New leader of Louisiana casino-owning tribe (Abramoff's buddy lost)

[Robbien]

ELTON, La. -- The 837 members of the casino-rich Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana have a new leader for the first time in more than two decades -- former tribal police chief Kevin Sickey.

In a runoff for tribal chairman with tribal council member William G. Worfel, Sickey received 258 out of 297 votes, or 87 percent, the American Press of Lake Charles reported. Sickey was swept into office by a wave of reform-minded tribal members who for more than a year have questioned former leaders' dealings with Washington, D.C., lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his business partner, public relations consultant Michael Scanlon.

Abramoff and Scanlon remain at the center of federal investigations for what they did for and with the more than $80 million they were paid in three years by several tribes, including the Coushattas, who paid more than $32 million. The Coushattas are suing Abramoff, Scanlon and Abramoff's former employer to get their money back.

. . .

On Friday, the head of the tribe's election committee sent a fax to tribal members saying, "The election will be set at a later date." Other tribal leaders alleged that the fax was an attempt to derail the election.

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/gaming/2005/jun/06/518863271.html

bolding of election fraud attempt is mine

[central scrutinizer]

1. now if the good people of Sugarland, TX

can catch the reform fever we can get rid of the cockroach.

[Jacobin]

2. They are just mad that a crook took their bribe money

They are all a bunch of crooks, liars and thieves, the bribers and the bribees.

[Robbien]

3. But that $80 million went into building the far right wing machine

along with the $10 million they got from Tom Noe and disabled workers.

Plus, Abramoff taking their money to do something and then taking money from the other side to stop that thing from happening is downright sleaze. Even in the sleazy world of gambling, that is low.