Abramoff ‘Slush Fund’ Paid For Feeney’s Scotland Junket

[babylonsister]

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/27/feeney-ney/

Abramoff ‘Slush Fund’ Paid For Feeney’s Scotland Junket

When Rep. Tom Feeney (R-FL) first reported his lavish 2003 trip to Scotland with lobbyist Jack Abramoff to Congress, he said that the National Center for Public Policy Research paid for the trip, which the Center later denied. Then, when forced by press reports, Feeney admitted that Abramoff picked up the tab. In January, the House made Feeney pay $5,643 to the U.S Treasury, even though the trip actually cost $20,000.

It was previously unknown exactly how Abramoff paid for the trip, but now it appears that an Abramoff-run foundation, which Senate investigators have described as a ‘slush fund,’ paid for the trip:

Documents obtained by the Sentinel on Thursday from the Senate Indian Affairs Committee show that Abramoff’s personal charity, Capital Athletic Foundation, paid $150,226.32 for a “Scotland fundraiser” in 2003. That information came from a profit and loss statement that gives details of the charitable group’s tax return.

Abramoff also went with then-House Minority Whip Tom DeLay of Texas on a Scotland trip in 2000 and then-Rep. Bob Ney, R-Ohio, in 2002.

The 2003 Scotland trip that included Feeney, Abramoff and six others is the only one that has come to light for that year.

Feeney has declined to answer detailed questions this week about how he determined his $5,643 share of the trip’s expenses.

Feeney’s acts appear strikingly similar to those of imprisoned ex-Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH):

Last year, authorities used misstatements on forms to help prosecute Ney on charges of conspiracy and making false statements. An aide also was charged with conspiracy.

In these cases, authorities focused on a 2002 golfing trip to Scotland that included Ney and his former chief of staff. Prosecutors estimated the cost of that trip, funded by Abramoff and his clients, to exceed $160,000.

But when Ney pleaded guilty, he admitted to lying on his travel form by “substantially” under-reporting the cost of the trip and its purpose. He also lied on his financial forms, according to court records.

Did Feeney under-report the cost of the trip? Check. Did he misrepresent the purpose? Check.

But don’t worry that all this FBI scrutiny will get Rep. Feeney feeling blue. Tonight’s his fourth annual “Feeney Spring Break Bash” fundraiser, in which the embattled Congressman is “looking forward to having a great time.”

[Ilsa]

1. I'm waiting for some of this to rub off on Tom DeLay to force him

to shut up and disappear.

[aquart]

2. None of them is going to shut up and disappear.

They've figured out that honor gets them nowhere. They're going to stay and dare us to do something about it, laughing.

[KingofNewOrleans]

3. I dunno, Cunningham and Ney are pretty quiet now

I guess you can't do the Sunday morning shows from jail.

[aquart]

4. Thanks for the reminder.

Although that's a bit of old news. I will be happier after Monday if the World Bank board gets mad enough to change the locks on Wolfowitz's office.

It bugs me that we seem to be seeing the Not Nixon strategy and there's a tiny possibility it may work. I'm usually more viciously optimistic than this.

Reminding myself: these scandals will not quit. they permeate every inch of our government and we just have to keep overturning rocks.