Advertise:   ads@blueearthmarketing.com   712.224.5420

Politics
Tribal chairman says $120K fee to Abramoff worth it


The chairman of the Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana says the $120,000 yearly fee to embattled Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff is well worth it.

"Jack knows a number of people that we want to inform and educate," chairman Alton LeBlanc told The Baton Rouge Advocate. "The lobbying is as traditional as it is for Microsoft or anybody else."

LeBlanc said the tribe has paid $120,000 a year to Abramoff since 2000 for a total of $480,000. The fee dwarfs that other tribes have paid to Abramoff, who used to work for the firm Greenberg Traurig but has since departed amid an internal and Senate investigation.

Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona) plans to hold hearing sometime this summer on the $45 million fees tribes gave to Abramoff and a close associate, public relations executive Michael Scanlon.

Get the Story:
La. Indian tribe chairman defends lobbyist's fees (The Baton Rouge Advocate 5/18)

Related Stories:
Republican governors report biggest donor in 2002 (05/04)
Saginaw Chippewa Tribe wonders where $14M went (04/20)
McCain demands documents from lobbyist, PR exec (04/12)
Coushatta treasurer accuses NIGC of lax oversight (04/12)
Choctaw chief Martin defends embattled GOP lobbyist (04/09)
McCain pushing Choctaw tribe to cooperate with probe (4/8)
Coushatta leaders used tribal money to pay lobbyists (4/8)
Coushatta Tribe paid $32M to lobbyist Jack Abramoff (4/6)
McCain aggressive in pursuing lobbyist records (4/5)
McCain demands documents for tribal lobbyist's work (3/30)
Embattled lobbyist signs deal with another firm (03/25)
Embattled tribal lobbyist gave to Conn. Congressman (03/10)
Saginaw Chippewa Tribe hires new lobbying firm (3/9)
McCain begins investigation into high tribal fees (3/4)
Pueblo governor says $1M fee to PR firm not worth it (3/3)
McCain calls for investigation into tribal spending (2/27)
Four tribes spent $45M on lobbying and PR firms (2/23)
GOP lobbyist scores big with tribes (04/03)
Embattled tribe gets has new lobbyist (12/13)