"It�s an old, old adage, but that doesn�t make it any less true: follow the money. And in Rep. Richard Pombo�s case, that money leads to some very interesting places, such as Abramoff, oil and Indians.

According to the nonpartisan Open Secrets website, which monitors campaign contributions, Pombo received some $10,000 from the Keep Our Majority PAC, which is supported by disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. The former Capitol Hill power broker and convicted felon is also one of the six top donors to Pombo�s RICH Political Action Committee. And Pombo has received more than $500,000 in donations from Indian tribes, members and lobbyists, despite the fact that there are no Indian tribes in the 11th congressional district. Two of the tribes linked to Abramoff, the Saginaw Chippewa and the Mississippi Choctaw, have given Pombo more than $10,000.

Pombo spokesman Wayne Johnson, not surprisingly, disagrees both with CREW and those alleging that such donations are an indicator of any impropriety. He asserts there was a lot of �sloppy reporting� that in the original Abramoff stories that made a lot of unsubstantiated allegations. �There are Congress members who had a relationship with Jack and Richard was not one of �em,� he stated. �Abramoff gave Pombo $7,000 over a number of years and that was returned as soon as Abramoff was exposed.� As far as the Indian tribes go, Johnson says they supported Pombo because he helped the tribes get federal recognition, not because of any connection with Abramoff."

Get the Story:
Tim Kingston: Follow the Money (The San Francisco Bay Guardian 4/26)

Relevant Links:
Rep. Richard Pombo - http://www.house.gov/pombo
House Resources Committee - http://resourcescommittee.house.gov

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