The unfolding soap opera of Abramoff with its ingredients of riverboat gambling, Native American casinos, lavish trips, mob murder, bankruptcy, campaign contributions for votes and corruption, uncovered by a Washington Post investigative reporter who waded through the public bankruptcy filings in Florida, was a fascinating saga of tangled political webs that involved large sums of money from online gambling, casino gambling and Native American Tribes.
.It also involved Glenn Marshall and the Mashpee Wampanoags and I have previously blogged about the connection.
.Ralph Reed, a born-again hypocrite who opposed gambling, accepted gambling money laundered through Grover Norquist. and subsequently lost an election because of his gambling ties.
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That a Presidential Candidate of either party would in any way directly connect himself to the tangled web of corruption created by Jack Abramoff is surprising. That Senator John McCain would do so, as he represents himself as opposed to that conduct is reprehensible.
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McCain will attend a fundraiser with Abramoff crony Ralph Reed in Atlanta on August 18, despite pressure from watchdog groups. McCain's own Senate committee obtained e-mails clearly linking Reed and Abramoff during its investigation. The Hill reported [1]:
The Senate probe discovered $4 million in payments Reed accepted to run a bogus anti-casino campaign aimed at reducing gambling competition. An Indian tribe with a competing casino made payments to Reed, which according to the Senate investigation's final report,
were "passed through" Abramoff's firm, Preston, Gates, Ellis & Rouvelas Meeds, and another organization, Grover Norquist's Americans for Tax Reform.
The following are some earlier blogs that commented on the Wampanoags' connections at the request of a regular reader (additional posts were deleted, but there's plenty on information available online):
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9 comments:
Enough people went to jail for this stuff. Duke Cunningham was the worst. A man with great service to his country. A real hero. He just flushed it because of Washington.
This was ignored when the Globe reported Glenn Marshall's connection. Too much money is unaccounted for. Why should politicians keep it honest? It's funding their campaigns and those lavish trips. McCain is no different.
Too much money unaccounted for in casino gambling. It's so immensely profitable, no wonder they buy congressmen.
The comments of those who have provided information regarding others involved with the Abramoff scandal is appreciated, but this is not about those "others."
It's about a Presidential Candidate, Senator McCain and his questionable choice of associating himself with Ralph Reed.
Ralph Reed represents an evangelical coalition supporting Senator McCain.
My personal issue with Ralph Reed is that he opposed gambling, but knowingly received funds from gambling sources AFTER they were laundered through other sources.
As a footnote, Senator McCain's Foreign Policy advisor received $800,000 as a lobbyist for Georgia. Has that framed the Senator's support for Georgia? Is this indicative of the type of Administration the Senator will conduct if elected?
There seems to be too much money going to lobbyists.
For anyone who doubts the significance of this, they might read Andrew Bacevich's most recent book. This has become government by big business and screw everyone else including the environment. You even recommended David Cay Johnston in the past which is a good read or David Brock's research of the media.
The Grand Experiment seems to have failed because the species allowed it and dallies with inconsequential are misguided.
WP has archived articals for review. Tribes that made money from casinos paid to prevent other tribes from making money. How is that different from what Kerzner and Wolman did in RI? I wish people would look at the gambling for what it is. It's like the garbage collectors of greed.
you want to see corruption? check this out
http://www.kansascity.com/business/story/754448.html
There has been additional information about the connection of McCain to Reed and other corrupt lobbyists you might want to add. McCain has sold his soul to be elected.
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