Bush removal ended Guam investigation involving Abramoff

[Imagevision]

WASHINGTON -- A US grand jury in Guam opened an investigation of controversial lobbyist Jack Abramoff more than two years ago, but President Bush removed the supervising federal prosecutor, and the probe ended soon after.

The transactions were the target of a grand jury subpoena issued Nov. 18, 2002, according to the subpoena. It demanded that Anthony Sanchez, administrative director of the Guam Superior Court, turn over all records involving the lobbying contract, including bills and payments.

A day later, the chief prosecutor, US Attorney Frederick A. Black, who had launched the investigation, was demoted. A White House news release announced that Bush was replacing Black.

His replacement, Leonardo Rapadas, was confirmed in May 2003 without any debate. Rapadas had been recommended for the job by the Guam Republican Party. Fred Radewagen, a lobbyist who had been under contract to the Gutierrez administration, said he carried that recommendation to top Bush aide Karl Rove in early 2003.

Rapadas declined to comment and referred questions about his recusal to Justice Department officials who did not respond to requests for comment.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2005/08/08/bush_removal_ended_guam_investigation?mode=PF

[Loonman]

1. More malfeasance

From criminal Republicans.

[meegbear]

2. Whoa!!

Looks like * has in hand in the cookie jar too.

[formercia]

3. Quid pro Quo

the stench is coming from the White House. I guess that body in the closet is getting ripe.

[JuniperLea]

4. How nice

of him to do something like this for a guy he doesn't even know!

[LeftHander]

5. how much more can we take??

sheesh...asss

I am so amazed.

[yellowcanine]

6. If Bush signed off on this it could be obstruction of justice/impeachment

fodder.

[rumpel]

7. US Attorneys Office denied Black was demoted

Unfortunately these are archives from the Pacific Daily News (Guam) requiring a fee.
But we'll get the picture.

Former Gov. Guiterez was indicted.
Grand jury indicts Gutierrez
Former Gov. Carl Gutierrez once again was indicted by a Superior Court grand jury, this time on charges in connection with his role as administrator of the Guam Memorial Hospital.
Originally published in Local News on 01/05/06.

11. Black was not demoted, office clarifies
August 17, 2005 •• 299 words •• ID: gua2005081710275579
By Gaynor Dumat-ol Daleno Pacific Daily News [e-mail] Guam's former chief federal prosecutor, Frederick Black, was not demoted; in fact, he's been promoted with higher pay, the U.S. Attorney's Office stated in a press release yesterday afternoon. "Mr. Black was not demoted; he was replaced by the Senate-confirmed holder of the U.S. Attorney's Office," according to the press release.


14. Lobbyist Abramoff no stranger to controversy in Northern Marianas
March 31, 2005 •• 628 words •• ID: gua2005040109330013
By Gaynor Dumat-ol Daleno Pacific Daily News [e-mail] More than six years ago, the Pacific Daily News reported how lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his former firm billed the tiny Northern Marianas government millions of dollars for lobbying in Washington, D.C. In the mid- to late-1990s, the Northern Marianas government paid about $11 million to Washington lobbyists, at least $4 million of which went to lobbying firm Preston Gates Ellis & Rouvelas Meeds, according

but here is one recent article that can be viewed in full:

Lobbyist profited off Guam

By Gaynor Dumat-ol Daleno
Pacific Daily News
[e-mail]

The web of Guam money that went to lobby shops linked with disgraced Washington, D.C., power broker Jack Abramoff did not just stop with the Superior Court of Guam's about $400,000 payments at the expense of the local government's financial hardship.

When the Superior Court was cutting $9,000-apiece checks that were indirectly paid to Abramoff, he also was hired as a lobbyist for the A.B. Won Pat Guam International Airport Authority for unspecified aviation issues, according to his lobbying disclosure, filed in the U.S. Senate's Office of Public Records.

A host of GovGuam obligations were sacrificed when the local government was paying Abramoff and other lobbyists who promised to open doors to decision-makers in the nation's capital. Payment for the Earned Income Tax Credit for the working poor was suspended, for example, and Guam taxpayers were left waiting -- and some still are -- for tax refunds that are at least a year behind schedule.

But whether GovGuam and taxpayers got their money's worth out of the Abramoff deals are in doubt, especially now that the once-called "super lobbyist" has been ensnared in a federal influence-peddling case.

One of the three charges he pleaded guilty to last week was a charge that the "things of value" he lavished on lawmakers and their aides deprived the public of the "honest services" of a member of Congress, according to court documents.

Last week's federal plea agreement, in which he would provide full cooperation in the widening government corruption investigation, made mention of the approximately $25 million paid by Indian tribes to Abramoff and Abramoff lobby shop-arranged congressional visits to Saipan.

The Guam airport agency and Abramoff's ties happened in 2002, under former Democrat Gov. Carl Gutierrez.

http://www.guampdn.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060109/NEWS01/601090306&SearchID=73232128647884

[Imagevision]

8. Rove tactic has always been; " lie-deny"

[rumpel]

9. Note the other * connection in the article posted in #7

snip

The next year, in 2003, when Republican Gov. Felix Camacho took office, a group of lobbyists that proclaimed close connections to the White House bagged a controversial contract with the Guam Economic Development and Commerce Authority. Juan Carlos Benitez, a former special counsel to immigration under the early Bush White House, led the group.

The economic agency had acknowledged in local media statements in early 2003 it paid Washington Pacific about $375,000 for a few months worth of lobbying service. In Senate disclosures, it was national lobby shop and law firm Cassidy & Associates that reported Washington Pacific as its client, and listed Benitez as the lobbyist for the Guam issues.

snip

Abramoff became a part of Cassidy & Associates, as a consultant, in March 2004 after he left Greenberg Traurig that same month, amid allegations of padded lobbying bill payments from Indian tribes.

So much for * distancing himself from Abramoff.

:evilgrin:

[Imagevision]

11. Rumpel - got a link?

[jsamuel]

10. wow, this puts it in great perspective