"A Senate hearing has provided a rarefied look at Washington's ever-whirring carousel for business lobbyists and government appointees, who spin back and forth between the private and public sectors in a blur of opportunism. The Interior Department's former deputy secretary, Steven Griles - who had been tapped for that job by the Bush administration when he worked as a lobbyist for the mining industry - was accused of using his government post to carry out the bidding of Jack Abramoff, the indicted power lobbyist who sought favorable Interior rulings for Indian-tribe clients vying for casinos.
A former counsel at the department testified that Mr. Griles had meddled aggressively in decisions affecting Abramoff clients. And Senator John McCain produced e-mail about Mr. Abramoff's trying to woo the deputy secretary's favor by offering a lucrative job in - where else? - lobbying.
As the hearing went forward, it was hard to tell where lobbying ends and public service begins. Mr. Griles turned out to have met Mr. Abramoff by way of a political friend of Interior Secretary Gale Norton. That friend, Italia Federici, is the head of a conservative environmental lobbying group that received Abramoff donations. Senator McCain, saying she seemed to be valued for having "juice" at Interior, is seeking her testimony."
Get the Story:
Editorial: The Capitol's Revolting Door
(The New York Times 11/4)
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Congressman
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McCain
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Order freezing Abramoff's assets lifted in lawsuit
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referred Abramoff (11/22)
Former Ney
chief of staff worked with Abramoff (11/19)
High-priced lobbyist scam linked to lawmakers
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Coushatta Tribe sues ex-lobbyists
for $32M (11/17)
Tigua Tribe to testify
at Senate lobbying hearing (11/16)
Abramoff's assets frozen in employee case
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Vitter 'conned' by group
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GOP critic of
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Senate panel asks Coushatta Tribe
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Ralph Reed paid $4.1M
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Two more
lawyers linked to lobbyist scandal (10/21)
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Christian Coalition still after
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Congressman denies
knowing of tribe's backing (10/18)
Opinion: Lobbyist scandal goes all the way to Bush
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Congressman's anti-gaming push
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House
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Another tribe considers lawsuit against lobbyists
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Washington lobbyists called before
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Tribes told to donate to
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Senate hearing on tribal lobbying probe set
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Coushatta Tribe's
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Busy Indian Affairs
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Indian Affairs Committee activity this week
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Embattled tribe gets new
lobbyist (12/13)
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