Opinion: 'Casino Jack' an inaccurate account of Abramoff

Abramoff Scandal | Opinion

Thursday, May 6, 2010

"Alex Gibney's new film, “Casino Jack” is a hopelessly inaccurate account of Republican super-lobbyist Jack Abramoff's life. That Gibney was not able to capture the essence of Abramoff is not surprising, considering that his sources were the very schemers who manufactured the nation's most extensive federal corruption probe in the first place. Gibney drew heavily from sources who provided false testimony against Abramoff while ignoring others who could have refuted the allegations with documentation.

Leading the charge was Bernie Sprague, the Saginaw Chippewa SubChief who appealed to lobbyist allies after his Tribal Council requested that Abramoff block casinos of four nearby tribes which were posed to cut into the Soaring Eagle's market share. All four tribes were controlled and/or peopled by Sprague's relatives. In order to protect his family's financial interests, Sprague was willing to provide false statements to the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, the media, and ultimately, Gibney's documentary.

Also featured in this film is an Indian from the Louisiana Coushatta who had team up with Sprague for his own financial reasons. Early on in the process, Sickey fed the media false information about Abramoff -- which the tribe's spokesman condemned as “politically motivated” efforts to create “an illusion of crisis.”

Shortly thereafter, Sickey retracted his statements and expressed “shock” that he had been misinformed. Yet, the false characterization was repeated by Sen. John McCain in the Senate Indian Affairs Committee hearings as if it were the gospel truth -- and was ultimately applied as a template which mischaracterized Abramoff's efforts on behalf of other tribes."

Get the Story:
Susan Bradford: Gibney's “Casino Jack” Bears False Witness (The Conservative Camp 5/5)