Sacramento Bee Nails Doolittle Directly To Abramoff

by Steve

Image courtesy of the Sacramento Bee

The Sacramento Bee runs a Page One story today that ties local GOP Representative and the aptly-named John Doolittle directly into Jack Abramoff’s web of profit-making opportunities to exploit sweatshop labor from the Mariana Islands.

Rep. John Doolittle helped Jack Abramoff secure a lucrative lobbying contract with the commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in 1999 and then assisted the now-disgraced lobbyist's efforts to route federal money to the islands and defend its garment industry, newly obtained documents show.

Doolittle accepted $14,000 in contributions from Abramoff -- $4,000 to his congressional re-election committee and $10,000 to his California political action committee.

The first contribution came just a few weeks before Doolittle endorsed the election of a key commonwealth politician crucial to Abramoff winning the contract. The last Abramoff contribution came just as the Mariana Islands' lobbying contract was expiring in December 2001.

While Abramoff's associates and clients, particularly Indian tribes, have been large contributors to Doolittle for at least six years, the $14,000 is the only money directly from Abramoff.

Doolittle's involvement with the islands provides another link between the Roseville Republican and Abramoff, who pleaded guilty in January to three felony charges in connection with his lobbying of House members. Doolittle also took action on behalf of Indian tribes represented by Abramoff, and the lobbyist once hired the firm owned by Doolittle's wife.

And what was the morally-righteous Doolittle helping Abramoff advocate by taking his money and helping him maintain the lobbying contract with federal money to defend Saipan’s sweatshops and their oppressive practices? Nothing but the usual Moral Majority/Christian Coalition duplicity of preaching piety and then subjugating the defenseless, all of course while enriching themselves.