A month ago, John McCain, as chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, indicated he wouldn’t use his investigation into Jack Abramoff to target any conservative members of Congress who may have dealt with the corrupt lobbyist.
McCain did not, however, exempt conservative groups with ties to Abramoff.
Organizations headed by two of the best-known figures in conservative political circles, Ralph Reed and Grover Norquist, have been subpoenaed by the Senate Indian Affairs Committee in its long-running probe of GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
The committee is planning to hold its next hearing in the investigation in late June. The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, one of Abramoff’s former clients, is expected to be the focus of that hearing, according to sources close to the investigation.
Americans for Tax Reform, for which Norquist serves as president, is refusing to disclose its donor list to the Senate committee, said two officials with the group. Reed’s firm, Century Strategies, is complying with the subpoena. Senate investigators are seeking four years’ worth of records detailing Century Strategies’ business dealings with Abramoff and GOP political consultant Michael Scanlon and entities under their control, said several sources familiar with the issue.
Reed, whose role in the scandal is already affecting his statewide campaign in Georgia, will probably realize sometime soon that his career in elected office has been irreparably damaged. But at least he’s cooperating with the investigation. Norquist is inviting a serious fight with John McCain, who is unlikely to take “no” for an answer.
Keep an eye on this one. It’s going to get ugly.