Louisiana's David Vitter (senator) isn't in the mix more promanently-
McCain defends Vitter as tribe cries foul
Jena chief focuses on link to lobbyist Sen David Vitter
The Louisiana Jena Band of Choctaws offered testimony accusing Louisiana Sen. David Vitter of being in cahoots with Abramoff and his attempts to stymie the tribe's casino plans
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Jack Abramoff finds friends in LouisianaAbramoff also puts pressure on Interior by funneling money to Norton’s former conservative environmental group, and by paying his friend and former Christian Coalition director Ralph Reed $4 million to drum up anti-gambling furor to scuttle the Jena’s casino bid and that of a tribe in another state.
The previous year, longtime Louisiana gambling foe Rep. David Vitter (R-LA) had written a three-page letter to Norton, urging her to reject the Jena’s bid. Reed and Abramoff reveled at the news, according to emails obtained by the Washington Post. Quickly thereafter, Reed’s supposed anti-gambling campaign sent out a flurry of postcards praising Vitter, and let Vitter use his group’s name in phone bank calling.
Armed with new lobbyists and the support of two other Louisiana legislators, the Jena gain ground.
Rep. Jim McCrery (R-LA), in whose district the Jena now plan to build, ardently opposes the plan. McCrery’s chief of staff—who would attend a golfing trip to Scotland with Abramoff later that summer—circulates a draft bill to “address the issue,” according to the Washington Post.
Perhaps seeing that his contacts at Norton’s former group and the letter from the House GOP leadership would not be enough, Abramoff turns to Vitter. By now, Reed’s lobby had raised Vitter’s profile; Vitter went on to win a vacant Senate seat last year.
What follows remains unclear. Critics contend Vitter knew that he was accepting support from a group funded by Abramoff’s gambling client. For his part, Vitter says he never took any money from Abramoff or his clients.
But Vitter does receive at least $65,000 from a dozen or so political action committees or candidates to which Abramoff, his staff or his clients had donated.
Con't-
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Vitter responsible for anti-tribal appropriations riderWednesday, March 16, 2005
Indianz.Com. In Print.
URL:
http://www.indianz.com/News/2005/007037.asp