Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) has reimbursed the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians a total of $3,700 for holding fundraisers in disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff's luxury skybox.
Harkin paid the tribe $1,800 for a fundraiser in July 2002, and $1,900 for an event in December 2003, The Hill newspaper reported. The reimbursement was filed with the Federal Election Commission.
Abramoff leased luxury suites in various Washington, D.C, sports arenas. Several lawmakers, including Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-Arizona), held events in the skyboxes, believing they were actually leased by former tribal clients of Abramoff's.
The next Senate Indian Affairs Committee hearing into the Abramoff lobbying scandal will take place next Wednesday, October 26. According to The Hill, one of Abramoff's former associates -- and a major source for news accounts about the scandal -- is Stephanie Leger Short, who is married to a legislative assistant who works for Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-North Dakota), the vice chairman of the committee.
Get the Story:Harkin pays tribe for his use of skybox (The Hill 10/20) Relevant Links:
Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians - http://www.choctaw.org Related Stories:
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