Federal Indian Law Newsletter Board William Wood Holland & Knight LLP Ed It O R in Ch I E F Dawn Baum Co N T R I B U Ti N G Ed It O R , Wa S H I N G T O N , D.C

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Federal Indian Law Newsletter Board William Wood Holland & Knight LLP Ed It O R in Ch I E F Dawn Baum Co N T R I B U Ti N G Ed It O R , Wa S H I N G T O N , D.C FEDERAL INDI AN LAW Newsletter of the Federal Bar Association Indian Law Section Summer 2009 Issue u u A WORD FROM T HE CHA I R Committee have been dis- cussing potential panel topics By Elizabeth Ann Kronk and speakers for the 2010 Greetings! As you may know, I have been serving as the acting Annual Conference. If you chair of our section for the past few months, as our section chair, have any ideas to share, please Allie Greenleaf Maldonado, recently gave birth to a beautiful send your feedback to the baby girl. Although we miss Allie’s leadership, we are all incred- Annual Conference chair, ibly happy for Allie and wish her and her family all the best. Prof. Kristin Carpenter, at [email protected]. D.C. Midyear Conference It has been a truly humbling experience to serve as your acting Congratulations To The chair even these past months as there is so much going on within Newsletter Committee! our section. Our section Midyear Conference co-chairs, Heather On Sept. 12, 2009, Fed- FBA PRESIDENT LA WRENCE BA C A Dawn Thompson and Katie Morgan, have put together what prom- eral Indian Law received the A ND EL IZ ab ETH KRON K A T THE FBA ises to be a stellar conference in Washington, D.C. We will return Outstanding Newsletter ANNU al MEETING A ND CONVENTION IN Okla HO ma CITY to the National Museum of the American Indian for the Midyear Award at the national FBA Conference, as it was an excellent venue last year. Our Midyear Annual Meeting and Convention in Oklahoma City. This is Conference is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 13, 2009. Our conference a great honor, as the section has never previously received this co-chairs have put together a wonderful day of panels, including: award and our section newsletter “beat out” many other excellent Ethics: Inter-Tribal Investment and Ownership; Tribal Bankruptcy: newsletters for the award. We all owe our Newsletter Committee Options During Difficult Economic Times; Beyond Land-Into-Trust: a tremendous amount of gratitude for the time and effort they Creative Land Ownership Options for Tribes; Civil & Regulatory give to creating this now award-winning newsletter that is of great Jurisdiction Fix; and a short panel on a federal court update. I am benefit to us all. Please join me in congratulating the members of confident that this year’s Midyear Conference will be an excellent our Newsletter Committee: Trent Crable, Neal DuBois, Tim educational opportunity for all, as well as the fun experience that Evans, Kate Fort, Cameron Fraser, Vanessa Ray-Hodge, Casey we have all come to expect from FBA Indian Law Section events. I Ross-Petherick, and Ann Tweedy. KUDOS! If you are interested look forward to seeing you in D.C. on November 13! in contributing to our award-winning newsletter, please contact the editor in chief, Bill Wood, at [email protected]. 2010 Annual Conference Our Annual Conference chair, Professor Kristen Carpenter, is Section/Division Leadership Training Program Update also already hard at work planning our Annual Conference, which In August, I had the opportunity to attend the annual sec- will once again take place at the Hilton Buffalo Thunder Resort tion and division leadership training program at the FBA on the Pueblo of Pojoaque (just north of Santa Fe, N.M.) on April Headquarters. As always, I was truly impressed with the dedication 9–10, 2010. Professor Carpenter is working with three co-chairs— Professor Angela Riley, Paul Spruhan, and Tracy Toulou—to CHA I R continued on page 12 plan this year’s Annual Conference. Our conference chair and co- chairs bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to our Annual INS I DE TH I S ISSUE Conference, and I am confident that the Annual Conference will only continue to exceed expectations. This year’s conference Indian Law Cases, News, and Notes also promises to be our best one yet because it is our 35th Annual Supreme Court Update ...............................................................page 3 Conference. In recognition of this auspicious event, we have Inside the Beltway Update ..........................................................page 4 formed an Advisory Committee of some of the foremost experts in Southeast Update ........................................................................page 6 Indian law to work closely with our wonderful Annual Conference Southwest Update .......................................................................page 7 Co-chairs in planning the upcoming Annual Conference. The California and Hawai’i Update .................................................page 8 35th Anniversary Advisory Committee, chaired by Lawrence Pacific Northwest Update ...........................................................page 9 Baca, is composed of: Bob Clinton, Sam Deloria, John Echohawk, Feature Articles Walter Echo-Hawk, Doug Endreson, Paul Frye, Carole Goldberg, Tribal Leaders Weigh In on Climate Change Legislation ........page 10 Heather Kendall-Miller, Arlinda Locklear, Wilson Pipestem, Negotiations to Resume on Draft of the American Judith Royster, Gloria Valencia-Weber, and Sue Williams. The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.......................page 11 Annual Conference co-chairs and 35th Anniversary Advisory Federal Indian Law Federal Indian Law Newsletter Board William Wood Holland & Knight LLP is published by the Federal Bar Association Indian Law Section. ©2009 The Federal Bar Assoc ED it OR IN CH I E F Dawn Baum CON T R I BU ti NG ED it OR , WASH I NG T ON , D.C. Trent Crable Law Offices of Kyme A.M. McGaw PLLC CON T R I BU ti NG ED it OR , NOR T H W ES T REG I ON Neal DuBois Taleff Law Office P.C. CON T R I BU ti NG ED it OR , RO C KY MOUN T A I N REG I ON Timothy Q. Evans Holland & Knight LLP CON T R I BU ti NG ED it OR , SOU T HEAS T REG I ON Kate Fort Michigan State University College Of Law FEA T URES ED it OR Cameron Fraser Michigan Indian Legal Services CON T R I BU ti NG ED it OR , U.S. SUPREME COUR T iation. All rights reserved. The opinions expressed herein are solely those of the authors unless otherwise specified. Sarah Perlman, Managing Editor. Vanessa Ray-Hodge Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP CON T R I BU ti NG ED it OR , CAL if ORN I A /HA W A I ’I Casey Ross-Petherick Native American Legal Resource Center, Oklahoma City University School Of Law CON T R I BU ti NG ED it OR , OKLAHOMA Ann Tweedy California Western School Of Law CON T R I BU ti NG ED it OR , U.S. SUPREME COUR T FBA Indian Law Section Executive Board Elizabeth Ann Kronk University of Montana School of Law CHA I R Jennifer Harvey Weddle Greenberg Traurig LLP DEPU T Y CHA I R Heather Dawn Thompson Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP SE C RE T ARY Matthew L.M. Fletcher Michigan State University College of Law TREASURER D. Michael McBride Crowe & Dunlevy, P.C. IMMED I A T E PAS T CHA I R Lawrence R. Baca CHA I R EMER it US AND FBA PRES I DEN T 2 Federal Indian Law IND I AN LA W CASES , NE W S , AND NO T ES the exceptions in Montana v. United Sates and the role that tribal ownership of the land plays in establishing tribal Supreme Court Update est fire. In an attempt to attract the jurisdiction. Concluding that tribal The big news from the Supreme attention of the helicopter, she set a court jurisdiction was colorable under Court was the confirmation of Justice signal fire which grew into the Chediski the circumstances, the court noted that Sonia Sotomayor on Aug. 6, 2009. In forest fire that later combined with the tribe made “a compelling argu- addition, three petitions for certiorari the Rodeo fire. The combined Rodeo- ment that the regulations at issue are of particular interest to Indian County Chediski fire caused millions of dol- intended to secure the tribe’s political have been filed so far in the 2009-2010 lars in damage and burned more than and economic well-being, particularly term: Harjo v. Pro-Football Inc.; Elliot 400,000 acres. The White Mountain in light of the result of the alleged vio- v. White Mountain Apache Tribal Court; Apache Tribe brought eight claims lations of those regulations in this very and Barrett v. United States. against Elliott in tribal court, including case: the destruction of millions of dol- On Sept. 14, 2009, petition for alleged violations of tribal executive lars of the tribe’s natural resources.” certiorari was filed in Harjo v. Pro- orders, the tribal game and fish code, Elliott asks the Supreme Court to Football Inc. from the Court of Appeals the tribal natural resources code, and resolve the following question: “Can for the District of Columbia Circuit. common law negligence and trespass. a tribal court assert jurisdiction over a In the late 1990s, a group of Native Elliott brought a motion to dismiss for nonconsenting non-Indian and force Americans petitioned to cancel the lack of jurisdiction, which the tribal her to defend against civil claims in Washington Redskins football team’s court denied; she then sought inter- that unfamiliar forum when it is plain trademark registrations on the grounds locutory review with the tribal appel- that the tribal court has neither regula- that the registrations disparaged Native late court, which denied her request on tory nor adjudicatory jurisdiction and peoples. In 1998, the Trademark Trial the ground that the tribe’s code did not where the conduct at issue by the non- and Appeal Board cancelled the regis- grant the court with jurisdiction to hear consenting non-Indian on tribal land trations, and the team sought judicial interlocutory appeals.
Recommended publications
  • The Abramoff Affair: Timeline
    Combating the Culture of Corruption Student Handout #2: The Abramoff Affair: Timeline 1958 Jack Abramoff is born in Atlantic City. Family moves to California and he grows up in Beverly Hills. 1981 Abramoff graduates from Brandeis University, comes to Washington and runs for national chairman of the College Republicans, where he forges lifelong bonds with Ralph Reed, Grover Norquist and Adam Kidan. 1985 Abramoff and Norquist take charge of Citizens for America, conservative advocacy group created by drugstore magnate Lewis E. Lehrman. They are asked to leave after a dispute about finances. 1986 Abramoff graduates from Georgetown law school, joins brother in film company and goes to Africa to work on "Red Scorpion," a Cold War thriller released in 1989. 1994 GOP wins control of House for the first time in 40 years. Abramoff joins lobbying firm of Preston Gates & Ellis. He begins lobbying for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and quickly strikes up a political relationship with Rep. Tom Delay (R-Texas). 1995 Abramoff signs up the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians as a client, the first casino-rich tribe he solicits. 1997 Abramoff arranges for lawmakers and aides to take trips to the Marianas. On one such trip, DeLay calls the lobbyist "one of my closest and dearest friends." 1999 Abramoff uses tribal money to hire Ralph Reed to run anti-gambling campaigns in the South to discourage competition for the tribes' casinos. 2000 Abramoff arranges more lawmaker trips. They include week-long visit to England and Scotland in May with DeLay, his wife and two aides, and a June trip for DeLay aides to golf's U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • © Copyright 2020 Michael Scanlon
    © Copyright 2020 Michael Scanlon Stylistic variation in African American Language: examining the social meaning of linguistic features in a Seattle community Michael Scanlon A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Washington 2020 Reading Committee: Alicia Beckford Wassink, Chair Richard Wright Sharon Hargus Program Authorized to Offer Degree: Linguistics University of Washington Abstract Stylistic variation in African American Language: Examining the social meaning of linguistic features in a Seattle community Michael Scanlon Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Associate Professor Alicia Beckford Wassink Department of Linguistics Linguistic features associated with African American Language (AAL) may have a large set of ideological and functional meanings beyond ethnic identity. While sociolinguists know a lot, comparatively, about regional and social differences in the use of features associated with AAL, we know less about how features associated with AAL operate in various interactions and situations. This study presents an opportunity to better understand features associated with AAL among speakers from the Pacific Northwest – specifically focusing on one multi-ethnic community of speakers who were raised in Yesler Terrace in Seattle, Washington. It situates phonetic and phonological variation at the intersection of ethnoracial identity, place, and style, analyzes stylistic (within-speaker) uses of linguistic features in interaction, and considers how individuals enact a range of identities using linguistic features associated with AAL in practice. The dissertation includes three analyses for this study: a descriptive analysis of vowel phonology among a sample of YT members, an Audience Design analysis of stylistic shifts in a single speaker, and a Speaker Design analysis of four speakers, looking at shifts in their use of a linguistic variable across the span of their respective interviews.
    [Show full text]
  • St. Nicholas Church Aiming to Complete Preliminary Plans
    The National Herald a b www.thenationalherald.com VOL. 9, ISSUE 433 A WEEKLY GREEK AMERICAN PUBLICATION JANUARY 28, 2006 $1.00 - GREECE: 1.75 Euro Seahawks’ St. Nicholas Church Super Bowl Aiming to Complete Bound Niko Koutouvides Preliminary Plans By Liana Sideri wanted to assure the community By Evan C. Lambrou Special to The National Herald that there was no problem, in spite Special to The National Herald of the seemingly slow pace. NEW YORK - The preliminary “You have to consider that it's NEW YORK - A Greek Amer- design for the new Saint Nicholas already 2006. It's been well over ican is slated to play in Super Bowl Church in Downtown Manhattan, four years since the terrorist at- XL: Niko Stelios Koutouvides, an which was destroyed during the tacks, and now we're entering a inside linebacker for the NFC heinous 9/11 terrorist attacks, will fifth. Not much has been done yet, champion Seattle Seahawks, who be not ready before the Summer of period,” he said. will meet the AFC's Pittsburgh 2006, according to church officials. Against the backdrop of the en- Steelers in the big game next Sun- The actual reconstruction effort tire project, he pointed out, anoth- day, February 5, in Detroit. could take as long as two years be- er 1-2 years for St. Nicholas Church Not since Alex Karras, the fore it starts, church officials said, is not that long a wait, though he great defensive tackle and “Pride with an anticipated completion would not confirm whether the St. of the Detroit Lions” in the 1960's, date of 2009.
    [Show full text]
  • Tom Delay, MAY OR MAY COLYANDRO Questions About the Funneling of Corporate Money to Republican NOT BE Candidates; in the C.I.A
    A Guide to the Abramoff and DeLay Investigations NXIETY in the halls of the Capitol undoubtedly rose with KEY the announcement that the well-connected lobbyist Jack Abramoff had pleaded guilty to conspiracy, fraud and INDICTED OR tax evasion. The agreement with prosecutors means PLEADED GUILTY that Mr. Abramoff may be a witness against former associatesA and political allies; at least a dozen are being UNDER y’s investigated for corruption. DeLa INVESTIGATION s to ees A separate plea deal in Florida, for a case involving fraud in the tion mmitt ibu n co . purchase of a cruise ship line, is also in the works. tr tio aides House on l ac his Republicans, with this year’s midterm elections on their minds, C ca by MONEY FLOWS liti ged continue to worry about the effects of several investigations aimed po na ma Corporations at some of Washington’s most powerful figures. There is much to keep track of: in the investigation of Mr. TRIPS TAKEN DeLay sought contributions. House Abramoff, accusations of influence peddling and improper dealings Ethics TO SCOTLAND, with Indian tribes, among other things; in the money-laundering WITH WHAT JOHN D. Committee and conspiracy charges against Representative Tom DeLay, MAY OR MAY COLYANDRO questions about the funneling of corporate money to Republican NOT BE candidates; in the C.I.A. leak case, the special counsel’s scrutiny of LAUNDERED conversations between White House officials and journalists. MONEY DELAY AIDE INDICTED Aside from Mr. Abramoff and his partners Michael Scanlon and Adam R. Kidan, the key figures in the investigations have denied WARREN Two wrongdoing.
    [Show full text]
  • Page 1 of 4 Lexisnexis(TM) Academic
    LexisNexis(TM) Academic - Document Page 1 of 4 Home | Sources | How Do I? | Site Map | What's New | Help Search Terms: Abramoff FOCUS™ Edit Search Document 1 of 5. Copyright 2006 Newsweek All Rights Reserved Newsweek January 16, 2006 U.S. Edition SECTION: POLITICS; Pg. 40 LENGTH: 2346 words HEADLINE: A Washington Tidal Wave; Blackjack: Members of Congress rushed to give back money. DeLay stepped aside. Reformers pledged to fix the system. Can anything change the Capitol's money-hungry ways? Behind the Abramoff lobby scandal. BYLINE: By Michael Isikoff, Holly Bailey and Evan Thomas; With Mark Hosenball and Eleanor Clift BODY: First came the dinner invitations, then the tickets. Staffers in the office of former House Majority leader Tom DeLay could dine--usually, free of charge--at Signatures, the expense-account restaurant conveniently owned by lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Then they could sit in his skybox at Washington's MCI Center, home of the NBA Wizards and NHL Capitals. Before too long, recalled a former GOP leadership aide--who, like almost anyone on Capitol Hill these days, declines to be identified talking about his relationship with Abramoff--the DeLay staffers began to think that Abramoff's box at the arena was their box, and, in the cozy way of Washington, it might as well have been. "Jack was sort of like a drug dealer," said the former staffer. "He'd give them [DeLay's staffers] a little taste and then get them hooked." It may be convenient for Hill staffers to think of Abramoff as insidious, subtly corrupting idealistic but naive public servants.
    [Show full text]
  • Groups Urge Prosecutors to Investigate Ralph Reed's Texas
    News Release Texans for Public Justice ** Common Cause Texas ** Public Citizen Texas For Immediate Release: Contact: Craig McDonald (512) 472-9770 December 1, 2005 Suzy Woodford (512) 474-2374 Tom “Smitty” Smith (512) 477-1155 Prosecutors Urged to Investigate Ralph Reed’s Covert Lobbying Reed Reportedly Received Millions to Lobby In Texas—But He Never Registered With State as Required Austin, Texas - Texans for Public Justice, Common Cause Texas and Public Citizen today petitioned Travis County Attorney David Escamilla to investigate the Texas lobby activities of Ralph Reed. According to state records, Reed did not register as a Texas lobbyist in 2001 or 2002, when he reportedly received $4.2 million to lobby Texas state officials to shut down two Indian casinos in Texas. Embattled gambling lobbyists Jack Abramoff and Michael Scanlon—working for a tribe that operated a competing casino in Louisiana—reportedly paid Reed to pressure Texas officials to close the Texas casinos. The watchdog groups contend that available evidence, including Reed’s own electronic correspondence, indicates that Reed was engaged in lobbying activities that would have required him to register as a Texas lobbyist. With Abramoff’s aid, Reed helped convert the remains of televangelist Pat Robertson’s 1988 presidential campaign into the fundamentalist Christian Coalition. Nine years later, Reed started his own lobby firm in Georgia called Century Strategies. A U.S. Senate probe into Abramoff’s Indian gambling activities has documented that Abramoff hired Reed in 2001 to: • Kill a 2001 Texas bill (HB 514) that sought to keep the El Paso-based Tigua tribe’s Speaking Rock Casino open; and • Ensure that then-Attorney General John Cornyn shut down Speaking Rock (in part by generating support for such a policy).
    [Show full text]
  • Government's Sentencing Memorandum
    Case 1:06-cr-00001-ESH Document 33 Filed 08/27/2008 Page 1 of 27 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA UNITED STATES OF AMERICA : 06cr001 (ESH) : : : v. : : JACK A. ABRAMOFF, : : Defendant. : Government’s Sentencing Memorandum The United States, by the undersigned attorneys, submits this memorandum in connection with the sentencing of Jack Abramoff. Section I includes additional information about the Public Corruption, Fraud and Tax offenses Abramoff committed. Section II concerns Abramoff’s substantial assistance in this case and our motions to reduce his sentence pursuant to Sentencing Guidelines sections 3E1.1(b) (for timely acceptance of responsibility) and 5K1.1 (for substantial assistance). Section III addresses two issues created by Abramoff’s simultaneous guilty pleas, namely how to sentence Abramoff to concurrent time as well as criminal history points arising from the chance fact that he was sentenced in South Florida prior to being sentenced in this Court. Section IV contains our sentencing recommendation. I. SCOPE OF ABRAMOFF’S CRIMINAL CONDUCT Although the plea agreement and factual basis lay out all the facts relevant to the applicable guidelines ranges,1 the United States provides this additional information so that the 1The parties stipulated that the sentencing guidelines provided a reasonable sentence, which they will recommend be applied in this case. Plea Agreement at ¶ 9. Indeed, the plea agreement provides that, absent a breach of the agreement, neither party will “seek or advocate for or suggest in any way an adjustment or departure from the sentencing guidelines other than Case 1:06-cr-00001-ESH Document 33 Filed 08/27/2008 Page 2 of 27 Court may be better informed about the full scope of Abramoff’s misconduct.
    [Show full text]
  • Extras for the Ukiah Daily Journal
    Ukiahi boys Weekend STORM STORIES basketball entertainment What did the Corps do? ..............Page 3 action ...................................Page 1 .............Page 6 INSIDE Mendocino County’s World briefly The Ukiah local newspaper ..........Page 2 Tomorrow: Rain in the afternoon 7 58551 69301 0 THURSDAY Jan, 5, 2006 50 cents tax included DAILY JOURNAL ukiahdailyjournal.com 16 pages, Volume 147 Number 271 email: [email protected] Fund WHAT’S AHEAD IN 2006 drive reaches Elections, housing, city skatepark Editor’s note: This is the first of three stories about what citizens goal! can expect from government in 2006. By SETH FREEDLAND To our readers: The Daily Journal As the storm and floods hit “Prediction is very difficult, and continued through the especially if it’s about the future," weekend, the Daily Journal wisely quoth Neils Bohr. Yet, devoted all its space to the despite an appropriate modicum of crisis. Today we resume more respect for the Nobel laureate, any normal operations with some purveyor of Mendocino County pol- stories we had planned for the itics would be forced to realize New Year weekend and also today’s present is very much preg- our Food Bank Fund Drive nant with its future. With that in list. Even though we have mind, here are some of the largest reached our goal - THANK issues expected to make local gov- YOU ALL - we know there are ernment headlines in 2006. more names out there and we • A weighty election on June 6 will get them in as soon as will see Supervisors David Colfax they are forwarded to us from and Hal Wagenet seeking reelection the UCC.
    [Show full text]
  • Tribal Lobbying Matters Hearing
    S. HRG. 108–720 TRIBAL LOBBYING MATTERS HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON INDIAN AFFAIRS UNITED STATES SENATE ONE HUNDRED EIGHTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION ON OVERSIGHT HEARING REGARDING TRIBAL LOBBYING MATTERS, ET AL SEPTEMBER 29, 2004 NOVEMBER 17, 2004 WASHINGTON, DC ( TRIBAL LOBBYING MATTERS S. HRG. 108–720 TRIBAL LOBBYING MATTERS HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON INDIAN AFFAIRS UNITED STATES SENATE ONE HUNDRED EIGHTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION ON OVERSIGHT HEARING REGARDING TRIBAL LOBBYING MATTERS, ET AL SEPTEMBER 29, 2004 WASHINGTON, DC ( U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 96–229 PDF WASHINGTON : 2005 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800 Fax: (202) 512–2250 Mail: Stop SSOP, Washington, DC 20402–0001 COMMITTEE ON INDIAN AFFAIRS BEN NIGHTHORSE CAMPBELL, Colorado, Chairman DANIEL K. INOUYE, Hawaii, Vice Chairman JOHN McCAIN, Arizona, KENT CONRAD, North Dakota PETE V. DOMENICI, New Mexico HARRY REID, Nevada CRAIG THOMAS, Wyoming DANIEL K. AKAKA, Hawaii ORRIN G. HATCH, Utah BYRON L. DORGAN, North Dakota JAMES M. INHOFE, Oklahoma TIM JOHNSON, South Dakota GORDON SMITH, Oregon MARIA CANTWELL, Washington LISA MURKOWSKI, Alaska PAUL MOOREHEAD, Majority Staff Director/Chief Counsel PATRICIA M. ZELL, Minority Staff Director/Chief Counsel (II) C O N T E N T S Page Statements: Abramoff, Jack, Washington, DC .................................................................... 14 Campbell, Hon. Ben Nighthorse, U.S. Senator from Colorado, chairman, Committee on Indian Affairs ....................................................................... 1 Conrad, Hon. Kent, U.S. Senator from North Dakota .................................. 9 Dorgan, Hon. Byron L., U.S. Senator from North Dakota ............................ 11 Inouye, Hon.
    [Show full text]
  • Abramoff: Lobbying Congress
    Abramoff: Lobbying Congress On March 29, 2006, former lobbyist Jack Abramoff was sentenced to six years in federal prison after pleading guilty to mail fraud, tax evasion, and conspiracy to bribe public officials. Key to Abramoff’s conviction were his lobbying efforts that began in the 1990s on behalf of Native American tribes seeking to establish gambling on reservations. In 1996, Abramoff began working for the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. With the help of Republican tax reform advocate Grover NorQuist, and his political advocacy group Americans for Tax Reform, Abramoff defeated a Congressional bill that would have taxed Native American casinos. Texas Representative and House Majority Whip Tom DeLay also played a major role in the bill’s defeat. DeLay pushed the agenda of Abramoff’s lobbying clients in exchange for favors from Abramoff. In 1999, Abramoff similarly lobbied to defeat a bill in the Alabama State Legislature that would have allowed casino-style games on dog racing tracks. This bill would have created competition for his clients’ casino businesses. Republican political activist Ralph Reed, and his political consulting firm Century Strategies, aided the effort by leading a grassroots campaign that rallied Alabama-based Christian organizations to oppose the bill. As Abramoff’s successes grew, his clients, political contacts, and influence expanded. He hired aides and former staff of members of Congress. In 2001, Abramoff began working with Congressman DeLay’s former communications director, Michael Scanlon, who had formed his own public affairs consulting firm, Capitol Campaign Strategies. The Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana hired Abramoff and Capitol Campaign Strategies to help them renegotiate their gambling agreement with the State of Louisiana.
    [Show full text]
  • Llen Segal Huvelle, Eshindictment
    UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Holding a Criminal Tenn Grand Jury Sworn in on November 6, 2006 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ) No. CR- 08.. 27:4 ) v. ) CRIMINAL VIOLATIONS: ) KEVIN A. RING, ) Count I: Conspiracy, 18 U.S.C. § 371 ) Defendant. ) Count IT: Payment ofa Gratuity, 18 U.S.C. -------------~) §§ 201 (c)(1)(A) and 2 Counts ill-Vill: Honest Services Wire Fraud, 18 U.S.C. §§ 1343, 1346, and 2 Count IX: Obstruction ofJustice, 18 U.S.C. §§ 1512(b)(3) and 2 Count X: Obstruction ofJustice, 18 U.S.C. §§ 1512(c)(2) and 2 LLEN SEGAL HUVELLE, ESH INDICTMENT FILED IN OPEN COURT The Grand Jury charges: SE? 0 COUNT I CLERK, U.S. DISTRICT COURT (Conspiracy) DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 1. At all times material to this indictment: Relevant Entities Involved 2. Firm A was a law and lobbying finn with an office in Washington, D.C. Finn A employed lobbyists who represented their clients before the United States Congress and various federal agencies, including those within the executive branch. In January 2001, several ofits lobbyists left the practice ofFirm A and joined Finn B. · .' 3. Firm B was a law and lobbying firm with an office in Washington, D.C. Firm B employed lobbyists who represented their clients before the United States Congress and various federal agencies, including those within the executive branch. In or about February 2004, Firm B launched an internal investigation into the lobbying practices ofseveral ofits lobbyists. 4. The United States Department ofJustice (DOJ) is a department ofthe United States.
    [Show full text]
  • Rudy Guilty of Bribery, Violating Revolving Door Rules −
    NEWSLETTER Rudy Guilty of Bribery, Violating Revolving Door Rules − May 2006 On March 31, 2006, Tony Rudy, a lobbyist at the now-disbanded lobbying firm Alexander Strategy Group and the former Deputy Chief of Staff in the leadership office of Representative Tom DeLay, signed a guilty plea in which he admitted that he received bribes when he was in Congressman DeLay's office and that, once he left the Congressman's office, he lobbied that office within one year of leaving the government and provided items of value to public officials in exchange for favorable governmental action. Mr. Rudy worked for and with both Jack Abramoff and Michael Scanlon, who previously pled guilty to various ethics law violations. While his violations stem directly from those connections, Mr. Rudy himself also committed specific illegal acts while he was working both inside and outside the government. While a member of Congressman DeLay's office, Mr. Rudy established a consulting company for his wife through which money was funneled to Mr. Rudy and his wife by both Mr. Abramoff and non-profit organizations to which Mr. Abramoff directed client payments in exchange for benefits for himself and his clients. The consulting company and the non-profit organizations served as a means by which the origins of payments to Mr. Rudy could be concealed. In addition, Mr. Rudy, as a government official, participated in what the plea agreement describes as a scheme to provide "a stream of things of value to public officials with the intent to influence or reward a series of official actions and agreements to perform official action." That stream included travel, meals, greens fees, entertainment and election contributions for government officials, along with employment for their spouses and family members.
    [Show full text]