A Republican polling firm is linking former Congressman J.D. Hayworth (R-Arizona) to the Jack Abramoff scandal in a survey that was commissioned by supporters of Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona), The Arizona Republic reports. The survey included three statements about Abramoff, noting he is a "convicted felon" who is serving prison time. They were:
• J.D. Hayworth received more than one hundred fifty thousand dollars in contributions from lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his associates. Abramoff is currently in federal prison for defrauding his clients.The poll gave McCain a 20-point lead over Hayworth. Both have strong records on Indian issues. Get the Story:
• J.D. Hayworth never returned any campaign contributions that he received from Jack Abramoff, a convicted felon.
• On five occasions from 1999 to 2001, J D. Hayworth neglected to report that he used sports skyboxes provided by convicted felon Jack Abramoff. Instead of refunding the cost of these donations, the Hayworth campaign sent a payment of nearly $13,000 to two Indian tribes.
Tough GOP poll puts McCain over Hayworth by 20 points (The Arizona Republic 12/14)
McCain, Distanced From Race, Raises Senate Voice (The New York Times 12/15) Related Stories:
Opinion: McCain faces big challenger in Hayworth (11/24)