FBI Questions Rep. Feeney (R-FL) Over Abramoff Ties
FBI Questions Rep. Feeney (R-FL) Over Abramoff Ties
The St. Petersburg Times reports:
The FBI has asked U.S. Rep. Tom Feeney for information about his dealings with Jack Abramoff as part of its ongoing investigation into the lobbyist convicted of defrauding clients.
FBI agent Kevin Luebke refused to say whether Feeney, a Republican from the Orlando area, is under federal investigation.
Federal agents also have asked the St. Petersburg Times for an email sent to the newspaper by Feeney’s office describing a golfing trip the congressman took with Abramoff to Scotland in 2003.”
Feeney is one of three House members who “accompanied Abramoff to Scotland on trips that included rounds of golf at the legendary Royal & Ancient Golf Club at St. Andrews.” The other two: former Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH), who is serving prison time for corruption, and former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX), currently under criminal indictment.
Feeney said in a statement that he “considers this an embarrassing episode in his 17-year career as an elected official and an expensive lesson for him as a public servant.”
UPDATE: More bad news for Feeney. He is listed as “Representative #3” in Justice Department documents filed in federal court today on Mark Zachares, “a former Bush administration official and House GOP aide who is expected to plead guilty tomorrow on a federal corruption charge” related to Abramoff.
Sort Comments By: Top Rated | Date
54 Responses to “FBI Questions Rep. Feeney (R-FL) Over Abramoff Ties”
Register
RSSLogin
Topic Cloud
ArchivesBlog RollAbout Think ProgressContact Us
Donate
Another one bites the dust.
April 23rd, 2007 at 10:13 pmAAAHHH! Abramoff. The corrupt lobbyist who just keeps on giving.
April 23rd, 2007 at 10:17 pmSing on, Abramoff! Tell us now how Dubya didn’t remember who you were! hah!
April 23rd, 2007 at 10:18 pmHi everyone. I’m Alfred. I got rotated in as the new Think Progress troll, replacing Jake, who got rotated to another progressive site. I hope we’ll get to know each other in the next 3 months, or until Mr. Rove rotates me out to another site. Also, please welcome Elizabeth and Dale. Have a great day!
April 23rd, 2007 at 10:21 pmBut, but, what about all of the “Democrat” ties to the Abramoffia? Harry Reid, Byron Dorgan! Come one John Solomon….please find a corrupt Democrat tied in with Abramoff…please…please…
-GSD
April 23rd, 2007 at 10:21 pmAlfred is it true that Jake was arrested for Internet stalking a 12 year old boy?
April 23rd, 2007 at 10:24 pmFor Abramoff scandal news, documents, legal filings and other essential materials, see:
April 23rd, 2007 at 10:29 pm“The Abramoff Scandal Resource Center.”
I think there was an awfully nice photo of Tom and some others who went on that lovely trip, standing by the private jet that took them overseas to play.
Lovely place to golf, Scotland. Too bad ordinary citizens, the little people you know, don’t get to travel like that.
I think that nice right wing republican Christian evangelist, Ralph Reed was on that flight too. Helped to have a man of God along to be sure the plane got there and back safely. We can believe the flying bar was closed, or only maybe just wine served.
Would love to see that photo again.
Bye, Doctor Lee in Atlanta
April 23rd, 2007 at 10:32 pmboom Boom BOOM. Hear that? That’s the sound of Republicans falling. Sounds just like the noise a tree would make falling in the woods if anyone dares to listen. Oops, there goes Lurita Doan. Timber.
April 23rd, 2007 at 10:35 pmwhat a picture! how many jager shots do you think they did that night?
April 23rd, 2007 at 10:36 pmOh my…..I bet ole Feeney regrets that picture now….. :D
April 23rd, 2007 at 10:36 pmMaybe the career folks in the federal agencies are letting themselves be known.
-GSD
April 23rd, 2007 at 10:36 pmDamn I love the pic of Bush and that “more than just acquaintances” handshake.
April 23rd, 2007 at 10:38 pmOversight is just such a bitch!
April 23rd, 2007 at 10:44 pmAlfred is it true that Jake was arrested for Internet stalking a 12 year old boy?
Comment by Can-O-Whoop-Ass — April 23, 2007 @ 10:24 pm
No Alfred was arrested for Internet stalking of a minor, Jake is under investigation for rape threats.
April 23rd, 2007 at 10:44 pmMaybe the career folks in the federal agencies are letting themselves be known.
-GSD
Comment by GSD — April 23, 2007 @ 10:36 pm
I bet there’s a lot of them waiting for their revenge. These people have been thumbing their noses at us all for over 6 years and it’s time for the table to be turned.
April 23rd, 2007 at 10:48 pmJakey DOES like raping people.
April 23rd, 2007 at 10:48 pmHi everyone. I’m Alfred. I got rotated in as the new Think Progress troll, replacing Jake, who got rotated to another progressive site.
Naw, you only repeat the same Clinton rehash as the other 45 IRI’s around here so, no, your are a ‘Jake’..
Tell me Alfred, how did this freedom operation become war? What happened to the course, about halfway back, to the course?
Define for us, Alfred, what is/was/will be, this mysterious course? Is it like a ghost ships course over the shifting seas or a drunkards stagger thru a moonless alley?
April 23rd, 2007 at 11:00 pmNo Alfred was arrested for Internet stalking of a minor, Jake is under investigation for rape threats.
Comment by Shane
So, Jake had no points of fact and eventually got so mad he said the wrong things?. =)
How “Republican” of Jake!!
April 23rd, 2007 at 11:03 pm/sarcon
#19 Nah, he said the wrong things from the start (i.e. stupid things).
April 23rd, 2007 at 11:07 pmCaption Contest;
“Here folks, we have the wrinkled ass grommet grip, as illustrated by our fine upstanding value majority voters, other wise known as the blossom, turd, that is.”
April 23rd, 2007 at 11:09 pmPretty damning stuff, where are the evil minions distracting and redirecting?
April 23rd, 2007 at 11:10 pmOh yea, by the way nice picture of junior, looks crapped.
April 23rd, 2007 at 11:11 pmGot that made in China lapel flag on though, sporting them troops. What a putz.
April 23rd, 2007 at 11:13 pm#23 That dude is hungover…every day.
April 23rd, 2007 at 11:17 pmIsn’t he one of the wankers that scoffed at Gore’s concession speech in 1999?
April 23rd, 2007 at 11:22 pmhttp://www.dccc.org/gopauctionhouse/main.html
April 23rd, 2007 at 11:24 pm#27 I hope along with the info on the righties the stinking DCCC can stop trying to tamp down state impeachment movements.
April 23rd, 2007 at 11:31 pmAnd they called tribal people “troglodytes”.
Forked tongue indeed. The roots of this kind of corruption goes WAY back. Consider the press around the idea of manifest destiny not too long ago.
So, no surprise here, the surprise is that the people and their vote was still able to beat KKKarl and his THE Math b.s.
Imagine if that ‘06 were one senate election different. (sieg heil!)
April 23rd, 2007 at 11:31 pmRICO! RICO! RICO!
RICO! RICO! RICO!
RICO! RICO! RICO!
RICO! RICO! RICO!
Where will we ever the money to just build the prisons to hold these guys?
April 23rd, 2007 at 11:42 pm#30 That is an excellent point. Has RICO ever been used against the US gov’t?
April 23rd, 2007 at 11:56 pmwhat about his buddy on the right?
April 24th, 2007 at 12:09 am#31 Not to my knowledge, but these guys certainly meet the criteria for a RICO case as I understand them - 3 or more individuals working together in an on-going criminal organization across state borders, more or less.
That is the whole point of a RICO prosecution. You can put whole groups on trial at once if you can prove association (just as the Mafia about it), so by definition, yes that would include the one on the right too, #32.
Hey, maybe we can ask Rudy Giuliani about it, seeing as he helped write the RICO statute back in the late 70’s.
April 24th, 2007 at 12:20 am#33 The only problem is you have to get them all out of office or you can’t prosecute. Impeach every darn one of them.
April 24th, 2007 at 12:24 amYeah, but wouldn’t criminal behavior be grounds for gettin’ yer ass tossed out of office? It sure worked for the “Duke-stir”, “The Bugman” and “Scooter”. Geez, they even have catchy nicknames like organized crime figures.
Haven’t you ever seen a tape of some Mafioso on trial - “I can’t remember… I don’t recall… to the best of my recollection… I plead the 5th on that one, yer Honor…”. Or noticed how the union’s books have mysterious disappeared overnight? Hmmm…
I ain’t never seen anything like these guys in my whole life. They seem to be spontaneously combusting left and right these days.
Ka-Whompff! Ka-whompff! Ka-whompff!!
April 24th, 2007 at 12:33 amSSShhh… Be vewy, vewy quiet… I’m hunting Wepublicans… heh, heh, heh…
Another salute to the brilliant Elmer Fudd.
April 24th, 2007 at 12:34 am#35 All of these people have done things that should get them thrown out but the DLC thinks that if we drag things out we have a better shot at winning the presidency in 2008. Maybe that is a realistic view but it is not exactly what the founding fathers had in mind.
April 24th, 2007 at 12:43 amI’ve heard the argument about political expediency. I also think Bush and his gang are such a threat to the country and the rest of the world that it’s more a question of urgent national security than electoral practicality.
I was telling friends 3 and 4 yrs ago that George might be the first president to leave office in a straight jacket and I still think it’s a distinct possibility. Watch the man talk these days. Pay attention to the speech patterns, the body language… W’s gone, he’s left the house. I think he’s suffered a psychotic snap.
Watch the movie “Dr. Strangelove” and pay close attention to Sterling Hayden’s performance as “General Jack D. Ripper”. You’ll see what I mean. One of these mornings they’re going to find George lying on the WH lawn, in his jammies and bathrobe, empty whiskey bottle clutched in one hand, muttering on and on about “Jesus” and “the rug” and “polls that go boom”…
April 24th, 2007 at 12:54 amCaption Contest:
Feeney: Can I use my tongue this time, Mr President?
Chimpy: Sure, but then you have to let me give you a wedgy
April 24th, 2007 at 1:01 amActually, the RICO act has already been filed against the Bush Administration regarding 9/11. So to answer your question. Yes, the RICO Act has been used against the Federal Government.
http://www.projectcensored.org/publications/2005/9.html
“Ellen Mariani has studied the facts of the day for nearly two years and has come to believe that the White House “intentionally allowed 9/11 to happen†in order to launch the “War on Terrorism.†Her lawyer, Phillip Berg, former Deputy Attorney General of Pennsylvania, who filed a 62-page complaint in federal district court charging that President Bush and officials, including but not limited to, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice and Ashcroft: (1) had adequate foreknowledge of 911, yet failed to warn the country or attempt to prevent it; (2) have since been covering up the truth of that day; (3) have therefore abetted the murder of plaintiff’s husband and violated the Constitution and multiple laws of the United States; and (4) are thus being sued under the Civil Racketeering, Influences, and Corrupt Organization (RICO) Act for malfeasant conspiracy, obstruction of justice and wrongful death.”
April 24th, 2007 at 1:13 amThank you, #40. Indeed, there are just too many funky, weird details about 9/11 that have never been explained, let alone publically acknowledged by our notoriously “liberal media”. I rest my case.
Wanna bet W leaves office prematurely for “health reasons”?
April 24th, 2007 at 1:23 amDeputy Attorney General of Pennsylvania is no slouch. You have to admire Ellen Mariani for not taking the insurance settlement to go forward with this case.
April 24th, 2007 at 1:28 amIsn’t there a line in “Chinatown”, something to the effect, “Kill one man, you go to jail. Kill a whole city, they put your name on a big building”?
I think Patricia Highsmith once said that criminals, like Tom Ripley, get away with what they do because the person standing right next to them knows s/he could never do something like that, so s/he can’t imagine the other person could either. Just an observation…
April 24th, 2007 at 1:41 amI would like to get precisely back on topic.
Does anyone know exactly what Rep. Feeney is currently being investigated for? The SPTimes report is vague. Is it the failure to report the golf trip? Or does the FBI have some new information on something specific that Feeney did for Abramoff? What is the interest in getting those e-mails that his chief of staff sent to paper? Didn’t the paper print them already? And what’s the deal with Feeney paying for Abramoff’s tab multiple times at Signatures (twice more than $2K)? I thought it only worked the other way—Abramoff comps a tab to buy a favor. Lastly, what are the connections between Feeney and Mark Zachares? The Politico article is very vague on this. I know they were together on the golf trip. Also, I think I saw that Zachares used to be the Assistant Attorney General of the Northern Marinara Islands Department of Labor and Immigration. There has to be something about Feeney helping Zachares by pushing bills permitting the unfair Saipan labor practices.
Can we use the comments section to exchange information regarding these points, instead of the understandable but unproductive gloating?
April 24th, 2007 at 5:53 amThis criminal also had/has his hands in the vote stealing shenanigans that the Sunshine State is famous for.
April 24th, 2007 at 8:11 amWhen is Mel Brooks going to write a muscial called Abramoff! You’ve got all the elements for a great musical. Comedy! Tragedy! Red Scorpion!
April 24th, 2007 at 8:20 amSheesh
Tom Feeny was the congressman who paid for vote fixing software to throw votes to Republicans. Here is the affidavid by Clint Curtiss who was the person asked to write the software: http://www.bradblog.com/ Docs/ ClintCurtis/ CC_Affidavit_120604.pdf
This evidence has been supressed…
April 24th, 2007 at 9:18 amGonzales….you missed one. Why didn’t you fire this US Attorney. Talk about being asleep at the wheel.
April 24th, 2007 at 9:52 amTom Delay is from Texas, not Florida. I can see how easy it is to confuse them, however, due to the sheer amount of corrupt Repugs from both states.
April 24th, 2007 at 11:03 amShoot - we won’t even have to campaign to win more congressional seats in ‘08 - all the Republicans will be under investigation or indictment, or already in the can!! What a hoot!!
I just can’t wait
April 24th, 2007 at 12:13 pmfor November 2008
I hope Feeney’s hands are so dirty that he has to resign in disgrace. He represents my district, and how I’d love to see him gone.
April 24th, 2007 at 12:31 pmHave to agree that sitting here typing must translate into action that will work it on the street.
for instance, lots of people DO NOT know what seems basic to us here. there is a need to know basis about this information that makes me get up and go and out and talk about this stuff.
no one believes me. what are they watching? who really cares?
no more just sittin’ around, we have to be more than observers. we were fortunate enough to be born in interesting times, go out and live it, save what’s left of our constitution in ACTION! this is OUR democracy, no matter what junior thinks.
April 25th, 2007 at 3:26 amthey don’t look like public officials-they look like a couple of guys talking in the lockerroom about big breasts or something.
April 25th, 2007 at 9:21 amRE: Culture
with respect in memory of prencess lady diana.
,In response to your message titled “DEAR. USA OF PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH, PLEASE
WRITE TO US, PELASE READ TO THIS LETTER. CIA!!!”
At: http://network54.com/ Forum/ message?messageid=1134138803&forumid=27708
The Real Banker has replied (with title “Bush asked me to respond to your
letter.”):
Stop sending me emails, faxes and for God’s sake, stop calling me!
Contact: Bill Clinton at (927)932-0933 and tell him that I sent you.
God’s speed!
George W. Bush
Subject: Lady Diana Project and the reference of President Bush
Dear.Prime Minister of Union Kingdom TONY BLAIR (YOU ARE İNTELLENGENT
AND CLEAVER A PEOPLE.!!) 20 april 2007
We send our love and respect to you and to your people.
We would like to inform you that we have our reference from President of Usa
George Walker Bush for our art project for support to 500.000 usd (five hundred
thousand ). This project involves music albums, books, TV programs and web sites
of Lady Diana. In his reply, President Bush says that we can get in touch with
Bill Clinton and the President of Cuba. So, we called Bill Clinton (as the
number of his office was also given to us) but everytime we tried, the lines
were busy. In addition to this, we wrote him a mail but we haven’t got any reply
yet. Meanwhile, we also wrote to the President of Cuba, Castro, but there was no
reply from him too.
President Bush promised to help us in our project. This is not just a promise of
President Bush, but also a promise of the American people, of the Presidency, of
the Congress and of the Senate. We believe that the promise will be kept.
We work for Lady Diana Project since 1997. In other words, for 10 years. We
would like to state that the companies given names below will also help us. We
also need your help for the project as the project is very important for the
whole Europe, including England and Turkey, for America and for other countries
too.
We kindly ask you to call the President Bill and we believe that you will supply
the necessary fund to us for the project.
Some people are trying to avoid us so we also kindly ask you to take precautions
for them.
Especially some press in Europe are interested in with Lady Diana’s life so we
get support from them. We kindly ask you to take the necessary steps for the
money delivering us without any interruption in legal ways.
We also need the protection of the project and of the author who writes them.
We will apply to United Nations for our project to be a member of the World Art
and Culture Works.
We know that Lady Diana was also an important person for you. We will state your
name in our list who helps for this project.
We kindly ask for you reply as we believe that you will help us on this matter.
Yours very Truly
Mr.Yakup kaymaz
Writer
Superdianas group.
Adress:orta mh okul sk no 15/2 Muttalip eskisehir turkey
Tel:0090 537 404 71 61 tel:0090 222 33 80 654
E mail.yakupkaymaz@hotmail.com
alternative e mail:userluck222@hotmail.com
We love to prencess lady diana and all people of world.
_________________________________________________________________
May 23rd, 2007 at 6:56 am