The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, a former client of Jack Abramoff's, paid for Congressional staffers to visit the reservation in southern California, The Riverside Press-Enterprise reports.

Staffers from the office of Rep. Tom Cole (R-Oklahoma) went to the reservation on October 31 - November 2, 2003. Travel disclosure forms filed with the House stated the purpose was to "tour reservation, review federal projects, discuss tribal sovereignty and attend charity dinner for Agua Caliente Cultural Museum."

Staffers from the office of Rep. Jim McCrery (R-Louisiana) went to the reservation on a "fact finding" mission in December 2003. No further explanation was provided on travel disclosure forms, or to the Press-Enterprise.

The trips were among those disclosed in a report by the Center for Public Integrity, which also released documents on a trip the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, another former Abramoff client, helped fund for Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Texas) and his office.

Get the Story:
Tribe's trip funding scrutinized (The Riverside Press-Enterprise 6/22)
pwpwd

Relevant Links:
Power Trips, An investigation into congressional travel - http://www.publicintegrity.org/powertrips
Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians - http://www.aguacaliente.org

Related Stories:
DeLay's trip with Abramoff tied to Choctaw donation (06/09)
DeLay's trip with Abramoff tied to Choctaw donation (06/09)