printer friendly version
Choctaw chief Martin defends embattled GOP lobbyist
Friday, April 9, 2004
The chief of the Mississippi Band of Choctaws is defending well-paid Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff and says his tribe hasn't been stalling a Senate Indian Affairs Committee investigation into high lobbying fees.
The Associated Press cited a letter Chief Phillip Martin sent to Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-Colo.), chairman of the committee. He said he is unaware that any laws have been broken by the tribe in connection with its lobbying activities.
"For the record, we have not told any member or representative of the United States Senate that we will not cooperate with any investigation," the letter said, according to the AP.
The Choctaws are one of four tribes that paid $45 million to former Greenberg Traurig lobbyist Abramoff and a public relations executive with close ties to Abramoff. Martin says his tribe spent 1 percent of its annual gross revenues on lobbyists.
Get the Story:
Chief challenges press accounts of tribe's payments to lobbyist
(AP 4/8)
Relevant Links:
Mississippi Band of Choctaws -
http://www.choctaw.orgGreenberg
Traurig -
http://www.gtlaw.com
Related Stories:
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)
Copyright © 2000-2004 Indianz.Com
