Abramoff’s Donations To Pombo Pay Off
Abramoff’s Donations To Pombo Pay Off
While the Senate Indian Affairs Committee has issued subpoenas and conducted an investigation into Jack Abramoff’s dirty dealings with his tribal clients, House Resources Chairman Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA) has decided to do nothing. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), a member of the Resources committee that has sole jurisidiction over the Marianas, has continually petitioned Pombo for an investigation, to no avail.
The Saipan Garment Manufacturers Association and the Northern Mariana Islands hired Abramoff in 2001 “to stop legislation aimed at cracking down on sweatshops and sex shops†on the islands. In 2001, the association paid Abramoff $460,000 and the Islands paid him $1.1 million. He used these fees to cultivate ties to members of Congress, flying dozens of lawmakers and their aides for luxurious vacations. Abramoff is being investigated for bilking the islands out of money.
One explanation as to why Pombo isn’t investigating: “Pombo has received more than $35,000 in contributions from Abramoff and Indian tribes he represented.”
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Why do I feel that the Abramoff scandal, if properly investigated, could snare 25% of the entire Republican party in Congress?
Every day, there seems to be a new link from Abramoff to ______(fill in your Repub congressman here). Seriously, what Repub DIDN’T this scumbag pay off?
December 15th, 2005 at 11:18 amThis is the opening to the Chamber of Secrets …
December 15th, 2005 at 11:20 amPunchy,
It would snare 33 members of congress according to what we know so far. Most, but not all are republicans… The problem is that this ‘pay for play’ is the natural and expected outcome of the ‘free market’ campaign financing we currently have in place. Without TRUE public campaign financing and public transparency, we can’t hope to solve this issue reliably.
December 15th, 2005 at 11:21 amI had always that that Tom DeLay was the person responsible for allowing corrupt and exploitive practices on the Mariana Islands to go on without investigation or regulation.
December 15th, 2005 at 11:23 amIts horrible finding that he had allies in this endeavor, how many more corrupt individuals can exist in the House?
Burt Reynolds called, he wants his hat and moustache back.
But seriously, this is just the beginning. Once the lid blows off entirely, lots of politicians will be looking to crawl back under their rocks.
December 15th, 2005 at 11:26 amMore on Dicky the ‘Rancher’ Pombo…
http://www.eastbayexpress.com/issues/2005-08-24/news/feature.html
December 15th, 2005 at 11:28 amNo Shit adios. Pombo represents the district next to mine. Let’s see, in short order he has tried to gut significant environmental laws that have been put forward by republicans (years ago, not this crop). His family “business” is supposed to be ranching, but all they raise are subdivisions. You can’t pass a farm or open land in Tracy without seeing a Pombo Real Estate sign on it. Pave it over and put up houses.
Please Contra Costa & eastern Alemeda county, vote for anybody else. Why are you guys supporting this despot?
December 15th, 2005 at 11:35 amOnce again the “values” candidates are for sex slavery and no liveable wages.
December 15th, 2005 at 11:35 amBrokeback Congressman?
December 15th, 2005 at 11:53 amTalk about “Brokeback Mountain”. Pombo looks like Freddie Mercury at the Roundup.
December 15th, 2005 at 12:05 pmI didn’t know Rep Pombo was the cowboy from the Village People!
December 15th, 2005 at 12:05 pmWhew, for a second I thought that was NeD in the picture.
December 15th, 2005 at 12:07 pmWho else is involved in this scandal? What other lawmakers?
December 15th, 2005 at 12:10 pmVery Christian of these fellas, huh? Conservative bull, that’s all. Republicans support sex shops but are outraged by Clinton getting a bj. I see, if Clinton would have PAID for it then it would be seen by republicans as a capitalist enterprise to strengthen the economy. Maybe we should give sex shops tax cuts. What do you think, trolls?
December 15th, 2005 at 12:12 pmTax cuts hell, they’re probably exempt already.
December 15th, 2005 at 12:14 pmAnybody know WHO is running against Pombo? I’d gladly pony up to get rid of this odious scumbag.
December 15th, 2005 at 12:26 pmBut Pombo’s not the worst of the lot, is he? Who else?
December 15th, 2005 at 12:34 pmAnyone who cares about ousting Pombo is invited to my blog Say No to Pombo, which is dedicated to seeing him kicked out of congress. Also, if you live in the area and are interesting in finding out how to work against Pombo, e-mail me. Emetbloom at hotmail (dot) com.
Other good anti-Pombo resources:
Vote Pombo OutYahoo Group and website
Pombo Watch
December 15th, 2005 at 12:36 pmOh yeah, per Bling’s comment, you can give money to oust Pombo here
Another point. Pombo got a bunch of money from Saipan, including people who are connected to the big garment manufacturers. Got to http://www.tray.com and do a search for donors from 96950 in the 2004 cycle. You’ll see five donors who gave to RichPac (Pombo’s leadership PAC). Some of those people have ties to Abramoff as well.
December 15th, 2005 at 12:44 pmSweet. If we can get Pombo & Doolittle out in ‘06 we will have saved CA environmentalists more money than they could ever get donated. Well, unless Bill Gates decides to spend some of his coin there.
December 15th, 2005 at 12:55 pmWrite your own caption.
December 15th, 2005 at 1:02 pmNo doubt he doesn’t want to investigate it, because an investigation would implicate him too.
December 15th, 2005 at 1:07 pmWait, did you just say “sex shops”? Finally, I think, this story will get some attention.
December 15th, 2005 at 1:19 pmSee CA-11 for the list of challengers to Pombo.
December 15th, 2005 at 1:26 pmAll the better reason to support Jerry McNerney, the grassroots-powered Democrat who ran against Pombo last year and is running again!
December 15th, 2005 at 1:31 pm#21: Pucker up Pomboy, yer about to git some Texas tongue!
December 15th, 2005 at 1:32 pmHand him high
December 15th, 2005 at 1:40 pmIn the whole scheme of things $35,000 is chump change. That anyone would participate in corruption of this magnitude for that relatively small payment shows me how low they are — there is nothing that is beneath them.
December 15th, 2005 at 1:52 pmPombo? isn’t that Freddie Fender?
December 15th, 2005 at 1:53 pm21- Why is the president grabbing Ron Jeremy’s face?
Pombo, I knew it was you…
December 15th, 2005 at 2:46 pmUntil lobbying can be wrestled to the ground and made more fair and honest, couldn’t someone get these guys for taking money to promote practices which are illegal or at least immoral in most of these 50 states?
December 16th, 2005 at 9:26 amI lived in Tracy, CA, (which I also called “Pomboland”) for 14 years and witnessed Little Dickie’s rise to fame. His family owns thousands of acres in and around Tracy and they and other ranchers and farmers dictate political reality in more than one county in the San Joaquin valley.
His sole qualification for a seat in Congress? A stint as a Tracy city councilman – Oooooo!
During his first Congressional campaign, the local paper ran an ad touting his slogan: “He’s one of us!”. The diminuative Dickie was dressed in a cowboy getup, complete with Stetson and was perched atop what was portrayed as his trusty steed. What the copy editor apparently didn’t notice that his boots were about 10 inches AVOVE the stirrups. Ooopsie!
Maybe Dickie had borrowed the horse from the taller Abramoff?
December 16th, 2005 at 12:29 pmDuring a redistricting event in California, I became a unwilling constituent of Richard Pombo. My rep used to be Zoe Loefren, who is the complete opposite of Pombo. As a resident of a city about 50 miles from Pombo, I have learned how bad it is for us that he is anyone’s congress person. I send emails to him to tell him what I consider he is doing is very, very bad, and I can’t wait till 2006 so I can hopefully vote for someone else and we can get rid of him. I hope and pray that he becomes one of the Abramoff mess exposes Pombo as a like minded crook and maybe, if God isn’t still mad at us, he will have to resign in disgrace! Keeping everything crossed for that day!
December 16th, 2005 at 4:22 pm[...] Richard Pombo is part of America's culture of cronyism and corruption, Abramoff’s Donations To Pombo Pay Off While the Senate Indian Affairs Committee has issued subpoenas and conducted an investigation into Jack Abramoff’s dirty dealings with his tribal clients, House Resources Chairman Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA) has decided to do nothing. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), a member of the Resources committee that has sole jurisidiction over the Marianas, has continually petitioned Pombo for an investigation, to no avail. [...]
June 21st, 2006 at 4:55 am[...] said Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK). “I understand that.” Richard Pombo — a former California congressman — was defeated in his reelection bid because he was plagued by allegations of corruption. [...]
April 5th, 2007 at 2:17 pm