Rep. Henry Waxman wants answers about the relationship between Jack Abramoff and officials in the Bush White House.  There was a very tight relationship.  You may recall that Abramoff's team considered the White House Political Director Ken Mehlman a "rock star."   CREW's Melanie Sloan said, "Mehlman was clearly doing Abramoff's bidding" and should be investigated for accepting bribes.  Also, don't forget, Abramoff and Karl Rove have in common the same assistant, Susan Ralston.  Waxman's been looking at the Abramoff-Bush staff connections for awhile, but now that he's Chair of the Government Reform Committee -- with subpoena power -- things should get interesting:

The Government Reform Committee released a report last year saying that Abramoff and his associates had 485 lobbying contacts with White House officials between January 2001 and March 2004.

But Waxman, who became committee chairman in January after Democrats retook control of Congress, says important questions remain unanswered. These include whether White House officials paid for sports and concert tickets and meals they got from Abramoff and his associates, and whether they took official actions as a result, Waxman says.

Abramoff last year pleaded guilty to conspiracy and other charges and admitted defrauding his clients. A two-year investigation into his influence peddling has led to the conviction of a congressman along with 10 former House aides and Bush administration officials. One sitting congressman, GOP Rep. John Doolittle of California, remains under investigation.

Susan Ralston, a key aide to presidential political strategist Karl Rove who had worked for Abramoff, resigned last October after the Government Reform report showed she had extensive contacts with Abramoff.

Waxman wants Ralston to testify, but she is refusing to do so without a grant of immunity, according to a memo Waxman released last month after lawyers for his panel questioned her in private. Meanwhile Waxman wants to talk to others.