Rep. Richard Pombo (R-California), the chairman of the House Resources Committee, admits he met Jack Abramoff "two or three times" but says the convicted lobbyist "never once lobbied me on anything."
"He never asked me to sign a letter to vote for or against a bill, to introduce a bill, never once stepped foot in my office," Pombo told The New York Times.
The denials haven't stopped Democrats, environmentalists and the media from hammering Pombo over his ties to Abramoff. Pombo held hearings and sponsored legislation beneficial to Abramoff's clients and he accepted $7,500 directly from Abramoff.
The controversy has put Pombo in one of the toughest campaigns in his political career. The Sacramento Bee endorsed Democrat Jerry McNerney, calling on voters to send Pombo back to "private life."
Pombo donated the money to the Red Lake Boys an
Get the Story:Incumbents on the Ropes Over Ties to Abramoff (The New York Times 10/27)
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Pom and Jerry (Grist Magazine 10/26) $ad1 Relevant Links:
Rep. Richard Pombo - http://www.house.gov/pombo
House Resources Committee - http://resourcescommittee.house.gov Related Stories:
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