"It�s time for Congressman Charles Taylor to speak frankly with his constituents about his connections to political lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Abramoff pleaded guilty earlier this year to a number of felony corruption charges.

E-mails that detail how Abramoff�s team worked to leverage assistance from the White House, the Republican Party and congressmen, including Taylor, raise serious questions about whether Taylor traded influence over legislation important to Abramoff�s clients for campaign donations.

On April 11, 2003, a month before Taylor wrote a letter on behalf of the Saginaw Chippewa tribe, Abramoff�s firm threw a fundraiser that scored thousands of dollars for his campaign. Taylor, who oversees a House subcommittee that controls the Department of Interior�s budget, wrote a letter with Sen. Conrad Burns of Montana, who chairs a similar committee in the Senate, supporting the tribe in its request for $3 million to build a school. The Bureau of Indian Affairs, a part of Interior, had argued that the wealthy Michigan tribe, which operates a casino, shouldn�t qualify for the school program."

Get the Story:
Voters deserve some answers from Taylor (The Asheville Citizen-Times 4/14)

Saginaw Chippewa Letter:
Dear Congressional Appropriators (April 6, 2006)

Relevant Links:
Rep. Charles Taylor - http://charlestaylor.house.gov
House Appropriations Committee - http://appropriations.house.gov

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