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Prosecutors Detail Favor Trail between Abramoff, DoI Official
Yesterday, prosecutors made their case against Steven Griles, the former #2 at the Department of Interior who pled guilty in March to lying to Senate investigators about his relationship with Jack Abramoff. Prosecutors want a ten month sentence for Griles, split between prison and home detention.
Their sentencing memo extensively detailed how Griles was Abramoff's man in Interior, providing a constant stream of confidential information valuable to Abramoff's tribal clients. In return, Abramoff helped Griles' many lady friends: channelling $500,000 into Italia Federici's right-wing group, the Council of Republicans for Environmental Advocacy, and interviewing two others for possible jobs with Abramoff's lobbying firm (Griles, as we've noted before, is quite the lady's man). Abramoff also came close to hiring Griles himself. You can read The Washington Post's rundown of the sentencing memo here.
But my favorite part from the memo was this:
On September 24, 2003, Touchstone Pictures/Declaration Productions, Inc. was filming the 2004 motion picture "National Treasure" on the grounds of the United States Navy Memorial located in Washington, D.C. The Navy Memorial, built on Federal land and under the jurisdiction of the DOT National Park Service, was steps away from the entrance to Signatures. Abramoff was upset that the film crew and its trailers and equipment were blocking the valet parking area abutting his restaurant. Because the film crew had a valid permit, they ignored Abramoff's demands to move away from his restaurant.Knowing that the Navy Memorial was built on Federal land, Abramoff telephoned defendant Griles. The defendant, in turn, contacted the Special Assistant to the Director of the National Park Service and asked the Government official to investigate Abramoff' s complaint. The National Park Service official went to the restaurant, spoke with both the manager of Signatures and a representative of the film crew, and directed the film crew to move their equipment away from the restaurant's valet parking area.
So who wins in a power showdown between Abramoff and Nick Cage (who starred in National Treasure)? In D.C., Abramoff would have won that battle every time.
Josh
Zachary
That about sums up the entire Bush Administration. Enabling valet parking for their lobbyist and business patrons.
Rest of America - suck it!
Fixing the Indian trust issues? Making sure the oil companies are not raping Federal resources? Chasing illegal drug growers out of the National Parks? Bringing justice to the US sponsored sweat shops in Tom DeLay's perfect petri dish of capitalism in the South Pacific.
No thanks, gotta make sure that the lawmakers being bribed can valet park. That's what's truly sick about the whole situation. Abramoff's restaurant was a front. The valet parking would have been used by government officials being bribed. Was this Abramoff's way of "sticking it" to the Democratic Hollywood people too?
June 16, 2007 11:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
as much as i love a good jack abramoff story....
film crews are awful. I lived in Manhattan's lower east side for three years and the film crews simply take over the streets and tell you that you cant park in front of your home. A friend of a friend used to drop eggs on the film crews from her 3rd street apartment. they utterly get in the way and express little regard for for people who actually use those spaces regularly.
they have even towed people's cars so that aren't in the shot and simply wave a certificate of permission if you freak out on them and accuse them of stealing your car.
not to mention all the traffic Ive run through on washington ave in belleville NJ when HBO decided that they needed more shots at the funeral home for The Sopranos.
No sympathy for hollywood in any way shape or form here. When it comes to parking and taking up the street, they are no better than the GOP invoking 9-11 (well, maybe thats extreme). THis is the very least of Abramoff's crimes and I almost cheer for him in this one...almost.
June 16, 2007 12:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Let's see... several civil servants get paid $3-$4 million to investigate another civil servant who received bribes of at least $500,000 to get other paid civil servants to support tribal clients. Other civil servants then receive a few thousand dollars for court costs. One civil servant then asks for a penalty of 10 months (5 of them at home) for lying.
The victims of this ordeal (the taxpaying public) seemed to have been forgotten... What about restitution, folks!
June 16, 2007 12:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Who is Caged now!
June 16, 2007 12:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
rob- thousands of your progressive friends and neighbors are employed by the film and television industry in nyc which is constantly under pressure to keep productions from fleeing the city to cheaper and more cooperative locations.
people like you complaining about noise and disruptions to their lives is what's choking the life and character out of this once great city.
if you don't like city life and all the bustling activity that goes with it, perhaps you should consider the burbs because no one moves to the lower east side for peace and quiet...
June 16, 2007 12:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
As a guy who lives in Hollywood and works in the industry... yeah, I can see how this issue may not have a lot of traction. People on sets have blinders on and lose perspective about the needs of the real world. In short, we can get caught up in the concerns of our job, and can be total pricks to everyone around.
That being said, it's interesting to see the power of "the set"--so unquestioned and blown out of proportion out in LaLa, get shut down by real, raw, power.
June 16, 2007 1:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
The film crew had a valid permit. The city was making money that would be used for the benefit of residents. Who do you think gained from Abramoff cashing in his bribe?
June 16, 2007 1:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
Unilike Griles, Italia Federici is cooperating with the Feds. Her sentencing is set for November so that leaves a fair amount of time for her to talk.
According to Legal Times, R. Jared Carpenter, CREA VP, is expected to be charged with tax evasion next month. Carpenter could also agree to cooperate.
As I documented in a thread at the TPM Cafe, Federici and Carpenter were busy with more than just taking care of Abramoff's Indians.
If Federici and Carpenter provide evidence that Griles was corrupt in other ways, will the Feds charge him again?
June 16, 2007 1:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, okay, that seedy Abramoff used his pull, but it was to do something I'd love to do myself every time I see a PA behaving like an ass on a shoot in LA. The enemies of my enemy are still dickheads.
June 16, 2007 2:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, we're supposed to tolerate our lives being _disrupted_ by assholes who push around the "little people," then expect them to pay $30.00+ to see the film made on their backs.
In my city, the tourist and hotel industries get massive tax breaks so they won't leave. And hire illegals in order to prevent unionizing, and adequate pay. Those taxes are shifted onto the people who actually live here, but couldn't afford a single night in one of the hotels.
Those are not "Liberals" or "Progressives" except as claiming to be is financially lucrative.
June 16, 2007 5:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Prosecutors want a ten month sentence for Griles, split between prison and home detention.
TEN MONTHS!!! Why are the prosecutors asking for nothing sentences for these very serious crimes.
Fitzgerald asking for only 3 years for Libby's treason is an insult to the American taxpayer. How many years did Fitzgerald work on this case? And as the jurors asked why didn't fitzgerald called Rove and cheney to the witness stand? Fitzgerald deliberately covered up these crimes. He was to find out who outed Valerie Plame and her cover network Brewster Jennings - why did fitzgerald shut down the case before fulfulling his charge.
How many lawyers on Team Fitzgerald for this face, how many support staff, how many millions for 3 years for Treason?
June 16, 2007 8:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
The power of political fellatio.
June 16, 2007 9:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
First good thing I've heard about Jack A. Not all location film crews are jerks, but the ones who are -- they are really something. Out here in LA, the CSI crews have been courteous, as were the people shooting Crash. Can't say the same for Dreamworks though. One abused citizen got so angry she put a curse on Dreamworks, and they have been in the tank ever since.
June 16, 2007 9:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
rob: You can't possibly have lived in the LES and had a film crew say you "can't park in front of your home." There was no parking in front of your home. And if you did manage by some miracle to park there, you would have to move it to the other side of the street, where there are also never any empty parking spaces, the next day. I know, kind of off topic.....
June 17, 2007 12:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
Do I detect feathers dangling from his lips?
June 17, 2007 5:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hey Paul, How about posting that memo if you have a copy or otherwise indicating where to find it?
Thanks.
June 17, 2007 11:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hey Paul, How about posting that memo if you have a copy or otherwise indicating where to find it?
Thanks.
June 17, 2007 11:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Also of interest, Griles' request for “Community Service” including working with one of those industry organizations that he like to cozy up with --
http://pogoblog.typepad.com/pogo/2007/06/greenwire_break.html
June 17, 2007 11:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Also of interest, Griles' request for “Community Service” including working with one of those industry organizations that he liked to cozy up with --
http://pogoblog.typepad.com/pogo/2007/06/greenwire_break.html
June 17, 2007 11:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Also of interest, Griles' request for “Community Service” including working with one of those industry organizations that he liked to cozy up with --
http://pogoblog.typepad.com/pogo/2007/06/greenwire_break.html
June 17, 2007 11:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Abramoff is still probably pissed that the Academy hasn't given him adequate recognition for Red Scorpion.
June 18, 2007 12:49 PM | Reply | Permalink