A Washington, D.C., watchdog group filed suit against the Interior Department on Wednesday in hopes of obtaining more documents about the Jack Abramoff scandal.
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington sent three Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to Interior earlier this year, seeking documents about Abramoff's contacts with top officials, including Secretary Gale Norton and former deputy secretary J. Steven Griles. Several months later, the group says it is still waiting for information.
The Senate Indian Affairs Committee has since released documents that indicate Griles was in contact with Abramoff and Italia Federici, a Republican activist who is close to Norton. CREW says Interior is holding back information.
CREW filed a similar lawsuit against the National Indian Gaming Commission, accusing the agency of failing to comply with FOIA requests. The case is pending in federal court in Washington.
Relevant Links:
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington - http://www.citizensforethics.org
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Jack Abramoff lobbying probe touches DOI
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Third suspect held in murder
linked to Abramoff (10/14)
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Bush nominee withdraws over ties to Abramoff
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Special
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Abramoff makes first court appearance on charges
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Ex-Abramoff associate charged in
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Ohio Congressman vouched for indicted Abramoff pal
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Jack Abramoff,
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Coushatta Tribe footed DeLay's
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McCain defends GOP senator tied to Abramoff
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(4/12)
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(4/7)
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3rd DeLay trip (4/6)
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funds (03/31)
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(03/30)
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fighting tribe have ties to Abramoff (03/25)
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tribes (03/22)
Jena Choctaw Band back in
spotlight in Louisiana (03/22)
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plans to finish hearings on lobbyist scandal (3/21)
Opinion: Ralph Reed did work for casinos, not the
Lord (3/21)
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firm linked to DeLay (3/18)
Chairman:
Montana tribes support Senator Burns (3/18)
Senate Finance Committee investigates Abramoff
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Vitter won't say why he OKed
Abramoff fundraiser (3/17)
DeLay denies
wrongdoing on trip linked to tribe (3/16)
Vitter responsible for anti-tribal appropriations
rider (3/16)
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will weather ethics storm (3/15)
Column:
Strange bedfellows in Abramoff scandal (3/15)
Editorial: Investigate overseas trip paid by
Abramoff (3/15)
Griles fought casino
opposed by Abramoff client (3/14)
Tribe
gave $75K to group founded by Norton (3/14)
Tribe, gambling firm funded DeLay's overseas trip
(3/14)
Editorial: Facts don't look good
for Senator Burns (3/14)
DOI
investigates contacts with group started by Norton (03/03)
Vitter denies helping Abramoff's former client
(03/02)
Report: Former Norton organization
subpoenaed (3/1)
Tribes gave $175K to
group founded by Norton (2/28)
Tribal
lobbying scandal hurts ex-Abramoff firm (02/17)
Tigua Tribe settles dispute over Abramoff fees
(02/14)
Sag Chip recall targets
anti-Abramoff tribal leaders (2/11)
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lunch (02/08)
Donations funneled through
Abramoff unaccounted (2/7)
Commentary:
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Commentary: Tribal lobbyist scandal is familiar
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linked to lobbyists (01/07)
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Congressman
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McCain
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Order freezing Abramoff's assets lifted in lawsuit
(11/24)
Mississippi Choctaw lawyer
referred Abramoff (11/22)
Former Ney
chief of staff worked with Abramoff (11/19)
High-priced lobbyist scam linked to lawmakers
(11/18)
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
(11/15)
Vitter 'conned' by group
opposing tribe (11/12)
GOP critic of
McCain received tribal donations (11/08)
Author: Abramoff, Scanlon likely to be indicted
(10/28)
Senate panel asks Coushatta Tribe
for tapes (10/27)
Ralph Reed paid $4.1M
to oppose tribes (10/26)
Two more
lawyers linked to lobbyist scandal (10/21)
Online Chat: Abramoff 'close friend' of DeLay
(10/20)
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
(10/15)
Congressman's anti-gaming push
backed by tribe (10/15)
Tigua Tribe mum
on Washington lobbyists (10/12)
House
Resources asked to investigate lobbyists (10/8)
Another tribe considers lawsuit against lobbyists
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DeLay rebuked yet again for
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Choctaw Tribe's lobbying
documents kept secret (10/4)
Documents
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Texas AG
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Senate hearing (9/30)
Abramoff mum at
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Column: Lobbyists lurked in 'cesspool of greed'
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Washington lobbyists called before
Senate panel (9/29)
Editorial: Send
lobbyist hogs to the slaughterhouse (9/29)
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Tribes told to donate to
lobbyists' foundation (9/28)
Editorial:
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Lobbyists worked for, against 'moronic' Tiguas
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Group opposing Poarch Creeks tied
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Coushattas
used lobbyists to spy on tribes, critics (09/13)
Bush strategist now knows source of tribal
funds (09/01)
Bush strategist claims no
knowledge of funds (8/31)
Bush-GOP
strategist admits taking tribal money (8/30)
Senate hearing on tribal lobbying probe set
(8/26)
Coushatta member threatened over
recall effort (08/09)
Coushatta Tribe's
lobbying records subpoenaed (07/23)
Hearing on high lobbying fees expected in
September (07/16)
GOP strategist denies
secretly taking tribal money (7/15)
Tribal money secretly funneled to GOP
strategist (06/25)
Busy Indian Affairs
Committee hits snag on big issues (06/17)
Indian Affairs Committee activity this week
(6/15)
Saginaw Chippewa leader who paid
lobbyists ousted (06/04)
Indian Country
awaits outcome of lobbying probe (05/18)
Tribal chairman says $120K fee to Abramoff worth
it (05/18)
Republican governors
report biggest donor in 2002 (05/04)
Saginaw Chippewa Tribe wonders where $14M
went (04/20)
McCain demands documents
from lobbyist, PR exec (04/12)
Coushatta treasurer accuses NIGC of lax
oversight (04/12)
Choctaw chief
Martin defends embattled GOP lobbyist (04/09)
McCain pushing Choctaw tribe to cooperate with
probe (4/8)
Coushatta leaders used
tribal money to pay lobbyists (4/8)
Coushatta Tribe paid $32M to lobbyist Jack
Abramoff (4/6)
McCain aggressive in
pursuing lobbyist records (4/5)
McCain demands documents for tribal lobbyist's
work (3/30)
Embattled lobbyist signs
deal with another firm (03/25)
Embattled tribal lobbyist gave to Conn.
Congressman (03/10)
Saginaw Chippewa
Tribe hires new lobbying firm (3/9)
McCain begins investigation into high tribal
fees (3/4)
Pueblo governor says $1M
fee to PR firm not worth it (3/3)
McCain calls for investigation into tribal
spending (2/27)
Four tribes spent
$45M on lobbying and PR firms (2/23)
GOP lobbyist scores big with tribes
(04/03)
Embattled tribe gets new
lobbyist (12/13)
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