Despite repeated denials from the Bush administration about its ties to Jack Abramoff, the notorious ex-lobbyist did have close relationships in the White House and was able to achieve his goals using those connections.  No surprise, really, considering Abramoff's staff considered Mehlman a "rock star".  The Washington Post has more:

If lobbyists find the path to their clients' riches obstructed by an implacably hostile federal official, they might achieve success by an end run or an appeal to more senior authorities. But a more extreme solution -- if the foe has high-level support -- is to pull strings at the White House and orchestrate the official's removal.

That option was chosen by Jack Abramoff and his colleagues at the Washington office of Greenberg Traurig in the Bush administration's early days, to oust Alan Stayman from a State Department negotiating job. Stayman had earned their ire by advocating labor reforms in the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. protectorate where Abramoff's clients wanted to keep paying immigrants less than the federal minimum wage to work in textile factories.

Stayman was supported by James A. Kelly, who was a White House aide to President Ronald Reagan and served as the State Department's assistant secretary of state for East Asia and the Pacific from 2001 to 2005. Kelly, citing ongoing negotiations with Micronesia and the Marshall Islands, told his department's personnel office on May 1, 2001, that he wanted Stayman to remain for two more years.

But Abramoff's path to success in what an aide called "the Stayman project" is spelled out in a set of internal White House, State Department and Greenberg Traurig e-mails provided to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and made public last week.

Providing a rare glimpse of high-level, behind-the-scenes string-pulling, they show how Abramoff, now serving a prison term for fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy, relied on key White House contacts, including Susan Ralston, executive assistant to political adviser Karl Rove; Monica Kladakis, then deputy White House personnel chief; and Ken Mehlman, then the White House political director.

Today, the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ordered a new trial for David Savafian, who as AP noted was "the first Bush administration official convicted in the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal." In response, Melanie Sloan issued the following statement:

Jack Abramoff routinely offered up meals, tickets and trips to government officials who seemed susceptible to such offerings and who were in a position to help him. David Safavian was just one such official. To make it clear to all other government employees that such conduct will not be tolerated and that they will be held accountable, it is imperative that the Justice Department retry Safavian for his crimes. The court’s decision today should have little bearing on any other Abramoff-related prosecutions. Anyone looking to the court’s decision here to save them from prosecution will be sadly disappointed.

Jack Abramoff was in the news again this week over his repeated meetings with President Bush. Now comes word that Abramoff's sentence in the D.C. corruption scandal may be handed down within months. Abramoff has been cooperating with the authorities:

Attorneys for the U.S. Justice Department and lobbyist Jack Abramoff, imprisoned for a fraud case in Florida, have asked a federal judge to sentence the former Republican power broker in September for his actions in the Washington lobbying scandal, according to documents filed in federal court.

Abramoff is currently serving five years and 10 months in prison for his role in the fraudulent purchase of a fleet of casino cruise boats in Florida. Under terms of his original plea agreement, Abramoff can expect to receive a jail sentence of 9 1/2 to 11 years, and he is required to make restitution of $26.7 million to the IRS and to the Indian tribes he defrauded. The initial plea in the lobbying corruption contemplated Abramoff serving a reduced sentence in exchange for his cooperation.

While serving his time at a federal prison in Cumberland, Md., Abramoff has been cooperating and received frequent visits from federal investigators who have secured convictions of more than a dozen lobbyists and government officials. Still under investigation are Rep. John Doolittle (R-Calif.) and Tom DeLay , the former House majority leader.

for the U.S. Justice Department and lobbyist Jack Abramoff, imprisoned for a fraud case in Florida, have asked a federal judge to sentence the former Republican power broker in September for his actions in the Washington lobbying scandal, according to documents filed in federal court.

Abramoff is currently serving five years and 10 months in prison for his role in the fraudulent purchase of a fleet of casino cruise boats in Florida. Under terms of his original plea agreement, Abramoff can expect to receive a jail sentence of 9 1/2 to 11 years, and he is required to make restitution of $26.7 million to the IRS and to the Indian tribes he defrauded. The initial plea in the lobbying corruption contemplated Abramoff serving a reduced sentence in exchange for his cooperation.

While serving his time at a federal prison in Cumberland, Md., Abramoff has been cooperating and received frequent visits from federal investigators who have secured convictions of more than a dozen lobbyists and government officials. Still under investigation are Rep. John Doolittle (R-Calif.) and Tom DeLay , the former House majority leader.

CREW has been trying to obtain the records documenting Jack Abramoff's visits to the White House for months.

A new report from a House Committee found that George Bush had more dealings with Jack Abramoff than previously disclosed:

The White House had stronger ties to disgraced superlobbyist Jack Abramoff than it has publicly admitted, according to a draft congressional report released Monday.

President Bush met Abramoff on at least four occasions the White House has yet to acknowledge, according to the draft report by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

And White House officials appeared as comfortable going to Abramoff and his lobbyists seeking tickets to sporting and entertainment events, as they did seeking input on personnel picks for plum jobs, the report found.

President Bush himself met Abramoff on at least six occasions, the report said, citing White House documents; the White House had previously acknowledged only two.

When questions were first raised about Abramoff's connection to Bush officials in January 2006, then-White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Bush had personally met Abramoff on just two occasions, both at White House Hanukkah receptions.

We know they've met. Just not how many times, although that's becoming clearer:

The fallout from the Abramoff public corruption crime spree continues.  Another former Hill staffer has been charged with an Abramoff-related crime:

A one-time chief of staff to former Oklahoma Rep. Ernest Istook has been charged with conspiracy to defraud the House as part of the Jack Abramoff scandal. 

John Albaugh is accused of accepting meals, sports and concert tickets, and other perks from lobbyists in exchange for official favors, according to charges outlined in a criminal information filed in federal court on Friday.

Such documents are normally entered as part of a plea deal. Albaugh was expected to appear at a court hearing Monday afternoon.

Albaugh served eight years as top aide for Istook, who left Congress to run for governor of Oklahoma in 2006. Istook lost and is now a fellow at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank in Washington.

Istook, who has not been charged with any wrongdoing, accepted tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from Abramoff and his associates. Referred to as "Representative 4" in court documents, he also used the lobbyist's skybox tickets for concerts. He later donated the campaign money to charity and paid for the seats.

The Abramoff era of scandal is far from over.  The fallout continues as a former top official at the U.S. Department of Justice pleads guilty to a charge of breaking the conflict-of-interest law for Abramoff and one of his associates.  The Washington Post reports Mr. Coughlin will be cooperating with the authorities, which could make him a witness against Rep. John Doolittle  (named by CREW as one of the most corrupt members of Congress, in part, because of his relationship with Abramoff):

A former high-ranking official in the Justice Department pleaded guilty yesterday to accepting thousands of dollars worth of meals and sports tickets from Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff in exchange for helping a variety of Abramoff's clients.

Robert E. Coughlin II, the former deputy chief of staff of the Justice Department's criminal division, became the latest of more than a dozen public officials, lobbyists and congressional staff members to be convicted or to plead guilty in the wide-ranging federal investigation of Abramoff's activities.

As part of his plea agreement, Coughlin, 36, agreed to cooperate with investigators, making him a potentially important witness in the ongoing scrutiny of Rep. John T. Doolittle (R-Calif.). Coughlin acknowledged performing a variety of official acts for Kevin A. Ring, a key member of Abramoff's lobbying team at Greenberg Traurig and a former legislative aide to Doolittle. Coughlin and Ring are longtime friends who worked together on Capitol Hill a decade ago.

Coughlin admitted violating the federal conflict-of-interest statute while he served in the department's offices of legislative affairs and public liaison between March 2001 and October 2003. According to court papers filed yesterday, he leaked department information, attended meetings and contacted his Justice colleagues to help clients of Abramoff and Ring.

Seems we hadn't heard too much about Jack Abramoff for awhile.  Now, his name is popping up in the news again almost every day.  Today's report is that a former high-ranking official in the U.S. Department of Justice, Robert Coughlin, is the latest person to be charged with an Abramoff-related crime:

Federal prosecutors have charged a former Justice Department official with an alleged conflict of interest for his connections with disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff's law firm, according to documents filed in the case.

Robert E. Coughlin II was the former deputy chief of staff for the Justice Department's criminal division, which oversaw the department's prosecution of Abramoff, former Rep. Bob Ney, R-Ohio, and 11 related cases stemming from the influence peddling scandal.

Officials say Coughlin was recused from the Abramoff investigation.

Recused from the Abramoff investigation, but now he's part of it.

Rep. Don Young (R-AK) is already facing federal investigations.  He has spent in excess of $1 million on legal fees already -- from his campaign account.  When CREW named Rep. Young one of the most corrupt members of Congress in our report, Beyond DeLay, Jack Abramoff was one reason:

Rep. Young’s ties to convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff are the subject of a grand jury investigation. In September 2002, Rep. Young and Ohio Rep. Steve LaTourette sent a letter to the General Service Administration (GSA) urging it to “give preferential treatment to organizations such as Indian tribes” during the development of the Old Post Office Pavilion in Washington, D.C. Mr. Abramoff was representing the tribes hoping to secure lease space in the building. Just weeks after sending the letter to the GSA, Rep. Young’s PAC received $7,000 from Mr. Abramoff’s tribal clients and another $5,000 before the end of 2002.

Members of Rep. Young’s staff have also been linked to Mr. Abramoff. When Duane Gibson left his position as Rep. Young’s chief of staff to join Mr. Abramoff, he recommended that Mark Zachares be given a job with the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which Rep. Young chaired. In April of 2007, Mr. Zachares pleaded guilty to bribery charges. In his plea agreement, Mr. Zachares admitted that his intent was to use his position in the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee to steer clients toward Mr. Abramoff’s firm with the promise that eventually Mr. Abramoff would hire him.

After claiming that he had no relationship, personal or professional, with Mr. Abramoff it was discovered that in 2000, Rep. Young had used Mr. Abramoff’s MCI skybox tickets for two events, which he did not report to the FEC until after the Abramoff scandal broke.

Yesterday, the Anchorage Daily News revealed extensive records showing a close relationship between Rep. Young and Jack Abramoff:

"Abramoff is, and has been, inconsequential to my work in Congress," Young wrote in 2006 in response to a Daily News editorial linking him to the lobbyist. "I have never had any personal or professional relationship with Abramoff."

But as more information surfaces in the Abramoff lobbying scandal, the connections to Young only deepen. Among that new information was a private memo written by Abramoff himself to the governor of the Mariana Islands, expressing concern that Young was being forced by term limits to give up his Resources chairmanship in 2001.

"The loss of Chairman Young's authority cannot easily be measured -- or replaced," Abramoff wrote on Jan. 4, 2001, in crediting Young with blocking reform legislation. "We have lost major institutional memory and friendship."

As we've said before, a close relationship with Jack Abramoff doesn't really bolster one's career as a public official.

The Huffington Post has obtained evidence that indicates John McCain may have withheld information about Jack Abramoff's dealings with Alabama Governor Bob Riley: 

A little-known document, however, shows that McCain may have taken steps to protect his Republican colleagues from the scope of his investigation.

In the 2006 Senate report concerning Abramoff's activities, which McCain spearheaded, the Arizona Republican conspicuously left out information detailing how Alabama Gov. Bob Riley was targeted by Abramoff's influence peddling scheme. Riley, a Republican, won election in November 2002, and was reelected in 2006.

In a December 2002 email obtained by the Huffington Post -- which McCain and his staff had access to prior to the issuance of his report -- Abramoff explains to an aide what he would like to see Riley do in return for the "help" he received from Abramoff's tribal clients.

An official with the Mississippi Choctaws "definitely wants Riley to shut down the Poarch Creek operation," Abramoff wrote, "including his announcing that anyone caught gambling there can't qualify for a state contract or something like that."

The note showed not only the reach of Abramoff, but raised questions about Riley's victory in what was the closest gubernatorial election in Alabama history.

CREW's Melanie Sloan had this perspective on the reality of McCain's actions when it came to Abramoff:

"Although Sen. McCain has long bragged of his role in the Abramoff investigation, he let Tom DeLay and the other members of Congress who were doing Abramoff's bidding completely off the hook. The sole exception was Rep. Bob Ney, who served time in prison," Melanie Sloan, Executive Director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics In Washington told the Huffington Post recently. "Sen. McCain knew what his colleagues were up to, he chose to take the easier path and give them a free pass."

An editorial in today's NY Times supports the call for subpoena power for the new House Ethics Office.  CREW agrees.  We want outside groups to be able to file complaints, too.  The Times reminds us all of the relationship between Rep. John Doolittle and Jack Abramoff -- and how little the House Ethics Committee did to investigation Abramoff-realted matters.   Very little.  

Congress can't -- and doesn't -- police itself.  That's why the new office needs real power:

Speaker Nancy Pelosi is reportedly determined to move ahead with the proposal for a new oversight office employing six nonpartisan outsiders, appointed by the two party leaders. This would be a definite step forward — one that so far the Senate has shown no interest in emulating. The office would vet allegations of members’ misconduct and refer serious cases to the ethics committee for, we hope, conclusive investigation. The office would also be required to make a public accounting of what it refers to the committee, to make it harder to sweep its work under the carpet.

Unfortunately under the current plan, the new ethics office would be denied the subpoena power it needs to do a thorough job. Most House members, whose enthusiasm for house cleaning has clear limits, want it that way. A few members of both parties — particularly Democratic freshmen — are pressing the subpoena issue. We encourage them to fight on.

These newcomers, elected in the wake of the Abramoff scandal, understand the voters’ revulsion against corruption. Ms. Pelosi, who owes her leadership to these same forces, should listen and ensure that this badly needed oversight office has all the credibility and all the investigative power it needs.