Mel Martinez is in the (dog)house!

[The Backlash Cometh]

Ney Admits to Lobbying Florida Senator


It hasn't gotten much attention, but Bob Ney's guilty plea released today contained dirt on at least one other politician.

In the document, Ney fessed up to lobbying Sen. Mel Martinez (R-FL), then a Bush cabinet official, on behalf of an Abramoff client. The official's department later acted favorably toward Abramoff's client, according to news accounts.

Ney admitted to arranging a January, 2003 meeting with Mel Martinez, then Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, to " the interests of Abramoff's Native American Indian Tribal clients."

Ney told Martinez that his "number one priority as the newly installed Chairman of the Housing Subcommittee was Native American Indian Tribal housing," according to the plea.

Martinez has said he can't recall the meeting.




http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/001539.php

[Monkeyman]

1. Its getting closer and closer to the Fatman Hastert

[The Backlash Cometh]

2. Where do you see the dot from Martinez to Hasteret?

Or is there another article that suggests that Hasteret is in the same boat?

[madfloridian]

8. Here's an article about Hastert and Abramoff.

It is from last year. I am not sure about what it is saying. Sounds like he did get money from Abramoff, but the article is not clear to me if there was quid pro quo...think that is term.

http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/apr2005/nf20050415_2315.htm

And here's something from May from Think Progress.
http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/24/hastert-being-investigated-by-the-fbi/

I am curious about whether anything else will be made of the Sibel Edmunds statement about bribes by Turkish officials. Here is something from Democracy Now about that.

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/10/1346254

[The Backlash Cometh]

10. These people are so dirty. By the time we're five people deep into

this investigation, it's going to be like shooting fish in a barrel. They're all going to want to plea bargain.

[madfloridian]

11. I added some more links above.

I think they will get around to him soon.

[The Backlash Cometh]

15. Sibel Edmonds has a date with Hasteret.

A court date, that is... ;-)

[eleny]

3. "Martinez has said he can't recall the meeting"

:spray:

[YDogg]

4. Mel Martinez is a tool.

I hope he sinks to the bottom of the cesspool.

[The Backlash Cometh]

6. The thing is, if I had to determine who in Florida was a sleazy,

corrupt, son of a bitch Florida politician, he wouldn't make my top ten.

[YDogg]

7. Well, maybe the top eleven?

:-)

[The Backlash Cometh]

9. I don't know. It's a crowded field.

[Sydnie]

5. and Ney said he would never plead guilty

to a crime he didn't commit. :rofl: Why they put off the inevitable, I don't know. :shrug:

Wanna bet that there are some appointment books being scrubbed this weekend?

[eleny]

12. "appointment books being scrubbed this weekend"

Out Damned Spot!!! :headbang:

[Judi Lynn]

13. $250,000 from one fundraiser's nothing to sneeze at!

From the article:

Martinez was richly rewarded. Just two months after he left HUD in order to make a run for the Senate in early 2004, his campaign netted $250,000 from a fundraiser co-chaired by Abramoff.
(snip)

This is no small matter. I hope it will be a problem.



Mel with fellow Cuban "exile," _Bush's Sec. of Commerce, Carlos "Lino" Gutierrez

[The Backlash Cometh]

16. I know what he's thinking.

"All the God damn corrupt good ole boy crackers in Florida, and Ney plays it safe by picking the 'Spic."

[DoYouEverWonder]

18. I met a fellow a few weeks ago

who is good friends with Bill McCollum :puke:

During the 2004 Primary, Rove called up McCollum and told his to drop out because Martinez was the one they wanted and McCollum could forget about getting any support from the GOP. So much for the will of the people.

[rocktivity]

14. The same Mel Martinez of Terri Schiavo fame

Who gave a Dem list of talking points explaining how the GOP could take political advantage of her? And who said a lobbyist wrote it, but has no idea how it got from the author's computer to his pocket?

(Gets off shiftless and lazy ass and does her own research) Yup.

:headbang:
rocknation

[The Backlash Cometh]

17. He's been hanging around Republicans for too long.

[stevedeshazer]

19. Mel.

Why do I always think of Darrin from'Bewitched' whenever the subject of Mel comes up?

[samsingh]

20. gop - the party of criminals

[BreweryYardRat]

21. That shithead?

Good. Sleazy little fucker. Let's boot him out of his Senate seat.

[The Backlash Cometh]

22. Do you live closer to Miami than I do?

I haven't heard too much about Mel's evil dealings, assuming he's had any.