http://www.muckraked.com/wordpress/2008/06/09/abramoff-plied-rove-white-house-officials-with-tix-to-games-and-concertsABRAMOFF PLIED ROVE & WHITE HOUSE OFFICIALS WITH TIX TO GAMES AND CONCERTSJailed super-lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his family met with President Bush at least six times, according to photographs obtained by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
The committee’s proposed report, “Jack Abramoff’s Contacts With White House Officials,” also details how:
- At the instigation of Abramoff, the White House intervened in the discussions on whether or not to extend the employment of State Department official Allen Stayman “who had advocated reforms in the Northern Mariana Islands that Mr. Abramoff opposed. In one exchange, Mr. Schlapp e-mailed Monica Kladakis, the deputy associate director of presidential personnel, to ask “how do we fix this?” Ms. Kladakis responded: “I think we can do something about it, but I’m trying to figure out what is the best way to go about it. I don’t want a firing scandal on our hands.”
- The White House communicated with the Abramoff team in considering candidates for political positions in the adminstration, particularly at the Interior Department’s Office of Insular Affairs.
- Abramoff influenced decisions about presidential political endorsements.
- Jack Abramoff and his lobbying team offered White House officials tickets to 19 sporting events and concerts:
“According to the Greenberg Traurig documents, the White House official offered the most tickets to entertainment and sporting events from the Abramoff team was Susan Ralston. Ms. Ralston requested tickets from Mr. Abramoff and his colleagues at least seven times. Mr. Abramoff provided her with tickets to nine events, including Wizards, Capitals, and Orioles games as well as concerts by Bruce Springsteen and Andrea Bocelli. Other White House officials the Greenberg Traurig documents indicated received ticket offers from the Abramoff team included:
• Jennifer Farley, Associate Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, who was provided with tickets to three events, two Orioles games and a Yanni concert;
• Matt Kirk, Special Assistant to the President in the Office of Legislative Affairs , who was provided with tickets to a Wizards game and to the NCAA basketball tournament; and
• Karl Rove, Senior Advisor to the President, who was provided with three tickets to the NCAA basketball tournament on March 17, 2002. Mr. Abramoff also provided his suite to Mr. Rove’s class of College Republicans for a November 9, 2002, Washington Capitals game.“