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Former Aide to GOP Rep To Plead Guilty
Yet another shoe drops in the Jack Abramoff investigation. A former aide to Rep. Don Young (R-AK), Mark Zachares, looks set to plead guilty to corruption charges.
The Justice Department filed a criminal information today on Zachares, laying out the facts to which he'll be pleading guilty. You can read it here. A plea hearing has been scheduled for tomorrow.
According to the document, Zachares and Abramoff had what they called their "two year plan": Zacheres would work for Abramoff on the inside, taking advantage of his congressional position to throw business Abramoff's way, and eventually, when Zachares left Congress, Abramoff would reward him. As the information reads: Abramoff "would 'credit' Zachares with the 'business' Zachares... referred or developed for Abramoff's firm, and would ultimately employ Zachares as a lobbyist credited 'with business,' warranting a high annual salary."
In addition to the usual stream of junkets, meals, and sports tickets, Abramoff also funneled $10,000 to Zachares through one of his phony charities. In return, Zachares referred clients and provided a number of favors for Abramoff's various clients.
The document does not implicate Rep. Young, but it does mention that in 2002, Abramoff "assisted Zachares in obtaining his position as a staffer on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee," which Young chaired. And Young has come up often in the course of the Abramoff scandal.
My call to Young's office was not immediately returned.
Update: Some background on Zachares, courtesy of The Washington Post last year below.
From The Post:
At that time of his [March 2001] visit with Rove, according to former associates and e-mails released in the course of a Senate investigation, Abramoff was attempting to leverage his role as a major Bush fundraiser to place a close ally, Mark Zachares, into the position of head of the Interior Department's Office of Insular Affairs.Another source, who is close to Rove, said he recalled that Abramoff pushed Zachares's name in the early days of the administration but that Rove did not take action.
Abramoff and Zachares had been allies when Zachares served as labor secretary for the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, a U.S. territory overseen by Insular Affairs. The lobbyist helped the island territory, a client of his, fight off U.S. efforts to impose minimum-wage laws on its textile plants.
Zachares received $10,000 from Abramoff's charity, the Capital Athletic Foundation, in two payments -- one before and one just after he left the Marianas job -- according to a ledger for the group released by the Senate Indian Affairs Committee last year. Abramoff has since admitted he used the Maryland charity to launder lobbying money.
Zachares did not get the Interior position, but in 2002 he landed a job with a congressman important to Abramoff -- Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska), who served on the House Resources Committee, which oversees Indian and insular affairs. Zachares joined Abramoff on his annual Scotland golf trip the next year.
Comments (44)
RandyR wrote on April 23, 2007 4:23 PM:Take them to prison when there is a school bus full. Prosecute them by the dozen.
Security Code : Wheel the wheel on the bus goes round and round
RandyR wrote on April 23, 2007 4:26 PM:Take them to prison when there is a school bus full. Prosecute them by the dozen. Move that investigation up to Missouri now. Oops they did that and the Gonzolas removed the prosecuters.
Security Code : Wheel the wheel on the bus goes round and round
Redshift wrote on April 23, 2007 4:35 PM:"Labor secretary for the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas," eh? I guess being chief slave-master is a good thing to have on your resume in the GOP.
modmom wrote on April 23, 2007 4:35 PM:Sounds a little reminiscent of Neil Volz (followed by Bob Ney) in Ohio.
Anonymous wrote on April 23, 2007 4:39 PM:It's been a nice couple of weeks for the repubs, huh?
Security code = neck. As in "Hang'em by the"
nofltwlt wrote on April 23, 2007 4:41 PM:Don knew.
jhe wrote on April 23, 2007 4:54 PM:Can they tie this to the bridge to nowhere project? That might show something that people understand. It might also tie Stevens to it.
Mrs Panstreppon wrote on April 23, 2007 4:57 PM:The bit about Jack Abramoff wiring the two $5k payments to Zachares from his Capital Athletic Foundaton bank account is significant because, as far as I know, this is the first public acknowledgment by the DOJ that Abramoff used the foundation to pay bribes.
If you review the 990s filed by the Capital Athletic Foundation, available online at the Foundation Center's 990 Finder (link below), you will see more than a million bucks in contributions from Abramoff's Indian tribe clients made between 2001 and 2002.
You will see $700k in contributions from Amy Ridenour's National Center For Public Policy Research made between 2002 and 2003. (Why does the NCPPR still have tax-exempt status and why isn't Ridenour going to jail for money laundering?)
You will see a 2003 $250k "grant" made to a corporation owned by Abramoff, Beis Avrohom Chaim.
You will also see a 2003 $25k grant made to the DeLay Foundation For Kids but that, in itself, is not illegal.
But you will not see a $10k payment to Mark Zachares in the 990s.
The Abramoff plot thickens.
Mrs Panstreppon wrote on April 23, 2007 5:14 PM:BTW, I think it was in 2002 that Abramoff sent an email to Todd Boulanger about Tom DeLay wanting Abramoff to raise money for him through the Capital Athletic Foundation.
I wonder if Jack Abramoff ever wired money to Tom DeLay through the Capital Athletic Foundation bank account?
bobh wrote on April 23, 2007 5:32 PM:Who the hell got a hold of that school van on page 3 of the 2003 statement?
Great deal for the receiver....
bobh wrote on April 23, 2007 5:37 PM:And they need an 'thermal imager' for 18,000$, page 15 2001 statement. What the hell for?
Anonymous wrote on April 23, 2007 5:44 PM:You may recall that Abramoff was financing weapons purchases through his various charities to Israeli paramilitary outfits, n'est-ce pas?
bobh wrote on April 23, 2007 5:45 PM:Interesting if we could get the serial number fo that imager and find it now eh?
Alana wrote on April 23, 2007 5:48 PM:Does anyone know or heard if and how much Abramoff's sentenced has been reduced since his cooperation so with the feds?
Mrs Panstreppon wrote on April 23, 2007 5:58 PM:@April 23, 2007 05:44 PM
The Capital Athletic Foundation made a 2002 $97k grant to Kollel Ohel Tiferet which, if I not mistaken, was the Israeli paramilitary outfit.
bobh@April 23, 2007 05:37 PM
The $18k thermal imager intrigued me, too.
Along with a few other interesting items, I was never able to find out much about the $500k contribution from IIA in care of the Asia house in Israel. I think IIA has something to do with online gambling but that's all I know.
bobh wrote on April 23, 2007 6:05 PM:Holy Crap. Remember Blue Thunder? With a thermal Imaging camera and a shotgun mike youcan get some nifty dirt on just about anyone.
JackNYC wrote on April 23, 2007 6:19 PM:For the troops, I'm sure
"Originally developed for military use during the Korean War, thermographic cameras have slowly migrated into other fields as varied as medicine and archeology. More recently, the lowering of prices have helped fuel the adoption of infrared viewing technology. Advanced optics and sophisticated software interfaces continue to enhance the versatility of IR cameras."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infrared_camera
But they're not infallible
"Marijuana plants apparently block thermal-signature search devices, and Taliban fighters in Afghanistan are trying to use them for that. Allied response: Burn the plants. Allied mistake: Leaving troops downwind of the fire."
http://blogs.kansascity.com/crime_scene/2006/10/troops_hit_with.html
JackNYC wrote on April 23, 2007 6:25 PM:In years to come, when these sad days are (far) behind us,and grown-ups are running this world again it's gonna make for some funny fuckin' TeeVee shows (MASH II?)
Avedon wrote on April 23, 2007 6:41 PM:Someone really ought to be keeping a list of all the criminals (and their crimes), with its own special page. You could have two parallel columns: one for all the Republicans, and the other for Sandy Berger.
bobh wrote on April 23, 2007 6:48 PM:"No more will Congress turn a blind eye to the Bush administration's incompetence and dishonesty," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (news, bio, voting record) said in a speech in which he accused the president of living in a state of denial about events in Iraq more than four years after the U.S.-led invasion.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070423/ap_on_go_co/us_iraq
interesting Reid is ratcheting up ...perhaps he'll call bush Drunky McStagger or Chimp in Charge soon.
Left Hook wrote on April 23, 2007 6:54 PM:Hurray for Harry Reid!
Duckman GR wrote on April 23, 2007 7:13 PM:You can kind of see the underlying anti semitism in the bushies, even though they embrace the noble cause of Israel fighting the good fight against those evil terrorists over there, in the way Rover just wrung Jacko for all he could. Abramoff had to buy his way into the inner circle, and when he got caught, don't you remember the stirring defenses offered by the GOP?
....Crickets....
Think about all of the times Abramoff didn't really get what he wanted, or didn't until he upped the ante. That's why he's in jail, and Rover isn't.
melior wrote on April 23, 2007 8:49 PM:For anyone else still burning with curiosity about the tidbit dropped by Josh yesterday re Schlozman (he can be such a tease sometimes! :) this may be a clue to what is coming:
http://www.pressrelease365.com/pr/government/federal/alberto-gonzales-novation-prosecution-1293.htm
steambomb wrote on April 23, 2007 9:07 PM:I see that Renzi resigned from the House Intelligence Comittee today. His resignation was read into the record on the House floor.
Richard L. Adlof wrote on April 23, 2007 9:44 PM:If Jack keeps up at this clip, we may see another twenty (20) Republicans in jumpsuits by year's end. Coolness . . .
FMArouet wrote on April 23, 2007 9:47 PM:Mrs. Panstreppon,
Every day I am astonished by the work that you do.
I hope that Hill staffers are using your discoveries as leads for follow-up.
dee illuminati wrote on April 23, 2007 10:10 PM:When Reid said that the POTUS is in denial I could not but shake my head at some of the Freepers with their heads firmly stuck in a hole in the ground. With the exception of a few unindicted GOP, the whole party is in denial. Bush is a miserbale failure.
fatkat wrote on April 23, 2007 10:32 PM:TPM...why don't you have a on going list of all the convictions that have surrounded this administration. Have their names, crime, year and background with whom they were associated with! That way we the public and the politicians know that we know and will keep their feet to the fire!
The list I am sure will be an on going project! I know I will email it to my reps...
I only state this because it just keeps growing!
fatkat wrote on April 23, 2007 10:36 PM:Hey, is there a connection with this guy and the attorney that was put there as a temp? AK seems to be a battle ground state for 2008; because of Hilliary and Bill, and the Attorney junk! Just a thought!
Anonymous wrote on April 23, 2007 10:41 PM:question...
fatkat wrote on April 23, 2007 10:51 PM:Mrs. Panstreppon, how can a organization such as the link to your name is have such a person such as
Stacey Davis Stewart
President and CEO
Fannie Mae Foundation
Washington, DC
on the board of trusties when Fannie Mae, I through, went public and is no longer a non profit?
Isn't that a conflict of interest?
Question,
Gonzales goes way back in his legal work to Texas, has or is there any information on his work ethics on the cases there that may have a tie to the recent problems in the AG office? Also, the ties to the president are apparent, but what was done recently may go way back to the Texas days?
G4AM wrote on April 23, 2007 10:57 PM:The sudden round of activity is not an accident. What could it mean? More soon...
whizkid wrote on April 24, 2007 1:05 AM:How Simon-pure they considered themselves is laughable.
John West wrote on April 24, 2007 5:30 AM:Go down in flames yee laughable and anti-American tories.
Republican, the party of the big house.
Mrs Panstreppon wrote on April 24, 2007 6:48 AM:FMArouet@April 23, 2007 09:47 PM
Thanks for the compliment! It would be nice if the Hill staffers paid attention to me but I have bigger fish to fry.
@April 23, 2007 10:41 PM
Are you referrring to the Foundation Center? I looked into it once very briefly but that was about it. I once sent an email to the folks at the Center and thanked for them for providing an invaluable public service, free to everyone in the world with a computer.
Sigh. I've tried to stay from Fannie Mae because it would be a lot of work for me to do by myself. If I have time, I'll take a look at the Fannie Mae Foundation and Stacey Davis Stewart, President and CEO.
Mrs P wrote on April 24, 2007 7:05 AM:@April 23, 2007 10:41 PM
I see what you mean about the Fannie Mae Foundation. More to come.
Anonymous wrote on April 24, 2007 7:55 AM:melior@April 23, 2007 08:49 PM
Wow! I just read the press release you posted and it looks like a really big one is coming down the pike!
Holy Guacamole! wrote on April 24, 2007 7:59 AM:http://www.pressrelease365.com/pr/government/federal/alberto-gonzales-novation-prosecution-1293.htm
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales Sandbagged Novation LLC Prosecution
Kansas City, MO 04/16/07 - Novation LLC a hospital supplier in Irving, Texas admitted in a Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals filing dated April 9th, 2007 that it was identified as a co-conspirator in a 2002 scheme to use US Bancorp’s trust division to prevent Medical Supply Chain from entering the market for hospital supplies by withholding escrow accounts and misusing the USA PATRIOT act as a pretext...
After Alberto Gonzales became Attorney General on February 3, 2005, the investigation of Novation was suppressed even though insider Novation executives came forward to the US Department of Justice with evidence of laundering hospital funds through the publicly traded electronic hospital supply marketplace Neoforma, Inc. that was then controlled by Novation, Volunteer Hospital Association (VHA), and University Health System Consortium (UHC) and is now owned by the electronic hospital supply marketplace GHX, LLC.
In an April 18, 2005 affidavit, Medical Supply Chain founder Samuel Lipari complained about FBI misuse of USA PATRIOT Act surveillance powers. The affidavit described interception of electronic communications and searches by law enforcement officials being used to interfere with and obstruct Lipari’s civil prosecution of the Novation defendants in Medical Supply Chain, Inc., v. Novation LLC et al, US District Court for the W.D. of Missouri No. 05-0210-CV-W-ODS
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales confirmed the existence of the program for warrantless surveillance, first reported in The New York Times, on December 19, 2005. However on January 25, 2006 Gonzales wrote that “there has not been a single verified abuse of any of the provisions” of the USA PATRIOT Act.
Samuel Lipari again complained on October 12, 2006 in the US Court of Appeals for the Eight Circuit in St. Louis, Missouri that US District Attorney Bradley J. Schlozman failed to investigate evidence of public corruption brought to his office and permitted obstruction of justice to continue despite the injuries to Samuel Lipari, his family and associates.
On January 16, 2007 Attorney General Gonzales responded to criticism of his misuse of the USA PATRIOT Act by announcing John Wood would be taking Bradley Schlozman's place in Kansas City two days before he gave his previous testimony to Congress.
On March 22, 2007, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales met in St. Louis with U.S. Attorneys Catherine L. Hanaway and Bradley J. Schlozman of Missouri districts to conduct an undisclosed discussion related to the conduct of US Attorney Bradley J. Schlozman.
After Alberto Gonzales became Attorney General on February 3, 2005, the investigation of Novation was suppressed even though insider Novation executives came forward to the US Department of Justice with evidence of laundering hospital funds through the publicly traded electronic hospital supply marketplace Neoforma, Inc. that was then controlled by Novation, Volunteer Hospital Association (VHA), and University Health System Consortium (UHC) and is now owned by the electronic hospital supply marketplace GHX, LLC.
In an April 18, 2005 affidavit, Medical Supply Chain founder Samuel Lipari complained about FBI misuse of USA PATRIOT Act surveillance powers. The affidavit described interception of electronic communications and searches by law enforcement officials being used to interfere with and obstruct Lipari’s civil prosecution of the Novation defendants in Medical Supply Chain, Inc., v. Novation LLC et al, US District Court for the W.D. of Missouri No. 05-0210-CV-W-ODS
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales confirmed the existence of the program for warrantless surveillance, first reported in The New York Times, on December 19, 2005. However on January 25, 2006 Gonzales wrote that “there has not been a single verified abuse of any of the provisions” of the USA PATRIOT Act.
Samuel Lipari again complained on October 12, 2006 in the US Court of Appeals for the Eight Circuit in St. Louis, Missouri that US District Attorney Bradley J. Schlozman failed to investigate evidence of public corruption brought to his office and permitted obstruction of justice to continue despite the injuries to Samuel Lipari, his family and associates.
On January 16, 2007 Attorney General Gonzales responded to criticism of his misuse of the USA PATRIOT Act by announcing John Wood would be taking Bradley Schlozman's place in Kansas City two days before he gave his previous testimony to Congress.
On March 22, 2007, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales met in St. Louis with U.S. Attorneys Catherine L. Hanaway and Bradley J. Schlozman of Missouri districts to conduct an undisclosed discussion related to the conduct of US Attorney Bradley J. Schlozman.
After Alberto Gonzales became Attorney General on February 3, 2005, the investigation of Novation was suppressed even though insider Novation executives came forward to the US Department of Justice with evidence of laundering hospital funds through the publicly traded electronic hospital supply marketplace Neoforma, Inc. that was then controlled by Novation, Volunteer Hospital Association (VHA), and University Health System Consortium (UHC) and is now owned by the electronic hospital supply marketplace GHX, LLC.
In an April 18, 2005 affidavit, Medical Supply Chain founder Samuel Lipari complained about FBI misuse of USA PATRIOT Act surveillance powers. The affidavit described interception of electronic communications and searches by law enforcement officials being used to interfere with and obstruct Lipari’s civil prosecution of the Novation defendants in Medical Supply Chain, Inc., v. Novation LLC et al, US District Court for the W.D. of Missouri No. 05-0210-CV-W-ODS
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales confirmed the existence of the program for warrantless surveillance, first reported in The New York Times, on December 19, 2005. However on January 25, 2006 Gonzales wrote that “there has not been a single verified abuse of any of the provisions” of the USA PATRIOT Act.
Samuel Lipari again complained on October 12, 2006 in the US Court of Appeals for the Eight Circuit in St. Louis, Missouri that US District Attorney Bradley J. Schlozman failed to investigate evidence of public corruption brought to his office and permitted obstruction of justice to continue despite the injuries to Samuel Lipari, his family and associates.
On January 16, 2007 Attorney General Gonzales responded to criticism of his misuse of the USA PATRIOT Act by announcing John Wood would be taking Bradley Schlozman's place in Kansas City two days before he gave his previous testimony to Congress.
On March 22, 2007, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales met in St. Louis with U.S. Attorneys Catherine L. Hanaway and Bradley J. Schlozman of Missouri districts to conduct an undisclosed discussion related to the conduct of US Attorney Bradley J. Schlozman.
After Alberto Gonzales became Attorney General on February 3, 2005, the investigation of Novation was suppressed even though insider Novation executives came forward to the US Department of Justice with evidence of laundering hospital funds through the publicly traded electronic hospital supply marketplace Neoforma, Inc. that was then controlled by Novation, Volunteer Hospital Association (VHA), and University Health System Consortium (UHC) and is now owned by the electronic hospital supply marketplace GHX, LLC.
In an April 18, 2005 affidavit, Medical Supply Chain founder Samuel Lipari complained about FBI misuse of USA PATRIOT Act surveillance powers. The affidavit described interception of electronic communications and searches by law enforcement officials being used to interfere with and obstruct Lipari’s civil prosecution of the Novation defendants in Medical Supply Chain, Inc., v. Novation LLC et al, US District Court for the W.D. of Missouri No. 05-0210-CV-W-ODS
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales confirmed the existence of the program for warrantless surveillance, first reported in The New York Times, on December 19, 2005. However on January 25, 2006 Gonzales wrote that “there has not been a single verified abuse of any of the provisions” of the USA PATRIOT Act.
Samuel Lipari again complained on October 12, 2006 in the US Court of Appeals for the Eight Circuit in St. Louis, Missouri that US District Attorney Bradley J. Schlozman failed to investigate evidence of public corruption brought to his office and permitted obstruction of justice to continue despite the injuries to Samuel Lipari, his family and associates.
On January 16, 2007 Attorney General Gonzales responded to criticism of his misuse of the USA PATRIOT Act by announcing John Wood would be taking Bradley Schlozman's place in Kansas City two days before he gave his previous testimony to Congress.
On March 22, 2007, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales met in St. Louis with U.S. Attorneys Catherine L. Hanaway and Bradley J. Schlozman of Missouri districts to conduct an undisclosed discussion related to the conduct of US Attorney Bradley J. Schlozman...
Holy Guacamole! wrote on April 24, 2007 8:05 AM:Oops! I don't know how I triple-posted the press release. I guess I was so revved up about it, I hit "Ctrl v" three times.
If I am reading this right, the Bush administration spied on a company on behalf of an Irving TX one and the DOJ ignored evidence of criminal activity by the Irving TX company.
Am I reading this right?
Jim C wrote on April 24, 2007 8:05 AM:Yep , it'll be off to " club fed " for a little while . I've always wondered how much more cooperitive these clowns would be if they were going to be sent to , oh say , leavenworth instead of allenwood . I would also like to know exactly how it came to be that if you deal pot , write a bad check or steal a car you get sent to a hell hole . But if you rip off the government , the tax payers , violate your oath of office essentially corrupting the body politic ,or happen to be rich and educated enough to steal millions often destroying lives wholesale you get sent to a place that is more inconvenient than punitive . Seems backwards to me .
Mrs Panstreppon wrote on April 24, 2007 8:15 AM:Jim C, I've always resented Allenwood. In fact, I don't know why we need a federal prison system at all.
Here in NY, we have lots of excess prison capacity, thanks to George Pataki and Charles A. Gargano, and the upstate economy could use the business.
Actually, Charlie Gargano should be in one of those upstate NY prisons but I'm not holding my breath.
Oscar wrote on April 24, 2007 1:29 PM:Am I the only one to notice that the factual proffer mentions Fenney? And that Feeney's role is in no way relevant for Zachares' actions? This clearly adds Feeney to the Abramoff Four(now Five).
code= small, as in "small chance for Doolittle, DeLay and co. to avoid the slammer.
Bruce Webb wrote on April 24, 2007 1:33 PM:I don't mind people making fun of the Bridge to Nowhere and using it as a hammer on Stevens who really is a corrupt son-of-a-bitch who deserves everything he can possibly get.
But it really isn't a 'Bridge to Nowhere'. Rather it is a 'Bridge to the Airport' for a City where the only winter time exit is by air, it is also the bridge to the only possible area for Ketchikan to expand which is to say Gravina Island, not a flyspeck by any means.
http://encarta.msn.com/map_701513705/Ketchikan.html
I don't know that it needed as expensive a bridge as Stevens proposed, but I do know it is kind of ironic that this King of Pork is being ridiculed for an earmark that probably could be justified on the merits.
Kind of sucks to be a resident of Ketchikan though. Their chances of being able to substitute a cab ride to the airport as opposed to a ferry boat when the seas make that a little risky just went to zero for the foreseeable future.
There is plenty to hang on Stevens, banging on the Bridge potentially could backfire instead. I'd let it alone.
Mrs Panstreppon wrote on April 24, 2007 3:05 PM:Bruce Webb@April 24, 2007 01:33 PM
I once accidentally called CIA Chief of Staff John H. Moseman at his VA home at 11:30 at night in connection with Nancy Murkowski's slimy little charity,the Waterfall Committee (link below).
That was kind of fun. When I realized what I had done, I told Mrs M. that I was looking for another Moseman. She told me that she knew all of the Mosemans in the area and she had never heard of the Moseman I was looking for.
Who knew the CIA was so accessible?