Last week, Americans saw some disturbing images. During town hall meetings about health care reform, legislators and citizens were loudly interrupted and intimidated by members of the audience who refused to let them speak.
The ongoing investigation into the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal has resulted in a criminal charge against a former aide to Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran.
Disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff was sentenced to four years in federal prison Thursday for his corrupt lobbying activities, which led to the downfall of a congressman and several other Washington officials.
An accounting scandal at the Republican Party's House campaign organization has federal agents investigating what happened to hundreds of thousands of dollars and could affect several congressional campaigns, party officials said Thursday.
The White House must release its visitor logs and cannot hide behind a shield of privilege, a federal judge ruled Monday. The Bush administration has resisted public disclosure while it fights a lawsuit over alleged political influence by conservative Christian leaders.
The House passed restrictions Thursday that limit how lobbyists can raise money for members and bar spouses from lobbying lawmakers, in what Democrats called the most sweeping reforms in decades.
Susan Ralston, a former top assistant to President Bush's political adviser, Karl Rove, is willing to tell Congress what she knows about contacts between White House officials and disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff -- but only if she's granted immunity from prosecution, her lawyer has told congressional investigators.
The White House is being accused of improperly trying to hide e-mails about government business by using unofficial e-mail accounts.
Rep. Bob Ney delivered his resignation from Congress on Friday, according to his chief of staff.
I'm still worried sick. The R's have seized the news cycle! Which says more about how dim American politics are than anything I can think of.
Last week, Americans saw some disturbing images. During town hall meetings about health care reform, legislators and citizens were loudly interrupted and intimidated by members of the audience who refused to let them speak.
The ongoing investigation into the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal has resulted in a criminal charge against a former aide to Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran.
Disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff was sentenced to four years in federal prison Thursday for his corrupt lobbying activities, which led to the downfall of a congressman and several other Washington officials.
An accounting scandal at the Republican Party's House campaign organization has federal agents investigating what happened to hundreds of thousands of dollars and could affect several congressional campaigns, party officials said Thursday.
The White House must release its visitor logs and cannot hide behind a shield of privilege, a federal judge ruled Monday. The Bush administration has resisted public disclosure while it fights a lawsuit over alleged political influence by conservative Christian leaders.
The House passed restrictions Thursday that limit how lobbyists can raise money for members and bar spouses from lobbying lawmakers, in what Democrats called the most sweeping reforms in decades.
Susan Ralston, a former top assistant to President Bush's political adviser, Karl Rove, is willing to tell Congress what she knows about contacts between White House officials and disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff -- but only if she's granted immunity from prosecution, her lawyer has told congressional investigators.
The White House is being accused of improperly trying to hide e-mails about government business by using unofficial e-mail accounts.
Rep. Bob Ney delivered his resignation from Congress on Friday, according to his chief of staff.
I'm still worried sick. The R's have seized the news cycle! Which says more about how dim American politics are than anything I can think of.
Montana doesn't have much to do with Washington D.C. -- or at least Republican Sen. Conrad Burns doesn't want his constituency to think so.
Half of all Americans believe most members of Congress are corrupt -- a figure that has risen 12 points since the start of the year -- and more than a third think their own representative is crooked, according to a new poll released Thursday by CNN.
Republican leaders of the House of Representatives said they will move to expel Ohio Rep. Bob Ney unless he resigns this month following his guilty plea to corruption charges.
Republican Rep. Bob Ney of Ohio pleaded guilty Friday to federal charges in the congressional investigation into corruption and bribery involving disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, according to the Justice Department.
Republican Rep. Bob Ney of Ohio has agreed to plead guilty to a pair of charges as part of a deal with the Justice Department in which he will cooperate with its ongoing influence peddling investigation, two sources with knowledge of the investigation told CNN.
Embattled U.S. Rep. Bob Ney, R-Ohio, announced Monday that he would retire at the close of the 109th Congress, abandoning a bid to win a seventh term to the House of Representatives in November.
The Senate's top Democrat says 1994's "Contract with America," the Republican campaign agenda the year the GOP regained control of Congress -- was an "urban myth."
Rep. Tom DeLay took his final bow on the House floor Thursday, offering a robust defense of two things for which he became well known during more than two decades in Congress -- unyielding conservatism and unapologetic partisanship.
The battle between the FBI and Congress over documents seized in a raid on the office of Congressman William Jefferson, a Democrat from New Orleans, turned Washington upside down last week. The FBI, which has long been investigating allegations that Jefferson accepted money in exchange for helping businessmen secure deals in Africa, says it had already found $90,000 wrapped in foil in the freezer of Jefferson's apartment and had a videotape of him allegedly accepting $100,000 in bribe money. But when federal agents, who had been trying to get documents from Jefferson for nine months, obtained a warrant and searched his Capitol Hill office, they found an unlikely adversary: House Speaker Dennis Hastert. The Illinois Republican argued that the search violated the separation of powers between the Legislative and Executive branches and demanded that the FBI return the seized documents.
The White House tried to cool congressional anger Thursday over a report linking House Speaker Dennis Hastert to a wide-ranging corruption probe, denying the story was leaked to punish Hastert for criticizing the FBI's raid of a lawmaker's office.
Newly released visitor logs show disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff was signed in to the White House complex on two occasions since President Bush took office in 2001, including once when the president was out of town.
The bipartisan "Gang of 14" senators met Wednesday on two of President Bush's judicial nominees, with members reserving judgment on one candidate and asking for a new hearing on the other.
Republicans and Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee laid out sharp partisan lines Tuesday in debating the qualifications of a top White House aide nominated for a prestigious judicial post.
A former top aide to an Ohio congressman pleaded guilty Monday to a federal charge in connection with the ongoing investigation of a Capitol Hill lobbying scandal.
Either the so-called "lobby reform bill" is the contemptible, cheesy, shoddy piece of hypocrisy it appears to be ... or the Republicans have a sense of humor.
Despite repeated White House objections to the release of documents related to Jack Abramoff's visits to the White House, the Secret Service has agreed to produce all logs detailing the disgraced lobbyist's meetings, according to a court filing released Monday.
In general, I'm against kicking 'em when they're down ... unless really awful people are involved. I figured Tom DeLay is so awful, plenty of people would gang up on him and I could pass.
A watchdog group Wednesday accused Congress of wasting taxpayer dollars to please the people back home, despite the soaring deficit and mounting bills for hurricane damage and the war in Iraq.
Embattled Rep. Tom DeLay said Tuesday he's dropping his bid for re-election, while insisting he's never acted improperly.
Rep. Tom DeLay will drop out of his re-election race, two Republican congressional sources told CNN on Monday.
A former senior aide to Rep. Tom DeLay pleaded guilty Friday in federal court to fraud conspiracy, saying he joined a scheme with lobbyist Jack Abramoff and others to enrich themselves and illegally influence members of Congress.
A federal judge Friday delayed sentencing of Jack Abramoff, a move the prosecutors requested to further the former lobbyist's cooperation with their investigation.
Cynics are fond of meditating on the evil done in the name of reform. I'm a great believer in perpetual reform myself, on the theory that political systems, like houses, are always in want of some fixing. However, I have seen some pluperfect doozies passed off as reform in recent years, starting with "Social Security reform."
Just how close was the relationship between the President and disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff? Bush "saw me in almost a dozen settings," Abramoff wrote to a journalist friend in an e-mail that surfaced last week, "and joked with me about a bunch of things, including details of my kids." But the White House has continued to assert that the President has no recollection of ever meeting the admitted felon. Now a photograph of them together has finally come to light. The photo, taken on May 9, 2001, at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building adjacent to the White House, shows a bearded Abramoff in the background as Bush greets the lobbyist's client, Raul Garza, who was then the chairman of the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas; Bush senior adviser Karl Rove looks on from the far right of the frame. Told about the photograph in January, the White House said it had no record that Abramoff was present at the 2001 meeting. When shown the photograph last weekend, White House press secretary Scott McClellan con
Disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff accompanied a Native American tribal chief he was trying to sign as a client to a White House meeting attended by President Bush, a newly published picture shows and a Bush spokesman confirmed Sunday.
Here in Washington, the halls are alive with the sound of music.
The new Republican leader in the House of Representatives backed more stringent disclosure rules for lawmakers and lobbyists Sunday, but criticized measures such as a ban on privately paid travel proposed by other GOP leaders.
House Republicans on Thursday elected U.S. Rep. John Boehner of Ohio as majority leader.
In a happy harmonic convergence, Groundhog Day falls only two days after the State of the Union Address this year. Some days, I'd feel better with Punxsutawney Phil in the Oval Office -- at least he doesn't lie about the weather. The Bush administration is now trying to stop NASA's top climate scientist from speaking out on the need for prompt action on global warming. As far as we know, the groundhog isn't suppressing anyone, he just calls it as he sees it.
Yes, the Jack Abramoff scandal is a cancer eating away at the heart of Washington, fresh proof of the Beltway's culture of corruption, etc., etc. But for business, this tawdry episode is a reminder of something that gets too little notice: A company's return on lobbying and campaign contributions--let's call it return on political investment, or ROPI--is astronomically higher than any real investment it can make. These remarkable returns, not any inherent venality, explain why the pseudo-reforms likely to come in Abramoff's wake will do nothing to stop the meltdowns from recurring.
I cannot rid from my mind the name Alioto, Judge Samuel Alioto. That is the name of Judge Samuel Alito as pronounced by the delightful Sen. Edward Kennedy, or is it Eduardo Kennedino? No, it is simply Teddy, and he is as entertaining as any U.S. Senator since the days of the soused Southerners, who would tipple their way through the dreamy days on Capitol Hill, rousing themselves for histrionic oratory in the mid-afternoon and then slumping back into their seats, awaiting the late afternoon hour when they would all gather in one or another's chambers for a "restorative" -- then on to dinner.
Two GOP congressmen -- a moderate and a conservative -- joined forces Tuesday to endorse Rep. John Shadegg of Arizona as a candidate to succeed Rep. Tom DeLay as the powerful House majority leader.
If the last two days are any indication, ethics reform is now the hottest issue in Washington. A day after Republicans recruited Senator John McCain to announce their plan to clean up government, close to one hundred congressional Democrats stood together in the Library of Congress as Senator Barack Obama talked about the importance of the reforms his party was introducing. And both parties put out plans that included tighter restrictions on lobbyists and their interactions with Congress.
As details poured out about the illegal and unseemly activities of Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff, White House officials sought to portray the scandal as a Capitol Hill affair with little relevance to them. Peppered for days with questions about Abramoff's visits to the White House, press secretary Scott McClellan said the now disgraced lobbyist had attended two huge holiday receptions and a few "staff-level meetings" that were not worth describing further. "The President does not know him, nor does the President recall ever meeting him," McClellan said.
Sen. John Kerry took up top GOP political strategist Karl Rove's call to make national security a central issue in the 2006 midterm elections, vowing Sunday, "I want to have that debate every single day."
Embattled White House adviser Karl Rove vowed Friday to make the war on terrorism a central campaign issue in November and said Democratic senators looked "mean-spirited and small-minded" in questioning Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito.
Congressional Democrats made a sweeping election-year promise Wednesday to clean up Capitol Hill amid an influence-peddling scandal that has spurred Republicans to propose a reform package of their own.
As Senate Democrats pressed President Bush to act with "openness and accountability" when he responds to questions about dealings with Jack Abramoff, a White House spokesman Tuesday remained reticent about Bush's contacts with the embattled lobbyist.
George Clooney thanked Jack Abramoff. Steve Carell thanked his wife -- several times.
Lobbyist Jack Abramoff's October 23, 2000, e-mail to his business partner Michael Scanlon was, as usual, not subtle. "Would 10K for NRCC from Suncruz for Ney help?" Scanlon shot back: "Yes, alot [sic]! But would have to give them a definate [sic] answer--and they need it this week ..."
The Republicans hope Tom DeLay's successor will repair their reputation, but the stink of the lobbying scandal clings hard to the GOP.
Rep. Bob Ney gave up his chairmanship of the House Administration Committee on Sunday amid an influence-peddling probe that has roiled the Republican Party, but he predicted the investigation would clear his name.
In the Democratic Party's weekly radio address on the weekend honoring Martin Luther King Jr., Senate Minority Whip Richard Durbin said if the slain civil rights leader were alive today, he would be troubled by today's Republican policies.
House Speaker Dennis Hastert is making moves to push fellow Republican Rep. Bob Ney from his post as chairman of the House Administration Committee, Republican sources said Friday.
Up to a half dozen people, including two members of Congress, could face charges after high-powered lobbyist Jack Abramoff's plea deal with the Justice Department, sources with knowledge of the investigation tell CNN.
When does good old-fashioned lobbying become bribery? That's the question Congress and business leaders alike find themselves grappling with since the fall of Jack Abramoff, Washington's most notor...
A majority of Americans consider the congressional influence-peddling inquiry surrounding former lobbyist Jack Abramoff a major scandal, and they registered an anti-incumbent note in a poll released Monday.
Federal prosecutors are turning up the heat in the Jack Abramoff influence-peddling case, which promises to be the biggest Washington scandal in a generation.
When legal and ethical questions began spinning around House majority leader Tom DeLay last year, President George W. Bush was publicly supportive. Privately, though, he questioned his fellow Texan's mojo. Bush had scored 10 points higher than DeLay in the Representative's district in 2004, and that was only after Bush had recorded a telephone message to help rally local Republicans. "I can't believe I had to do robocalls for him," the President said bitingly to an Oval Office visitor.
Two top Republicans announced Sunday they would seek the No. 2 position in the House, a day after Rep. Tom DeLay said he will not try to reclaim the majority leader post.
Rep. Tom DeLay announced Saturday he will not try to reclaim the House majority leader post he had held for three years, but the Republican said he will seek re-election in his Texas district when his term expires in November.
Under Republican control, America has been "put up for sale to the highest bidder" and its government has been transformed into an "engine of patronage, not one of responsible policy," a Democratic congresswoman said Saturday in the party's weekly radio address.
House Speaker Dennis Hastert became the latest lawmaker to dump campaign contributions from clients of high-flying lobbyist Jack Abramoff, giving about $70,000 to charity Tuesday.
Former high-powered lobbyist Jack Abramoff pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiracy, fraud and tax evasion charges, agreeing to cooperate in a federal corruption probe in Washington.
Worried Republican leaders from both the House and Senate cleared out staffers Wednesday for the first night of their three-day retreat on the Eastern Shore of Maryland to discuss their anxiety about the question of ethics.
How far will it go? That's what many nervous officials in Washington are wondering as they brace for what is showing signs of becoming the biggest influence-peddling scandal in decades. An investigation that began nearly two years ago into whether lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his associate Michael Scanlon bilked six Indian tribes out of $80 million now looks as though it could touch dozens of lawmakers, their current and former staff members and Bush Administration officials. The Justice Department is preparing to test whether accepting lawfully reported campaign contributions may constitute corruption, subjecting Washington politicians to an entirely new standard. Even those who are not in legal jeopardy over their dealings with Abramoff and Scanlon could face embarrassing questions at home. All of which is about the last thing the Republicans who control Congress wanted to hear as they move into what is an already hostile political climate for next year's midterm elections. "There's certainly a sense of f
Michael Scanlon, a former top aide to Rep. Tom DeLay and a onetime partner of high-powered Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff, pleaded guilty to a federal conspiracy charge Monday.
A lawyer who worked with high-powered Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff, is expected to testify against him as part of a plea bargain with the Justice Department, two government sources have told CNN.
A TIME investigation shows the lobbyist now at the center of a federal probe had a good friend eager to open doors at the White House: former Christian Coalition chief Ralph Reed.
Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff bragged two years ago that he was in contact with White House political aide Karl Rove to fight a move to crackdown on firms which used offshore headquarters to pay lower U.S. taxes, according to a published report.
Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff, an associate of several influential GOP figures, appeared in federal court Friday on wire fraud and conspiracy charges and was released on $2.25 million bond.
Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff, an associate of several leading Republicans, was indicted by a federal grand jury Thursday on fraud and conspiracy charges arising from a deal to buy Florida casino boats in 2000.
At this stage, it's not easy to make Jack Abramoff's reputation worse. The Washington superlobbyist has been caught, in his e-mails, calling his Indian tribal clients "monkeys" and "morons."
Diogenes the Cynic is said to have wandered the streets of Athens, searching in vain for an honest man.
Forget the freebie trips across the Atlantic and the Pacific. Forget the casinos and the allegedly illicit contributions -- they represent only degrees of avarice.
Since he emerged as a leading character in the controversy over House majority leader Tom DeLay's ethical standards, Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff has been famously tight-lipped.
On August 30, 2001, then majority whip Tom DeLay, his wife, his staff and two Florida Republican House members arrived in Malaysia on what was billed as an educational trip.
Inside the cozy relationship between Tom DeLay and D.C.'s most notorious lobbyist. Could it take the leader down?
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