GOP heavy-hitters Jack Abramoff and Michael Scanlon, who worked with Christian Coalition/Bush campaign golden boy Ralph Reed on some highly questionable lobbying activities for American Indian tribes, seem to be getting deeper and deeper into trouble.
Former lobbyist Jack Abramoff and public relations executive Michael Scanlon formed a secret partnership that corruptly influenced Indian tribal elections in order to bilk tribes that operate gambling casinos out of more than $66 million in fees, lawmakers charged yesterday during an unusual Senate committee hearing.
Abramoff, appearing under subpoena before the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, endured blistering attacks from senator after senator, turning aside all questions by invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.
So, Abramoff is suddenly very shy; how about Scanlon? It’s a funny story, actually.
Michael Scanlon, a public-relations consultant and former aide to House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) now under investigation for his business dealings with Indian tribes, failed to show up to testify before a Senate panel yesterday after federal marshals were unable to serve him with the committee’s subpoena.
“The U.S. marshals tell us Mr. Scanlon is hiding out in his house with the blinds drawn,” said Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-Colo.), chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, after the hearing. “But we’re going to [subpoena] him again. He will be before the committee one way or another. … I want to ask him questions. He is going to have to duck and dodge.”
I’m not an expert on these matters, but as a rule, when you hide from federal marshals and pretend you’re not home, you tend to look kind of guilty.
Tom DeLay sure has surrounded himself with people of impeccable moral character, hasn’t he?