Jack Is Back

He brought a friend, too. Jack has lots of friends, especially in the White House. There are billing records from Jack's old lobbying firm showing show that "his team also had extensive access to Bush administration officials, meeting with Cheney policy advisers Ron Christie and Stephen Ruhlen, Ashcroft at the Justice Department, White House intergovernmental affairs chief Ruben Barrales, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick, Deputy Interior Secretary Steven Griles and others." It's Griles' turn on the hot seat. Washington Post (08.28.05):

"Indicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff claimed in e-mails sent in 2002 that the deputy secretary of the interior had pledged to block an Indian casino that would compete with one of the lobbyist's tribal clients. Abramoff later told two associates that he was trying to hire the official." Abramoff Cited Aid Of Interior Official

Note how Jack is now an "indicted lobbyist". Two of Jack's former buddies are blabbing. "The two former Abramoff associates, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they are under scrutiny in the investigation, said Abramoff told them in late 2003 that he was trying to arrange for his firm, Greenberg Traurig LLP, to hire J. Steven Griles, then deputy interior secretary. Griles wasn't the only one at Interior. "Federal investigators are interested in those discussions and in job negotiations Abramoff may have had with a second department official, according to sources." "Abramoff told associates that he believed Griles was 'committed' to blocking an effort by the Gun Lake Indian tribe to build a casino near Grand Rapids, Mich., according to the content of e-mail messages reviewed by The Washington Post." The plan was to mount an environmental challenge to the project, "a tactic also proposed by Michigan business leaders opposed to the casino." Jack was against it because one of his clients was already operating another casino in Michigan. Nobody's talking. At least not yet. Griles, "who left the Interior Department earlier this year to form a consulting firm [ed. - shocking, eh?], 'said he never had anything to do with the Gun Lake casino issues,' a spokeswoman at his company said." "He did not comment on any job discussions with Abramoff. A spokesman for Abramoff also declined to comment. Greenberg Traurig, citing the ongoing investigation, had no comment on possible job talks with department officials." Sounds like Griles was working with Jack on another casino project in Lousiana. There are emails there too. Ahhh yes; J. Steven Griles. No stranger to the revolving door: "A lobbyist whose firm represents the National Mining Association is in line to become the No. 2 person at the U.S. Interior Department, which regulates mining on public land." "Former energy lobbyist J. Steven Griles—No. 2 at the Dept. of the Interior—held numerous meetings on offshore oil and gas leases owned by his former clients, despite prior promises to recuse himself from issues affecting his former clients." These guys are something else, eh?