The House Government Reform committee has released hundreds of emails from its Abramoff investigation. The investigation reveals 485 contacts between team Abramoff and the Bush White House. Via Muckraker, one email reveals Rove killed an interior department nomination at the request of Abramoff. Is that a quid pro quo? Or just a favor?

Update: Skimming these, this is shocking stuff. The buying of influence at pretty high levels of the White House. And so sloppy! Check out page 13 of the .pdf here. Abramoff to his staffer, Kevin Ring. "Dammit. It was sent to Susan [Ralston, Rove's aide] on her mc pager and was not supposed to go into the WH system." Ring to Abramoff: "Your email to Susan was forwarded to .... She said it it is better not to put this stuff in writing in their [the White house] email system because it might actually limit what they can do to help us, especially since there could be law suits, etc. Who knows?" They seem to express knowledge of potentially improper or illegal activity as it was happening.

The email on page 16 is kind of funny. From Abramoff staffer Kevin Ring to Team Abramoff, subject line: Problem at White House. "Just wanted to let everyone know of a disturbing problem I just learned about at the White House. The Intergovernmental Affairs Office just had their ethics briefing and when it was all said and done, they concluded that they should NEVER call lobbyists anymore." Oops. "Will call tribes directly." Then Mr. Ring proposes a solution. "I am going to have lunch with Susan Ralston this week and will explain the problem to her. ..."

Ralston to Abramoff March 11, 2003: "We have some guests coming to town Fri, 3/28 and Sat 3/29. Anything going on at the MCI Center?" Abramoff promptly responds.

Email page 43, Ring gets some Camden Yards opening day tickets for White House staffers Jim Wilkinson (2), and Jennifer Farley (2). A few pages later, Farley while still at the WH lets Team Abramoff know she might be interested in a job.

Posted by Laura at September 29, 2006 11:59 AM