The April 2006 Vanity Fair story about disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff is pleasing Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Texas) and his legal team.

In the article, Abramoff said he "didn't spend a lot of time lobbying Tom for things, because the things I worked on were usually consistent with the conservative philosophy." He said the two mostly talked about the Bible and opera.

DeLay's lawyer says the story shows DeLay wasn't influenced by Abramoff's campaign contributions or gifts. "It is certainly accurate that Tom DeLay's votes in Congress were based on his political beliefs, which is what he has been saying for many months," his lawyer told The Houston Chronicle.

DeLay once called Abramoff one of his "closest" friends. DeLay went on a golfing trip to Scotland that was partly financed by the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, one of Abramoff's clients, and he inserted into the Congressional record an Indian Country Today editorial that praised Choctaw Chief Phil Martin.

Get the Story:
DeLay team touts Abramoff interview (The Houston Chronicle 3/10)

Relevant Links:
Rep. Tom DeLay - http://tomdelay.house.gov

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