Template talk:Jack Abramoff

Including Other Names

Bob Ney

I suggested this to KWH, and he wrote: "if we include everyone related to Abramoff the template will be a mile long. However, since involvement with Ney led directly to one of the charges, I think he could be included on a "short list". Others will probably disagree and want him removed. Don't feel afraid to add him if you think he belongs...". He also told me to "be bold", so I'm adding him.

Guilty

Table needs a new heading: "Guilty." The following have pleaded guilty through the first quarter of 2006:

Tony Rudy, March 31, 2006, graft

Jack Abramoff, January 3, 2006, fraud

Michael Scanlon, Nov. 21, 2005, bribery

Reed and Norquist

They're part of the "triumvirate" (along with Abramoff) and are mentioned in the first graf of the scandal article.--Wasabe3543 06:37, 11 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Katherine Harris

I'm taking Katherine Harris back out of this template. She's getting tangled in a scandal all right -- but it's not Abramoff's scandal, it's the scandal involving Mitchell Wade and MZM Inc -- Wade and MZM in turn were major parts of the Duke Cunningham scandal, but none of this has anything to do with Abramoff.

Criteria for inclusion, Tom Delay

I think that DeLay should be included here because 1) he has been indicted for a crime that involved Abramoff, 2) Scanlon and Rudy both worked for his office, as did Miller whose complaint to the police brought everything down.

Abramoff was the chair of TRMPAC, the PAC that DeLay was indicted over. DeLay is also referenced in the Rudy indictment (Representative B). Abramoff has not been charged over TRMPAC only because the Florida fraud and murder charges trumped Earle's.

There should be two lists, first of the people indicted (Abramoff, Scanlon, DeLay), second of the people involved in some way (DooLittle, Ney, Reed, Norquist, Boulis). Boulis is not accused of involvement but his murder certainly involved Abramoff's takeover of the cruise ships. If an indictee has been sentenced the number of years should be stated. --Gorgonzilla 15:50, 1 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Criteria for inclusion, Harry Reid

Currently, those listed under "named" are those who have been mentioned in plea agreements and indictments. Harry Reid is not one of them. -- Sholom 18:57, 8 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

BS. "Named" means "named". Take, for example, Bob Ney. He's in neither a plea agreement or an indictment. Don't compound your bias with lies. --69.122.200.170 04:50, 15 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Whatever, dude.

Ney, the chairman of the House Administration Committee, which oversees the operations of the House, is never referenced by name, although Ney's spokesman confirmed that Ney is the "Representative #1" repeatedly mentioned in court documents outlining Abramoff's wrongdoing. The court documents depict "Representative #1" as accepting lavish gifts of travel, meals, entertainment and campaign contributions, then awarding congressional contracts to Abramoff's clients, inserting a statement of support in the Congressional Record, and even obtaining a travel visa for a relative of one of Abramoff's clients while in Russia on official business.[1]

-KWH 05:33, 15 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The first sentence of the indictment of Neil Volz says: "From in or about January 1995 through in or about February 2002, defendant NEIL U. VOLZ was employed by a Member ofthe United States House of Representatives (“Representative #1”)." [2] Now, tell me, given that Volz worked for Ney at the time, who do you think "Representative #1" might be? -- Sholom 12:38, 15 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Actually named means refered to as a target of the investigation. If everything Ney had done was above board he would be refered to as Rep Ney. He is referred to as Rep #1 precisely because he is accused of criminal conduct and an indictment is expected. Ney's defense attorney has confirmed that he is Rep#1 and there is in any case only one possibility. In contrast there is no mention of Reid or Katherine Harris (who I removed from this template, she is involved in the other GOP scandal, Cunningham) or any of the other congressmen and senators who had no connection to Abramoff other than through the tribes he represented. --Gorgonzilla 22:05, 15 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Kemel

The Kemel link is silly and unsubstantiated. There is no mention in any of the prosecution documents and no mention in the Senate investigation either. Abramoff is a crook but accusing him of being in league with Al Qaeda is a claim that requires a substantial burden of proof. It is utterly implausible that any Arab terrorists would be interested in using a Jewish lobbyist. --Gorgonzilla 01:03, 7 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Template header

Since User At Work thought it needed improvement, let's work on it... the template needs to give at least a tiny bit of background/context... I think it is good to keep this neutral, no need to belabor the point with things like "GOP lobbyist". Not saying it is not true, just that there is a better wording which won't make certain folks jump out of their skin to protest. KWH 20:23, 20 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

In 2005, a series of investigations was begun into the activities of lobbyist Jack Abramoff. The investigations grew to implicate multiple high-ranking politicians and resulted in charges and conviction of Abramoff and other Washington insiders, unveiling much of the hidden world of lobbying and campaign finance in the United States.