[Mb-civic] Gonzales Won't Step Aside in Abramoff Case By Pete Yost The Associated Press

[Michael Butler]

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    Gonzales Won't Step Aside in Abramoff Case
    By Pete Yost
    The Associated Press

    Friday 17 February 2006

    Washington - Attorney General Alberto Gonzales brushed aside requests on
Thursday that he remove himself from the investigation of Jack Abramoff and
the lobbyist's ties to Bush administration officials and members of
Congress.

    Gonzales, who was White House counsel for four years before taking over
at the Justice Department, said the inquiry is being run by career
prosecutors who are not influenced by politics.

    Thirty-one Senate Democrats said in a letter to Gonzales that he was too
close to the president and top administration officials who have had
dealings with Abramoff and immediately should step aside from the
investigation.

    Republicans responded that most of the Senate Democrats who are
pressuring Gonzales have their own ties to Abramoff.

    "Considering 28 of the 31 Democrats have received Abramoff-affiliated
funds themselves, it appears their hypocrisy has exceeded even their
partisanship," said Tracey Schmitt, a spokeswoman for the Republican
National Committee.

    One of the Democrats, Sen. Charles Schumer of New York, said the
attorney general "can avoid any appearance of impropriety by recusing
himself. If there was ever a case that was both sensitive and rife with
potential conflict - it is this one."

    The investigation has led to the indictment of the administration's
former top procurement official. Among those with whom Abramoff had dealings
that are of interest to investigators is the former No. 2 official at the
Interior Department.

    "We've got career prosecutors involved in this investigation as we do in
all investigations; these are folks that are not motivated by any political
agenda," Gonzales said on Fox News Radio.

    Justice Department spokeswoman Tasia Scolinos said Gonzales has followed
all department guidelines and that there is "no reason for him to recuse
himself from the investigation at this time."

    In their letter, the Democrats noted that " FBI officials have said the
Abramoff investigation 'involves systemic corruption within the highest
levels of government.' In light of your previous service as White House
Counsel and your close connection to many administration officials, the
appearance of conflict looms large."

    In Gonzales' defense, Vicki Toensing, a former deputy assistant attorney
general in the Reagan administration, said "What evidence is there that
Gonzales knows anybody connected to this?"

    Democrats have tried to capitalize on the administration's near-total
silence on the subject of Abramoff's White House contacts. That posture has
been followed by the slow surfacing of information that has called the
president's own statements into question.

    "I had my picture taken with him, evidently," President Bush said of
Abramoff on Jan. 26. "I've had my picture taken with a lot of people."

    "I frankly don't even remember having my picture taken with the guy,"
Bush added. "I don't know him."

    A few days later, Abramoff wrote to Washingtonian magazine that he had
met briefly with the president nearly a dozen times and that Bush knew him
well enough to make joking references to Abramoff's family.

    Three former associates of Abramoff told The Associated Press this week
that the lobbyist frequently told them he had strong ties to the White House
through presidential confidant Karl Rove.

    A photo emerged over the weekend showing Abramoff, Bush and Rove, among
others.

    Lobbying invoices sent by Abramoff's firm to one client, the Northern
Mariana Islands, show at least 200 contacts between Abramoff's lobbying team
and the administration in Bush's first 10 months in office.

    Abramoff raised at least $100,000 for Bush's 2004 re-election campaign
to become a "pioneer," one of the honorary titles that Bush gave his top
volunteer fundraisers. Benefits of pioneer status included invitations to
White House Christmas parties and other gatherings featuring the president.