"The sheer scope of greed, corruption, dishonesty and outrageous hubris being revealed in a Senate Indian Affairs Committee investigation of possible fraud by lobbyist Jack Abramoff almost defies belief.

Abramoff is at the center of the hearings, along with Michael Scanlon, a public relations executive and former spokesman for House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas. The committee is investigating whether Abramoff misled the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians about his work on their behalf, mainly concerning casino gambling.

There are many lessons to be learned from an adventure in dishonesty of this size � including, we trust, severe punishment for the perpetrators of this latest outrage.

Native tribes succumbing to the easy-money allure of casino revenue should gain from the adage relearned by the Choctaw tribe in their foray into the sty of legalized gambling. You lie with pigs, you're gonna get dirty.

As the Choctaws of Mississippi have learned, there's a good reason for keeping close scrutiny on gambling operations figures. It's the same reason pigs are kept penned up. Greed."

Get the Story:
Greed gives hard lesson to Choctaw (The Lincoln Journal Star 7/11)

Committee Exhibits:
Part 1 | Part 2

Witness List/Testimony:
Oversight Hearing Before the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs on the In Re Tribal Lobbying Matters, Et Al (June 22, 2005)

Relevant Links:
Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians - http://www.choctaw.org

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