Former Abramoff aide talks with House committee

Tuesday, June 19, 2007  

Susan Ralston, the former assistant to convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff, is helping the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee with an investigation into the White House.

Ralston left Abramoff's law/lobbying firm to work for top White House aide Karl Rove at the start of the Bush administration. She resigned after a Congressional report suggested that she received gifts from Abramoff in potential violation of ethics rules.

In a deposition [PDF] with the committee, Ralston said she was willing to work out an immunity agreement in order to give more information about Abramoff's dealings with the White House. She already told investigators about excessive use of Republican National Committee e-mail accounts by Rove.

The Democratic leadership on the committee released a preliminary report that said White House use of the accounts was more widespread than acknowledged and that many messages were destroyed [Link].

Get the Story:
Bush Aides' Misuse of E-Mail Detailed by House Committee (The Washington Post 6/19)
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