A member of the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana went on an expensive overseas golf outing with embattled Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Texas), The Wall Street Journal reports.

The paper did not identify the tribal member who took the trip in 2000 but said the person's name was found in newly released documents. At the time, the Coushatta Tribe was one of disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff's top clients.

The trip has caused major headaches for DeLay, who said he thought it was funded by the conservative National Center for Public Policy Research, a non-profit group. Records show Abramoff picked up airfare, hotel and other costs.

It is not clear whether the Coushatta Tribe also helped foot the bill. The tribe ended up pouring $32 million into Abramoff, his law firm and his partner Michael Scanlon. The tribe has since filed a lawsuit in state court seeking to recover the money.

Within the tribe, Abramoff was supported by chairman Lovelin Poncho and council member William Worfel. Both had hired Abramoff to oppose gaming efforts by other tribes and to conduct surveillance on their political rivals, according to news reports.

Get the Story:
Documents Detail DeLay Excursion (The Wall Street Journal 5/6)

Relevant Links:
Coushatta Tribe - http://www.coushattatribela.org

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