Sunday, January 29, 2006

Abramoff Scandal Rubs Off On Democrats

In an interview with Fox News Sunday's Chris Wallace, Howard Dean, Democratic National Chairman, says "that Democrats who took money from Indian tribes represented by Jack Abramoff and who did something on behalf of those tribes have "a big problem."

When questioned by Chris Wallace, Dean says that the Democrats had done no wrong, and not one of them had did any favors for Abramoff's Indian tribe clients.

But Wallace countered: "So if we find that there were some Democrats who wrote letters on behalf of some of the Indian tribes that Abramoff represented, then what do you say, sir?" Dean's response: "That's a big problem. And those Democrats are in trouble. And they should be in trouble."

In November 2005 the Associated Press reported that Senate Minority Leader Reid had accepted tens of thousands of dollars from an Abramoff client, the Coushatta Indian tribe, after interceding with Secretary of the Interior Gail Norton over a casino dispute with a rival tribe.

Reid "sent a letter to Norton on March 5, 2002," the AP said. "The next day, the Coushattas issued a $5,000 check to Reid's tax-exempt political group, the Searchlight Leadership Fund. A second tribe represented by Abramoff sent an additional $5,000 to Reid's group. Reid ultimately received more than $66,000 in Abramoff-related donations between 2001 and 2004."

I am sure this is one time Dean wishes he had kept his mouth shut! Open mouth-insert foot!

HT: BizBlogger: Howard Dean: Harry Reid "In Trouble".

Linked at Conservative Cat

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