James Clyburn (D), Abramoff, Did Dems get contris from Jack?

[usregimechange]

At least two aides to House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and two Democratic congressmen received travel expenses initially paid by lobbyist Jack Abramoff on his credit card or by his firm, internal records of the lobbying firm show.

Longtime House ethics rules that applied to the 1996 and 1997 trips to the Northern Mariana Islands have strictly prohibited lawmakers and their staffs from accepting any congressional trips from lobbyists or their firms.

DeLay's office and one of the lawmakers, Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., said they had no knowledge that Abramoff or his firm paid the expenses. The office of Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., did not return several calls seeking comment.

Abramoff, whose lobbying is under criminal investigation, pressed his clients, the Northern Marianas government, to reimburse him for the travel because of concerns the payments might draw scrutiny from the House committee that investigates lawmakers' conduct, the documents obtained by The Associated Press show.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/05/02/national/w225437D16.DTL

GOPer claiming in LTTE that this makes Dean's remarks false.

[usregimechange]

1. Another source:

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay isn't the only politician facing ethics charges. South Carolina's James Clyburn and Mississippi's Bennie Thompson, both Democratic members of the Congressional Black Caucus, also had to answer tough questions last week. In 1997, both men traveled to the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. commonwealth. The trip -- and an earlier trip to the Marianas by two associates of DeLay -- appears to have been paid for by lobbyist Jack Abramoff. It is a violation of House ethics to accept gifts from a registered lobbyist. Abramoff is now the subject of a federal corruption probe. Farai Chideya speaks with Rep. Clyburn.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4646094

[oasis]

2. 1996-1997? Abramoff is under indictment for crimes in the 21st century.

[usregimechange]

4. But does this make Dean's claim that no dem accepted contris

false?

[oasis]

8. I'm sure Dean had his staff doing research within the time frame of

the Abramoff investigation.

[usregimechange]

9. It would have been nice if that was disclosed but the GOP haven't

1/1000th of that dedication to the truth. Still, I guess I hold Dems to a much higher standard.

[spindrifter]

3. No credibility here!

What dummy would believe that a Congressman's office "wouldn't know" that someone was paying the member's or his staff members' expenses? They know very well that they always have to be concerned about the propriety of their activities. This just demonstrates that their narcissism was always front and center--and it's now biting them in the butt.

[usregimechange]

5. Another source... Did not Dean know about this?

Documents showed that Abramoff and his firm paid travel bills not only for Republicans like DeLay, but also for Southern Democrats like James Clyburn of South Carolina and Bennie Thompson of Mississippi.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abramoff-Reed_Indian_Gambling_Scandal

[KoKo]

6. Clyburn has always seemed very good and progressive. I saw him

just a few weeks ago on C-Span's Washington Journal and he was excellent at beating back the Crazy Right Wingers who called in trashing Dems.

I would feel sad if he has anything to do with Abramoff but I can also figure that the MSM is determined to bring in the Black Caucus and anyone else they can to throw off their own criminal involvement in bribing congresspeople.

If Clyburn took a trip it's not the same as Abramoff paying him for favors, though. And unless Abramoff sent him a check from his own account with his name on it...I assume it was one of his lackies or groups that paid for the trip and was hidden in that kind of donation. So, it shouldn't discount what Dan said that NO DEMS have taken a penny from Jack Abramoff, directly.

[usregimechange]

7. says on his credit card or by his firm....

[KoKo]

10. But it's from Wikipedia and anyone can post anything on there...

:shrug: I'll wait until I see a reliable source.

[usregimechange]

11. I am just a little pissed because I trusted Dean and have been

saying this publically.

[seabeyond]

12. firstly dean was probably investigating the list of contributions

these would not come up. and i dont know if dean had gone that far back, so i dont need t go after dean. secondly we dont know enough about tis to decide it is true or that there are not circumstances to it. but thirdly and this is the sad one, i think quite a while ago i had read this. i say we are holding delay to the pay in gift, we MUST hold the dem to pay in GIFT.

[RazzleDazzle]

13. Dean was talking about contributions -- this isn't contributions

It's not good, but it's not what Dean was talking about.

[usregimechange]

14. I agree but I am not going to make that distinction.

Ethically it doesn't matter.

[Rainscents]

17. If I were you, I wouldn't jump all over Dean until you find FACT!

If you accuse of Dean doing something before the fact, you'll be just as guilty.

[Catrina]

15. If it was paid for by the LAW firm that Abramoff worked for

back then, that was not a lobbying firm. I will wait to see more information on that ~ I have read a lot about those Marianas trips, and this is the first I heard that Abramoff paid for any Democrats.

I'll do some research ~ I would not put it past them to plant this story, and by the time it is debunked, a whole lot of people will have accepted it.

Remember in the beginning all the 'reliable sources' claiming that Reid had taken donations from him, and others. Those were all debunked. They are really reaching back and deep to try to find at least ONE democrat to distract from the fact that this is a Republican scandal!

No Democrat was on the donors list going back years. I don't trust anything I hear or read anymore. I did believe the Harry Reid stories at first. Now, the media can't tell that lie anymore, so they're throwing out another one. They all use the same sources, usually the RNC talking points. We don't have independent, investigative journalists anymore. We have to do the research. They OWN the media!

[seabeyond]

16. i agree wholeheartedly with you post. nothing that is put out

can be taken as fact. all is a lie, just finding the lie in it. and you are right they are reaching back, way back. that is why i wouldnt be surprised "if" it happened. but like you say, what are the specifics in it. was way before abramoff had really gotten into the meat and potatoes of his scam