Guam Superior Court
In the spring of 2002, the Guam Superior Court was fighting federal legislation that would have made it subject to rulings of the Guam Supreme Court. Superior Court Administrators and their lawyer, Howard Hills, came to Washington, D.C. on May 8 for a hearing at the Capitol. After the meeting went badly, the group decided to walk to Signatures where they hoped to meet with Jack Abramoff. Abramoff agreed to represent them at the impromptu meeting.
Key Points:
The Guam Superior Court concealed their arrangement by funneling their payments to Abramoff through Hills in a series of 36 $9,000 payments.
In his federal disclosure forms, Abramoff reported Hills as his client, and not the Superior Court. In May 2005, The Guam Public Auditor conducted an audit of the arrangement an found that the "The agreement that the Superior Court entered with Howard Hills was vaguely defined and did not disclose the true intent of the lobbying effort."
The Bush administration demoted the prosecutor who launched the investigation into Abramoff's dealings Guam.
A grand jury in Guam issued subpoenas targeting the Guam Superior Court's transactions with Abramoff on November 18, 2002. The next day, the White House announced that prosecutor Frederick A. Black, who had launched the investigation, was being replaced by Bush. Black had held the assignment of acting U.S. Attorney for more than a decade.
Howard Hills and former Superior Court Administrator Tony Sanchez were indicted.
In December 2006, Hills and Sanchez were indicted for unlawful influence, conspiracy for unlawful influence, theft of property held in trust, and official misconduct. So far, Sanchez has entered a not guilty plea, and Hills will enter his plea on his March 29, 2007 court date.
Research by Austin Bonner
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