Posted by D. Cupples | Apparently, chairing the House Oversight Committee requires mind-numbing amounts of repetition. Poor Henry Waxman, having to dash off yet another letter seeking info from an uncooperative White House, which has refused to turn over 600 pages of documents relating to Republican lobbyist-turned-inmate Jack Abramoff. The White House claims the documents involve internal deliberations. In part, Waxman's letter states:
"When Mr. Abramoff pleaded guilty to corruption charges in January 2006, White House officials stated emphatically that Mr. Abramoff was a virtual stranger to the White House. President Bush said, I dont know him.... Ken Mehlman, the former Director of the White House Office of Political Affairs, said: Well, Abramoff is someone who we dont know a lot about. We know what we read in the paper."
"The Committee's subsequent review of thousands of documents obtained from Mr. Abramoff's former firm, Greenberg Traurig, raised questions about these White House statements....
"According to the Greenberg Traurig documents, which were summarized in a bipartisan staff report released last year, Mr. Abramoff and his associates had hundreds of lobbying contacts with White House officials, billed clients more than $24,000 for meals and drinks with White House officials, and provided White House officials with high-priced tickets to sporting and entertainment events. The documents also described a series of actions by White House officials that benefited Mr. Abramoff and his clients, as well as requests from Mr. Abramoff that White House officials did not act upon."
Waxman has a point: the White House can't validly claim that it didn't know Abramoff then turn around and claim that Abramoff's dealings with staffers involve White House deliberations.
At least White House officials have the gumption to try.
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