New Target in Abramoff Case (Italia Federici, one-time gf of J. Steven Griles, fmr Dep Sec Interior)

[tiptoe]

Paper: Conservative Think Tanker Is Investigation Target
By Paul Kiel - April 3, 2007, 9:34 AM

And another one of Gale Norton's former colleagues falls. This time, it's Italia Federici, the founder of a conservative environmental group that served as Jack Abramoff's gateway to the Interior Department.

Legal Times reports that Federici received a target letter from investigators in January. Target letters are frequently a warning of an indictment.

Federici's ex-boyfriend, Steven Griles, formerly the #2 at the Interior Department, also received a target letter in January. And he pled guilty last month to lying to Congressional investigators about his relationship with Federici and Abramoff.

Federici ran a nonprofit called the Council of Republicans for Environmental Advocacy (CREA), a conservative think tank, which she founded with Gale Norton, who became Bush's Secretary of the Interior. As a result, Federici was well connected in the Interior Department. So she and Abramoff had a deal. Abramoff's clients pumped $500,00 into her organization; in return, she ensured that people inside the department knew about his tribal clients' needs
...

[Norquist Nemesis]

1. For some reason, I recall seeing her testify at a hearing in Congress

a while back. Hmmmm... going to have to do some research on that.

[kirby]

5. You are correct...

I recall her being rude and had the typical failing memory. Indian Affair committee I recall. McCain and Dorgan grilled her if I recall.

She was involved/ran CORE (Council of Republicans for Environmental Advocacy). She seemed as concerned about the environment as the tobacco industry is about smoking cessation.

[aquart]

2. And then where did the money go?

[Robbien]

7. I expect to CREA which fights against any environmental protection

Well also used it to promote the GOP, but promoting the GOP is a given when dealing with GOPers.

These creeps stole money from Indians and used it to destroy the environment. Ironic.

[tiptoe]

3. "So far, 10 people have faced charges as part of the Justice Department’s influence-peddling probe."

...
Federici was central to the charges against J. Steven Griles, the former deputy secretary of the Interior Department who pleaded guilty March 23 to misleading Senate investigators about his relationship with Abramoff, the infamous then-Greenberg Traurig lobbyist who pleaded guilty to several felonies last year.

As part of a plea, Griles admitted that because of his romantic relationship with Federici, he “gave Abramoff more credibility as a lobbyist” and “distinguished him from other lobbyists.”

According to the Jan. 19 target letter filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, investigators are looking at whether Federici violated five statutes in connection with running the group: conspiracy to defraud the United States, tax evasion, impeding the Internal Revenue Service, and obstructing proceedings and making false statements before the Senate. The letter makes no mention of Abramoff or Griles.
...
In addition to Abramoff and Griles, other officials who have pleaded guilty include Roger Stillwell, former Mariana Islands desk officer at Interior; former Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio) and his former chief of staff, Will Heaton; and one-time Abramoff associates Michael Scanlon, Tony Rudy, Neil Volz, and Adam Kidan. David Safavian, the former top procurement officer at the Office of Management and Budget, was convicted on four charges of making false statements and obstructing justice stemming from his dealings with Abramoff.

Source: Federici is Latest Target in Abramoff Probe —Emma Schwartz, Legal Times April 2, 2007

[hlthe2b]

4. I sure wish they'd close in on Norton. She is despiccable

and the harm she did at Interior will be long lasting...

[kirby]

6. Link to the Hearing

Here is the link to the transcript and link to video of her Testimony on November 2, 2005

http://indian.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=2