought and good publicity for the cause of exposing the truth.

[roguevalley]

10. the guy is broke. that is why he tumbled. i hope he does this. he

would be one for the history books, our jack.

[MelissaB]

12. I've googled on and off for weeks for a link between Abramoff and

Diebold lobbyists and came up empty handed. I didn't dig too deep becasue I kept thinking I needed to take my tinfoil hat off.

Last google time: tonight. :(

:kick:

[Einsteinia]

19. Diva77 told me "Apparently Abramoff was lobbying. . .

"Apparently Abramoff was lobbying for Diebold at Greenberg Traurig..." in response to the following post:

I've been a bit hazy on why the 2000 election's recount has been mentioned in the Abramoff scandal.

Maybe someone else here will also appreciate this quick summary on how the 2000 recount legal funds were used in a money laundering scheme.


http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/1/3/165510/5834

Bush's Connections to Abramoff. In 2002 Bush Obstructed Justice For Jack, Recount Bill NEVER PAID


Don't forget that Jack Abramoff's own secretary, Susan Ralston, became Karl Rove's Personal Assistant, and that Abramoff said he contacted Rove personally on relieving his client Tyco from having to pay some taxes and still be able to get federal contracts.  Abramoff said "he had contact with Mr. Karl Rove" on Tyco.

But that's not the half of it!  It was only revealed this August that in 2002 Bush himself fired a prosecutor, Frederick Black, investigating Abramoff over a scandal in Guam.  Rove recommended the replacement and the inquiry of Abramoff ended!

<snip>

John Conyers in August asked for an investigation for possible Obstruction of Justice charges against Bush for abruptly ending an inquiry on Abramoff and Guam. Bush (or the RNC) never repaid Abramoff's firm, Greenberg, $314,000 in bills for the 2000 Recount, making it in effect a HUGE in-kind contribution to Bush! SO BUSH OWES ABRAMOFF BIG-TIME.  And Abramoff himself was a "Pioneer", raising over $100,000 for Bush in 2004.

Rove now says he has "no recollection" of Flippin Jack calling him about breaks for Tyco.  Hmmmm...

Seems I have a recollection of hearing that somewhere before.  Maybe Scotty could beam up another conversation with Karl swearing he had no recollection.

In addition, Rove's credibility from the CIA Leak case is now zero, so I believe prosecutors may be about to press him on his "no recollection" claim.

PRIMARILY, BUSH SILENCED A PREVIOUS ABRAMOFF INVESTIGATION IN 2002. KARL HELPED TO GET BUSH REMOVE FREDERICK BLACK FROM ABRAMOFF CASE AND CLOSE INVESTIGATION OF A GUAM SCANDAL!

<Snip>

Lots more & really fascinating details at:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/1/3/165510/5834

[diva77]

29. Sorry, need to correct that

My head is throbbing from trying to connect dots and get it correct...here's some of what I've managed to find ...


Abramoff was hired as senior director of gov't
affairs (lobbyist) at Greenberg Traurig (Washington DC) (12/2000) ...and remained through March 2004 when he was
pressured to resign. According to Electionline.org, Diebold Election Systems, Inc. paid
the lobbying firm of Greenberg Traurig (New York), LLP $200,000 jan- june 2003 for
their lobbying efforts (there was more pay for a longer time...this is just
data from a particular time period).

Also, Bob Ney's former chief of staff David DiStefano received $50,000 in that
same timeperiod as a lobbyist for Diebold (but not at Greenberg Traurig).

Then there's this on DiStefano

By Jonathan Riskind, The Columbus Dispatch

December 9, 2005

Citing national security, Rep. Bob Ney won't provide details about a 2003 trip
to England courtesy of an obscure company called FN Aviation.

But a previously unreported link has emerged between the Heath Republican and
the British company that had an office in Cyprus: FN Aviation employed a pair of
lobbyists with ties to Ney.

The same year FN Aviation spent $2,700 on Ney's trip, it paid $20,000 to a
former Ney chief of staff turned lobbyist, David DiStefano, to monitor Capitol Hill trade
legislation, records show.

The company also paid $220,000 in 2003 for similar services from another
lobbyist, Roy C. Coffee, who now works with DiStefano, according to the congressional lobby
disclosure records.

Between the two of them, DiStefano and Coffee have given about $20,000 to Ney's
campaign.
---------------------

[bvar22]

13. I'll sweeten the pot...

..another crisp $20.00 if Abramoff blows the whistle on Election Fraud!
THAT ought to get his attention!
:+

[truckin]

24. Count me in for $50, that should get him to squeal!

[The Doctor.]

14. It's a neat Idea, but I don't think it can be done...

Paying someone for testimony is a form of coercion and will taint said testimony.

"Your honor, Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, Mr. Abramoff, as you all know, is being paid to say these thing about my client. My client is being victimized by a narrow agenda and Mr. Abramoff's already apparent greed."

No, if I were a defense attorney, I'd have a field day with it.

It's a neat idea though.

[garybeck]

16. there are rewards for information all the time

if he was just saying something and pointing the finger, i agree with you. however, if he has information that can be corroborated or proven otherwise, this sort of thing is done all the time.

the real problem here, is that if A-moff does have information, $100,000 probably wouldn't be enough to get him to talk. From the stories I've read, that's pennies compared to the money that has flowed by and through this guy. He probably has a swiss bank account waiting for him when he gets out of prison. I think we'd have to add at least one more zero, and probably two of them, to get him to even listen to us.

[Brundle_Fly]

20. hmm... I think that sounds right.

but there are plenty of people giving to Tommy Delays legal defense fund, maybe to stay out of his testimony as well....

it's all so sordid

[garybeck]

15. cool, i'll kick in another 20 spot

that's about all i can afford now, after spending the last 14 months trying to stop election fraud :)

[SoCalDem]

17. perhaps a few of the 15,000 e-mails has a mention or two

:) we can dream :)

[Einsteinia]

18. Frauster is a new word that means

A fraulein (German for Hagen Daz)
that meats a hamster

it's slang.

[Helga Scow Stern]

21. I wondered about that.....

I thought it was like a gangster that turned state's evidence,
but that sounds kind of sexist....

frau-ster.

[nicknameless]

23. (self-deleted)

[Blue Shark]

30. Aloha E...

...I always kinda like to be maligned with the name "Fraudist" rather than "Fraudster" as was coined by Markos.

...What I REALLY like to be is correct!

...Nice to see this post but I think the tally should be closer to a cool $Million and should be offerred to anybody who will roll...as we know the rats will be scurrying like crazy come the next couple months.

[Einsteinia]

34. How About a Fraudinista? Yes a million is more

in line with what it takes to impress the mafia setters these days. I guess.

[AntiFascist]

22. This would be great, and why was he lobbying Tom Feeney?

One of the biggest aspects of this story were the trips to Scotland with Delay and Ney. What is not often mentioned is that Feeney also participated.

Recall that Feeney allegedly hired Clint Curtis to create a vote-rigging software prototype:

http://www.bradblog.com/ClintCurtisSummary.htm

Also, I noticed from watching the Senate testimony on C-Span that Michael Scanlon, Abramoff's former business partner, was particularly keen on "controlling" votes utilizing a custom voter database:

Sen McCain: Mr. Worfel I understand you met with Scanlon and Chris Cathcart in Washington to review the multi-million dollar database. What did they show you?

William Worfel (former council member Louisiana Coushatta Tribe): Senator they showed me a computer screen with names of Coushatta Tribal vendors for our casino operations. They showed me on the screen the people that...how many employees they had, how many people would vote, what parties they were affiliated with, Republicans or Democrats. That was just on a computer screen, right there.

McCain: What did Mr. Scanlon say he would do with this database?

Worfel: That's a good one. He said that "this here can help control the political future of the Coushatta Tribe in Louisiana." He said, "you give us a body, we can elect a state representative, a state senator, a governor" because it had the precincts of each voter base and the surrounding state parishes, results of the previous elections for the last 10,12 years and he said "you give us a body and we can elect a governor or a senator. Using your vendors, getting your vendors mobilized." They call these people and say "look we do business with the Coushatta Tribe, this much vendor business, they need your support, they need somebody that...it would help them with their calls.

[Einsteinia]

27. Wow! Great catch! Somehow I had missed this one. n/t

[BamaBecky]

25. Hope this works!

[bleever]

26. I'll bring him home-baked cookies every week for a year.

But only if he calls by midnight tonight; I think (and pray) that this will inevitably come out as this whole mess unravels.

[Stevepol]

28. I'm not rich but if I thought Abramoff could rat out the fraudsters,

I would give a heck of a lot of what I own.

In my opinion, this election fraud, scam, con game, call it what you will, is the greatest threat to American democracy in its history. As of now, 2006, we don't have a democracy anymore and I believe it is attributable to Diebold and its cronies and wannabes.

[jillan]

31. A Huge Kick, and another vote!

I have a gut feeling that this is all related to the election.

[Steve A Play]

32. See posts #2 & #3

in this thread.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x407684

Steven P

[Chicago1]

33. Brad, this is BRILLIANT

Brad is a smart guy. Good for him.



START THE REVOLUTION!!!!!!

[mod mom]

35. Abramoff-Greenberg Traurig-Diebold-Ney-HAVA

Someone posted something suggesting a connection via this lineage. Still awaiting permission to post the comments from the author.