A lawyer for the Mississippi Band of Choctaws referred lobbyist Jack Abramoff to the Tigua Tribe of Texas and said Abramoff could help the Tiguas keep their casino open.

According to a February 2002 memo released by the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, Abramoff was interested in obtaining the Tigua Tribe's business. The memo said Bryant Rogers, attorney for the Choctaws, recommended Abramoff as being "effective" for other tribes.

Within a month, the Tigua Tribe hired Abramoff but didn't have to pay him. Once the casino work was done, Abramoff expected to be hired at a rate of $125,000 to $175,000 per month.

The tribe, however, did agree to pay public relations consultant Michael Scanlon $4.2 million for Operation Open Doors, a "nationwide" political campaign to garner support for the tribe's casino and pass legislation beneficial to the casino. The effort failed.

Get the Story:
Senate committee probes lobbyist's ties to Choctaws, other tribes (The Jackson Clarion-Ledger 11/20)

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