http://rawstory.com/news/2006/Georgia_congressman_failed_to_declare_Abramoff_0227.htmlGeorgia congressman failed to declare Abramoff client trip, then supported client's efforts
A Georgia congressman omitted a trip paid for by a client of fallen lobbyist Jack Abramoff from travel disclosure forms, even though he declared it on his personal income filings, RAW STORY has found.
The congressman -- Rep. John Linder (R-GA) -- took a five-day trip to Puerto Rico with his wife in August 1998. The trip was paid for by Future of Puerto Rico, Inc., a nebulous lobbying group that sought to advance Puerto Rican statehood and other island causes. The group was a client of Jack Abramoff, the former conservative superlobbyist who pleaded guilty to fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy to bribe public officials in January.
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Shortly after trips taken by former Majority Leader Tom DeLay began to attract attention in the media last March, the Associated Press reported that 43 House members scrambled to publicly report their own trips paid for by special interests. Linder belatedly filed for nine trips, but the Puerto Rican trip remained markedly absent.
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Abramoff’s team lobbied Congress to pass a bill which would have allowed Puerto Ricans to vote on whether they wanted to become a U.S. state. The prospective plebiscite fueled tension among Republicans, many of whom saw Puerto Rico as fertile field for Democratic politicians. With the help of Abramoff and former Christian Coalition chief Ralph Reed, the bill miraculously passed in the House by a single vote --to everyone’s surprise.
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