WASHINGTON (AP) — A former legislative aide to two Missouri Republicans, Sen. Kit Bond and Rep. Roy Blunt, pleaded guilty Thursday to hiding thousands of dollars of gifts from lobbyists, the latest political figure to go down in the Jack Abramoff corruption scandal.
Trevor L. Blackann, 34, pleaded guilty in federal court to not reporting more than $4,100 in illegal gifts from lobbyists on his 2003 tax forms, including tickets to the World Series, concerts and sporting events, free airfare and transportation, free meals and gifts and entertainment at a "gentleman's club..."
Blackann said in court documents he knew "the lobbyists gave these things of value for or because of official actions they were seeking from him or had obtained from him."
A lawyer close to the case, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation, said that Lobbyist D in the court documents is Todd Boulanger and Lobbyist E is Jim Hirni. Both are Abramoff's former lobbying associates.
Blackann also said that the things he is pleading to do "not include all of the facts known to me concerning criminal activity in which I and/or others engaged."
Boulanger and Hirni. Guess we should learn more about those two. After all, being named "Lobbyist D" and "Lobbyist E" doesn't bode well for them. I'll have a lot of dots to connect with respect to Mr. Boulanger this weekend.
Mr. Blackann's wife is Laura Blackann nee Laura Brookshire. Mrs. Blackann seems to me to be an interesting character herself:
[Trevor Blackann] is married to Laura Brookshire, who has worked for Tom Delay and is now press secretary for Rep. John Doolittle , also a Republican, in California.
Mrs. Blackann worked for both former Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Fort Bend County) and Rep. Doolittle (R-Calif.)? Did I ever mention that ever mention that this scandal is incestuous?
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