This is odd.
The website for Tom DeLay's Rio Bend charity has gone offline. I could speculate as to reasons, but they'd sound like conspiracy theories.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
SAT Scores by School District
I believe in merit. I don't like many of the ranking methodologies used to evaluate high schools and, more broadly, school districts. For example, one survey weighted the percentage of kids on free or reduced lunch six times more heavily than average SAT score. The relationship between free lunch and academic performance escapes me. Long ago, I criticized the way the State of Texas evaluates schools. The State of Texas basically looks at how many kids fail the TAKS test, a test that 90+% of kids pass and no kid should fail. Therefore, the State of Texas evaluates a school on how many low performing students it has instead of how good the high performers are. I believe that to be misguided.
Therefore, I'll create my own methodology. Average SAT scores are a good metric to use because that shows how well the college-bound students are doing. Having good students improve on that metric actually matters. I will also look at the percentage of students taking the SAT. That will show how deep the college-bound culture is within a district. (It will also show if a district is improving its SAT score because more kids are deciding not to take it.)
I'd like to look at the percentage of kids taking higher level test like AP or IB exams. But AP and IB exams are not equal. IB HL Math is roughly equivalent to the lower level AP Calculus AB exam. I can't figure out how to give AP Calculus BC students more weight for taking a more difficult exam. Also, IB HL Physics is roughly equivalent to the lower level AP Physics B exam. I can't figure out how to give AP Physics C students more weight for taking more difficult exams. IB SL exams shouldn't be counted at all. So I'll have to figure out something else there.
Data Source: Houston Chronicle
Methodology: Each district's average SAT score is the weighted average of each constituent school's enrollment
Peer Group Selection: Any district with a top ten average SAT score in 2003 *or* 2007 made the list. Barbers Hill ISD was added for being a single point away from the top ten in 2003.
Analysis: Between 2003 and 2007, Pearland ISD went from 8th place to 9th place. One measly point better, and Pearland ISD would have maintained its 8th place ranking. While the average SAT score in the peer group went up 1.8 points (std. dev. = 23.0), Pearland remained flat. Neither of these facts is statistically significant. (For the purposes of my analysis, we'll use anything outside of a confidence interval of 1.0 std. dev. as being significant. That is roughly a 67% confidence level.)
==
Update
June 3, 2008
A commenter disputes my assertion that AP tests are more difficult than IB tests. The basis of his argument seems to rest on the strength of his vulgar language. (You know, IB supporters can be very ugly. A Pearland ISD administrator even made the ugliest of insinuations about me in front of 25-30 parents. Honestly, I don't understand that. I don't see ugliness like that in the rest of my life.)
Anyway, I'd like to back up my assertion. Let's assume a bright student aspires to go to engineering school at Texas A&M. Among the required classes his freshman year are:
His parents have the choice to send him to an IB school or an AP school. Which is better? Let's look at the credit A&M grants for each program's tests:
That is my basis for saying IB HL Math is roughly equivalent to the lower level AP Calculus AB. (In the IB program, HL stands for "Higher Level".) But what about the higher level AP Calculus BC?
That is my basis for saying that AP Calculus BC is superior to IB HL Math.
Let's also look at those two physics courses. Here is the credit A&M grants for AP and IB tests in physics:
Again, this supports my statement that IB HL Physics is roughly equivalent to the lower level AP Physics test. But what about the AP Physics C tests?
In short, a high school student aspiring to be an engineer at Texas A&M may test out of all four technical courses his freshman year by taking AP exams. IB exams only earn credit for Math 151. If your kid wants to enter a field involving math and/or science, make sure he attends an AP school.
I took my kid out of Pearland ISD and enrolled him in private school because I could see how the IB program hurt kids at the elementary school level. Mrs. Anti-Corruption and I will certainly be in Friendswood ISD for high school since they have AP.
Credit schedules at Texas A&M: AP / IB
Here is a list of how various universities treat AP and IB with regard to math and/or physics. (Other sciences specified):
116-1-16
Therefore, I'll create my own methodology. Average SAT scores are a good metric to use because that shows how well the college-bound students are doing. Having good students improve on that metric actually matters. I will also look at the percentage of students taking the SAT. That will show how deep the college-bound culture is within a district. (It will also show if a district is improving its SAT score because more kids are deciding not to take it.)
I'd like to look at the percentage of kids taking higher level test like AP or IB exams. But AP and IB exams are not equal. IB HL Math is roughly equivalent to the lower level AP Calculus AB exam. I can't figure out how to give AP Calculus BC students more weight for taking a more difficult exam. Also, IB HL Physics is roughly equivalent to the lower level AP Physics B exam. I can't figure out how to give AP Physics C students more weight for taking more difficult exams. IB SL exams shouldn't be counted at all. So I'll have to figure out something else there.
| Rank | School District | 2007 | 2003 |
| 1 | Friendswood | 1115 | 1079 |
| 2 | Clear Creek | 1082 | 1077 |
| 3 | Needville | 1079 | 1091 |
| 4 | Brazosport | 1062 | 1018 |
| 5 | Conroe | 1050 | 1015 |
| 6 | Humble | 1048 | 1041 |
| 7 | Katy | 1042 | 1083 |
| 8 | Cy Fair | 1036 | 1022 |
| 9 | Pearland | 1035 | 1035 |
| 9 | Spring Branch | 1035 | 1024 |
| 11 | Tomball | 1030 | 1037 |
| 12 | Klein | 1025 | 1050 |
| 13 | Deer Park | 1020 | 1025 |
| 14 | Fort Bend | 1009 | 1024 |
| 15 | Barbers Hill | 1003 | 1023 |
Data Source: Houston Chronicle
Methodology: Each district's average SAT score is the weighted average of each constituent school's enrollment
Peer Group Selection: Any district with a top ten average SAT score in 2003 *or* 2007 made the list. Barbers Hill ISD was added for being a single point away from the top ten in 2003.
Analysis: Between 2003 and 2007, Pearland ISD went from 8th place to 9th place. One measly point better, and Pearland ISD would have maintained its 8th place ranking. While the average SAT score in the peer group went up 1.8 points (std. dev. = 23.0), Pearland remained flat. Neither of these facts is statistically significant. (For the purposes of my analysis, we'll use anything outside of a confidence interval of 1.0 std. dev. as being significant. That is roughly a 67% confidence level.)
==
Update
June 3, 2008
A commenter disputes my assertion that AP tests are more difficult than IB tests. The basis of his argument seems to rest on the strength of his vulgar language. (You know, IB supporters can be very ugly. A Pearland ISD administrator even made the ugliest of insinuations about me in front of 25-30 parents. Honestly, I don't understand that. I don't see ugliness like that in the rest of my life.)
Anyway, I'd like to back up my assertion. Let's assume a bright student aspires to go to engineering school at Texas A&M. Among the required classes his freshman year are:
* Math 151 (Engineering Mathematics I)
* Math 152 (Engineering Mathematics II)
* Phys 218 (Mechanics)
* Phys 208 (Electricity and Optics)
His parents have the choice to send him to an IB school or an AP school. Which is better? Let's look at the credit A&M grants for each program's tests:
Math
IB HL Math: Student may test out of Math 151
AP Calculus AB: Student may test out of Math 151
That is my basis for saying IB HL Math is roughly equivalent to the lower level AP Calculus AB. (In the IB program, HL stands for "Higher Level".) But what about the higher level AP Calculus BC?
Math
AP Calculus BC: Student may test out of Math 151 and Math 152
That is my basis for saying that AP Calculus BC is superior to IB HL Math.
Let's also look at those two physics courses. Here is the credit A&M grants for AP and IB tests in physics:
IB HL Physics: No credit for Physics 218 or Physics 208
AP Physics B: No credit for Physics 218 or Physics 208
Again, this supports my statement that IB HL Physics is roughly equivalent to the lower level AP Physics test. But what about the AP Physics C tests?
AP Physics C: Mechanics/Electricity: Student may test out of Physics 218 and Physics 208.
In short, a high school student aspiring to be an engineer at Texas A&M may test out of all four technical courses his freshman year by taking AP exams. IB exams only earn credit for Math 151. If your kid wants to enter a field involving math and/or science, make sure he attends an AP school.
I took my kid out of Pearland ISD and enrolled him in private school because I could see how the IB program hurt kids at the elementary school level. Mrs. Anti-Corruption and I will certainly be in Friendswood ISD for high school since they have AP.
Credit schedules at Texas A&M: AP / IB
Here is a list of how various universities treat AP and IB with regard to math and/or physics. (Other sciences specified):
Note: This list will not be updated after June 19, 2008. Please go to this thread to see the updated list.
AP credit is superior to IB credit
Air Force
Alabama
Albany (N.Y.)
Appalachian State (N.C.)
Arizona
Arizona State
Arkansas
Baylor
Boston University
Bradley (Ill.)
Brigham Young
Buffalo
Cal State - Long Beach
California (Berkeley)
California Polytechnic
Carnegie Mellon
Central Florida
Chicago
Colorado
Colorado - Denver
Colorado School of Mines
Colorado State
Cornell
Creighton (Neb.)
Dartmouth
Delaware
DePaul (Ill)
Evansville
Florida
Florida Atlantic
Florida State
Grand Valley State (Mich.)
Houston
Houston Baptist
IUPUI
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Iowa State
James Madison (Va.)
Kansas
Kansas State
Kent (Ohio)
Kentucky
Lehigh (Penn.)
Lewis & Clark (Ore.)
Louisiana State
Marshall (W. Va.)
Maryland
Miami (Fla.)
Miami (Ohio)
Michigan Tech
Midwestern State (Tex.)
Mississippi
Missouri
Missouri S&T
Nebraska
Nevada
North Carolina State
North Texas
Northern Michigan
Northwestern
Ohio State
Oklahoma (biology only)
Oklahoma State
Oregon
Oregon State
Penn State
Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh
Portland (Ore.) State
Purdue
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (N.Y.)
Rhodes College (Tenn.)
Rochester (N.Y.)
Rose-Hulman (Ind.)
Sacramento State
Samford (Ala.)
Sam Houston State (Texas)
Seattle
South Alabama
South Carolina
South Florida
Southern Methodist
Stanford
Southwest Minnesota
Stephen F. Austin State (Texas)
Swarthmore (Penn.)
Tennessee
Texas
Texas A&M
Texas Christian
Texas State
Texas Tech
UC - Irvine
UC - Merced
UC - Riverside
UC - San Diego
UC - Santa Barbara
UC - Santa Cruz
UCLA
UTEP
UTSA
Utah State
Vanderbilt
Virginia
Wake Forest
Washington
Washington University (St. Louis)
Washington State
Wayne State (Mich.)
Wellesley (Mass.)
West Virginia
William & Mary (Va.)
Wisconsin
Wyoming
=======
AP and IB credit equivalent
Auburn
California Institute of Technology
Duke
Georgia Tech
Johns Hopkins
MIT
Marquette (Wisc.)
Michigan
Michigan State
Minnesota
North Carolina
Northeastern
Notre Dame
Rice
Virginia Tech
Wofford (S.C.)
=======
IB credit is superior to AP credit
Brown
116-1-16
Monday, May 26, 2008
What Did Don McGahn do at ARMPAC?
This is a follow-up to Who is Don McGahn?
==
In the previous post, I commented on how Donald McGahn had previously been a defendant in the Curious Case of Corwin Teltschik. But I didn't really explain the actions that led to Mr. McGahn being named as a defendant.
The primary piece of evidence I have that shows Mr. McGahn's involvement is this letter and Conciliation Agreement (.pdf) between the Federal Election Commission and Mr. McGahn's client (presumably ARMPAC). As always, I'm no lawyer and don't know how these things work, but I did notice two things. The Federal Election Commission sent the .pdf letter to Mr. McGahn, but a woman named Meredith G. Kelley signed the Conciliation Agreement for the respondents. When signing for the respondents, Ms. Kelley acted on behalf of Mr. Teltschik since in the Conciliation Agreement (p. 2) we read:
But who is Meredith Kelley? Ms. Kelley is an associate at my favorite Washington DC law firm, Williams & Jensen. According to Mr. Teltschik's lawsuit, when Ms. Kelley signed this agreement with the Federal Election Commission, she did it without his knowledge or consent. As a result, it is not surprising that Ms. Kelley has found herself named as a defendant in Mr. Teltschik's original lawsuit and the subsequent one filed in Washington, DC.
But since Ms. Kelley signed the Conciliation Agreement with the FEC, what exactly is Mr. McGahn's role? I don't really know. Mr. McGahn was the attorney for ARMPAC. It seems to me that he should have been signing any Conciliation Agreement involving ARMPAC, but what do I know? And Mr. McGahn was certainly in the loop. The FEC was mailing him critical documents. The only one outside of the loop seems to have been Mr. Teltschik.
An attorney from Williams and Jensen actually signed the Conciliation Agreement. Why? Again, I don't know. The only nexus I know of connecting Williams and Jensen to the ARMPAC violations is that Barbara Bonfiglio, the assistant treasurer at ARMPAC who acted as treasurer, was an attorney at Williams & Jensen at the time the admitted violations occurred.
According to the Teltschik lawsuit, we know that Williams & Jensen Managing Director Robert Martinez (another defendant in the Teltschik lawsuit) was personally involved to some degree in the day-to-day finances of ARMPAC. I'd still like to know why Williams and Jensen assigned a lawyer to respond to the FEC regarding the ARMPAC matter when Mr. McGahn was ARMPAC's attorney.
Lawyers give me headaches. But I'd still like to know more about this case.
==
In the previous post, I commented on how Donald McGahn had previously been a defendant in the Curious Case of Corwin Teltschik. But I didn't really explain the actions that led to Mr. McGahn being named as a defendant.
The primary piece of evidence I have that shows Mr. McGahn's involvement is this letter and Conciliation Agreement (.pdf) between the Federal Election Commission and Mr. McGahn's client (presumably ARMPAC). As always, I'm no lawyer and don't know how these things work, but I did notice two things. The Federal Election Commission sent the .pdf letter to Mr. McGahn, but a woman named Meredith G. Kelley signed the Conciliation Agreement for the respondents. When signing for the respondents, Ms. Kelley acted on behalf of Mr. Teltschik since in the Conciliation Agreement (p. 2) we read:
2. Corwin Teltschik is the treasurer of the Committee [ARMPAC] and is a respondent only in his official capacity of treasurer.
But who is Meredith Kelley? Ms. Kelley is an associate at my favorite Washington DC law firm, Williams & Jensen. According to Mr. Teltschik's lawsuit, when Ms. Kelley signed this agreement with the Federal Election Commission, she did it without his knowledge or consent. As a result, it is not surprising that Ms. Kelley has found herself named as a defendant in Mr. Teltschik's original lawsuit and the subsequent one filed in Washington, DC.
But since Ms. Kelley signed the Conciliation Agreement with the FEC, what exactly is Mr. McGahn's role? I don't really know. Mr. McGahn was the attorney for ARMPAC. It seems to me that he should have been signing any Conciliation Agreement involving ARMPAC, but what do I know? And Mr. McGahn was certainly in the loop. The FEC was mailing him critical documents. The only one outside of the loop seems to have been Mr. Teltschik.
An attorney from Williams and Jensen actually signed the Conciliation Agreement. Why? Again, I don't know. The only nexus I know of connecting Williams and Jensen to the ARMPAC violations is that Barbara Bonfiglio, the assistant treasurer at ARMPAC who acted as treasurer, was an attorney at Williams & Jensen at the time the admitted violations occurred.
According to the Teltschik lawsuit, we know that Williams & Jensen Managing Director Robert Martinez (another defendant in the Teltschik lawsuit) was personally involved to some degree in the day-to-day finances of ARMPAC. I'd still like to know why Williams and Jensen assigned a lawyer to respond to the FEC regarding the ARMPAC matter when Mr. McGahn was ARMPAC's attorney.
Lawyers give me headaches. But I'd still like to know more about this case.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Cool
I've been invited to meet with a reporter from an nationally influential publication in a couple of weeks. The meeting is on the East Coast and is with a publication I bet everyone has heard of.
Mrs. Anti Corruption doesn't seem to want me to go, and I've given myself a deadline of Tuesday to decide whether to accept the invitation or not.
Mrs. Anti Corruption doesn't seem to want me to go, and I've given myself a deadline of Tuesday to decide whether to accept the invitation or not.
Friday, May 23, 2008
No. 1: "I'm Still a Guy" -- Brad Paisley
Eleven weeks ago, I embedded a fan-created video of Brad Paisley's "I'm Still a Guy" in this post. This has been one of the most popular music related posts I've ever made.
Although I had absolutely nothing to do with it, I'm glad to see that Mr. Paisley as reached #1 and "I'm Still a Guy" is the most popular song in the land.
I bet Mr. Paisley's 2007 album "Fifth Gear" still has a few singles left in it. Particularly since the rumor that Mr. Paisley's next album will be an instrumental. So without further ado, I will pick the two songs that I think are releasable quality on Fifth Gear.
Mr. Policeman
Brad Paisley
Unreleased single from Fifth Gear (2007)
Fan created video from Youtube.com
This is actually Mrs. Anti-Corruption's choice. It is worthy of being released as a single. I particularly like the closing lyrics:
Mr. Paisley is sending a coded message to Gen X and the younger generation in there. Boomers probably don't hear it. But as an Xer, I must say: "Message received loud and clear. Awaiting further instructions."
===
Better Than This
My personal favorite is "Better Than This". There's no really good video on youtube for this song. This video is the best I found. My favorite lyrics (and my attitude toward life):
Although I had absolutely nothing to do with it, I'm glad to see that Mr. Paisley as reached #1 and "I'm Still a Guy" is the most popular song in the land.
I bet Mr. Paisley's 2007 album "Fifth Gear" still has a few singles left in it. Particularly since the rumor that Mr. Paisley's next album will be an instrumental. So without further ado, I will pick the two songs that I think are releasable quality on Fifth Gear.
Mr. Policeman
Brad Paisley
Unreleased single from Fifth Gear (2007)
Fan created video from Youtube.com
This is actually Mrs. Anti-Corruption's choice. It is worthy of being released as a single. I particularly like the closing lyrics:
I'm in the jailhouse now
I'm in the jailhouse now
They told me once or twice,
"Son, respect my authority"
I'm in the jailhouse now.
Mr. Paisley is sending a coded message to Gen X and the younger generation in there. Boomers probably don't hear it. But as an Xer, I must say: "Message received loud and clear. Awaiting further instructions."
===
Better Than This
My personal favorite is "Better Than This". There's no really good video on youtube for this song. This video is the best I found. My favorite lyrics (and my attitude toward life):
Well don't get me wrong boys this is pretty good
But it could get better than this
Who is Don McGahn?
Mr. Don McGahn has recently been nominated by President Bush to serve on the board of the Federal Election Commission. According to the White House, Mr. McGahn worked at white shoe law firm Patton Boggs before hanging his own shingle. Mr. McGahn is currently managing director of McGahn & Associates. Yesterday, the nominations of Mr. McGahn and two other nominees were voted out of committee.
When Mr. McGahn's nomination was announced, a few lefty groups immediately objected. In short, the objections focus on the fact that Mr. McGahn has been the "ethics lawyer" to our former Congressman, Tom DeLay. Mr. McGahn has also served as the lawyer to the NRCC. I saw these objections two weeks ago when they were made. They are not persuasive; the objections seem politically inspired. Serious observers should be able to separate lawyer from client. The fact that Mr. DeLay is corrupt doesn't give us any insight into Mr. McGahn's character.
But I want to introduce some evidence regarding Mr. McGahn from the Curious Case of Corwin TeltschikTM. You may recall that Mr. Teltschik was nominally the treasurer of one of Mr. DeLay's political action committees, ARMPAC. ARMPAC's lawyers entered into an agreement with the FEC admitting violations of law involving ARMPAC's finances. These lawyers admitted on Mr. Teltschik's behalf and without his knowledge that Mr. Teltschik had violated campaign finance laws. Mr. Teltschik says this has damaged his personal and professional reputation. Mr. Teltschik has a pending lawsuit against ARMPAC's lawyers.
So what does this have to do with Mr. McGahn? Well, when Mr. Teltschik originally filed his lawsuit here in Texas, Mr. McGahn was a defendant. A month ago, I noted how the case had been refiled in Washington, DC. Somewhere along the way, Mr. McGahn was dropped as a defendant.
I often mention in the course of this blog that I am not a lawyer. I don't know how these things work. But I'm guessing there's a 50-50 chance that Mr. McGahn's name will be added as a defendant again.
I hope President Bush knows what he's doing. It would be awfully embarrassing for one of his FEC Commissioners to simultaneously be a defendant in a campaign finance related civil suit.
When Mr. McGahn's nomination was announced, a few lefty groups immediately objected. In short, the objections focus on the fact that Mr. McGahn has been the "ethics lawyer" to our former Congressman, Tom DeLay. Mr. McGahn has also served as the lawyer to the NRCC. I saw these objections two weeks ago when they were made. They are not persuasive; the objections seem politically inspired. Serious observers should be able to separate lawyer from client. The fact that Mr. DeLay is corrupt doesn't give us any insight into Mr. McGahn's character.
But I want to introduce some evidence regarding Mr. McGahn from the Curious Case of Corwin TeltschikTM. You may recall that Mr. Teltschik was nominally the treasurer of one of Mr. DeLay's political action committees, ARMPAC. ARMPAC's lawyers entered into an agreement with the FEC admitting violations of law involving ARMPAC's finances. These lawyers admitted on Mr. Teltschik's behalf and without his knowledge that Mr. Teltschik had violated campaign finance laws. Mr. Teltschik says this has damaged his personal and professional reputation. Mr. Teltschik has a pending lawsuit against ARMPAC's lawyers.
So what does this have to do with Mr. McGahn? Well, when Mr. Teltschik originally filed his lawsuit here in Texas, Mr. McGahn was a defendant. A month ago, I noted how the case had been refiled in Washington, DC. Somewhere along the way, Mr. McGahn was dropped as a defendant.
I often mention in the course of this blog that I am not a lawyer. I don't know how these things work. But I'm guessing there's a 50-50 chance that Mr. McGahn's name will be added as a defendant again.
I hope President Bush knows what he's doing. It would be awfully embarrassing for one of his FEC Commissioners to simultaneously be a defendant in a campaign finance related civil suit.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Who is Adam Kidan?
Jack Abramoff had his tentacles in many places. The main focus of this blog is his corrupting influence on US Congressmen and Senators. Mr. Abramoff also had wide ranging business activities. He dealt with Russian arms dealers and an Israeli sniper school. He funded a Jewish grade school in Maryland with his ill-gotten assets. One of the strangest stories involving Mr. Abramoff was a mob-style murder of a Florida business associate. Neither Mr. Abramoff nor his partner in a Florida casino-cruise ship operation (SunCruz Casinos), Adam Kidan, were implicated in the murder, but Mr. Kiden had hired some of thosecharged with the murder as "consultants". Mr. Kidan was never charged with the murder, but he was convicted of wire fraud and conspiracy related to the financing of SunCruz Casinos. Apparently, there were financial misrepresentations made in order to receive a $60 million loan to buy SunCruz.
Mr. Kidan was sentenced to 70 months in prison for the fraud and conspiracy charges. Mr. Kidan says that due to his cooperation with prosecutors, he should be released from prison after half the sentence. That means Mr. Kidan wants to be released to home detention now. But according to Mr. Kidan, prosecutors are dragging their feet when it comes to informing the judicial system of the extent of Mr. Kidan's cooperation:
I've known about the basics of this branch of the Abramoff crimes for some time. I've never mentioned it because the line connecting the dots from Kidan through Abramoff to Congress wasn't straight enough for me to draw any conclusions.
But check out the Sun-Sentinel quote again. Did the Sun-Sentinel say that prosecutors have credited Mr. Kidan with helping federal officials in on-going corruption cases? What's that all about? To be clear, the article clearly states that most of Mr. Kidan's cooperation came in connection with the murder case. But I'm still interested in how Mr. Kidan is connected to federal corruption investigations.
I can't be 100% sure that the corruption cases are involving Congressman, so I may be making a leap here. Getting back to the Washington Post article, we learn:
Yeah, yeah. We've know about this a long time. I wrote about it a year and a half ago. In addition to placing the comments in the Congressional Record, we also know there was a simultaneous $10,000 contribution from Mr. Kidan to the NRCC made in former Rep. Ney's name. Mr. Kidan's cooperation in this matter must be what the Sun-Sentinel is referring to, right?
So what is that gratuitous mention by the Washington Post of our own former Congressman, Tom DeLay (R-Fort Bend County)? Given that Mr. Kidan says his cooperation ended in 2007 and Mr. DeLay has yet to be charged, I think the mention of DeLay is a red herring. Judgment with respect to Mr. DeLay in this matter is therefore suspended.
Mr. Kidan was sentenced to 70 months in prison for the fraud and conspiracy charges. Mr. Kidan says that due to his cooperation with prosecutors, he should be released from prison after half the sentence. That means Mr. Kidan wants to be released to home detention now. But according to Mr. Kidan, prosecutors are dragging their feet when it comes to informing the judicial system of the extent of Mr. Kidan's cooperation:
South Florida Sun-Sentinel:
In a letter to U.S. District Judge Paul Huck, Kidan said prosecutors are stalling because of open corruption investigations involving Abramoff, a once prominent Washington, D.C., lobbyist brought down by political scandal...
Prosecutors have said they intend to seek a reduction of Kidan's sentence because he aided state authorities in the Boulis murder investigation and with federal officials in ongoing corruption cases.
Though Abramoff's assistance is ongoing, Kidan said his ended in 2007 and should be rewarded with a sentence reduction. The matter is urgent, Kidan wrote, because the reduction could make him immediately eligible for home detention...
For more than two years, Abramoff has been providing information to prosecutors on his former dealings with lawmakers, staffers and government officials. The investigation has led to indictments against more than a dozen people.
The bulk of Kidan's cooperation has come in the Boulis murder case. At the time he was shot dead, Boulis and Kidan had been fighting for control of the cruise line.
I've known about the basics of this branch of the Abramoff crimes for some time. I've never mentioned it because the line connecting the dots from Kidan through Abramoff to Congress wasn't straight enough for me to draw any conclusions.
But check out the Sun-Sentinel quote again. Did the Sun-Sentinel say that prosecutors have credited Mr. Kidan with helping federal officials in on-going corruption cases? What's that all about? To be clear, the article clearly states that most of Mr. Kidan's cooperation came in connection with the murder case. But I'm still interested in how Mr. Kidan is connected to federal corruption investigations.
I can't be 100% sure that the corruption cases are involving Congressman, so I may be making a leap here. Getting back to the Washington Post article, we learn:
Abramoff is at the center of a federal investigation into lobbying for Indian tribes and influence-peddling in Washington. Abramoff used contacts with GOP Reps. Tom DeLay (Tex.) and Robert W. Ney (Ohio) and their staffs as he worked to land the SunCruz deal, interviews and court records show...
Dealings between Boulis and the Abramoff group were often tense. At key points in the negotiations, Ney placed comments in the Congressional Record -- first sharply criticizing Boulis and later praising the new ownership under Kidan. Ney later said he had been unaware of Kidan's background.
Yeah, yeah. We've know about this a long time. I wrote about it a year and a half ago. In addition to placing the comments in the Congressional Record, we also know there was a simultaneous $10,000 contribution from Mr. Kidan to the NRCC made in former Rep. Ney's name. Mr. Kidan's cooperation in this matter must be what the Sun-Sentinel is referring to, right?
So what is that gratuitous mention by the Washington Post of our own former Congressman, Tom DeLay (R-Fort Bend County)? Given that Mr. Kidan says his cooperation ended in 2007 and Mr. DeLay has yet to be charged, I think the mention of DeLay is a red herring. Judgment with respect to Mr. DeLay in this matter is therefore suspended.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
The Status of Kevin Ring
I've long speculated that former Abramoff associate Kevin Ring has been cooperating with prosecutors. I first mentioned this in April 2007 and most recently mentioned it two weeks ago.
Well, that's changed. Back in November, I wrote about one of my correspondents who has been involved in Republican electoral politics. Like me, he is horrified at how certain segments of the party have engaged in corruption and how larger segments turn a blind eye to the corrupt acts. From time to time, he blasts out e-mails commenting on developments in this scandal. I still have no reason to believe that my correspondent has any inside knowledge of what's going on with the Justice Department's investigation, but he typically makes pretty good circumstantial cases on the points he makes. In a recent e-mail, not in direct response to anything I had written, he makes his viewpoint clear that Robert Coughlin's guilty plea is a building block in making a case against Mr. Ring. As a result, I looked at the evidence de novo.
Back in April 2007, I evaluated comments from Mr. Ring's attorney, Richard Hibey:
I must admit, I haven't been consistent in how I evaluated situations where persons of interest to investigators have been described as "responsive". Let's see how I treated former Rep. J.D. Hayworth in a similar situation:
So which is it? Is being "responsive" cooperating? Or doing just enough to avoid a subpoena? I'll settle my little inconsistency here. Being "responsive" is just doing enough to avoid a subpoena ... it is not cooperating. Therefore, I'm changing my tune on Mr. Ring's status. Mr. Ring, in my opinion, is not cooperating with prosecutors. It is also my opinion that the Department of Justice is currently building a case against Mr. Ring with Mr. Coughlin's known assistance.
Well, that's changed. Back in November, I wrote about one of my correspondents who has been involved in Republican electoral politics. Like me, he is horrified at how certain segments of the party have engaged in corruption and how larger segments turn a blind eye to the corrupt acts. From time to time, he blasts out e-mails commenting on developments in this scandal. I still have no reason to believe that my correspondent has any inside knowledge of what's going on with the Justice Department's investigation, but he typically makes pretty good circumstantial cases on the points he makes. In a recent e-mail, not in direct response to anything I had written, he makes his viewpoint clear that Robert Coughlin's guilty plea is a building block in making a case against Mr. Ring. As a result, I looked at the evidence de novo.
Back in April 2007, I evaluated comments from Mr. Ring's attorney, Richard Hibey:
[Associated Press:]Ring's attorney, Richard Hibey, said Ring resigned of his own accord.
"He is being responsive to whatever is going on," Hibey said. He would not comment on whether Ring is cooperating with the Abramoff investigation.
"Responsive", huh? Sounds a whole lot like "cooperative" to me.
I must admit, I haven't been consistent in how I evaluated situations where persons of interest to investigators have been described as "responsive". Let's see how I treated former Rep. J.D. Hayworth in a similar situation:
[Associated Press:] Former Republican congressman J.D. Hayworth said Monday that he has sent documents to the Justice Department in response to its investigation of disgraced fundraiser Jack Abramoff.
Hayworth spoke about the Justice Department request during an extended rant against Arizona Republicans, journalists and others whom he blames for helping oust him from office last year.
"I have nothing to hide. I've done nothing illegal or unethical," Hayworth said on his afternoon show on Phoenix radio station KFYI. . .
During the race, Hayworth was heavily criticized for his connections to Abramoff. But on his radio show Hayworth pointed out that he received $2,250 from Abramoff eight years ago.
"I subsequently sent money to charity in that amount." . . .
"I ain't Dick Nixon, and you ain't kicking me around," he said. "I'm right here on the radio, so bring it, brother."
Hayworth isn't cooperating. He's responding to requests for information from investigators. Cooperating implies to me that he is helping investigators. It doesn't appear Hayworth wants to be helpful.
So which is it? Is being "responsive" cooperating? Or doing just enough to avoid a subpoena? I'll settle my little inconsistency here. Being "responsive" is just doing enough to avoid a subpoena ... it is not cooperating. Therefore, I'm changing my tune on Mr. Ring's status. Mr. Ring, in my opinion, is not cooperating with prosecutors. It is also my opinion that the Department of Justice is currently building a case against Mr. Ring with Mr. Coughlin's known assistance.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
John Tyler HS (Tyler ISD) Withdraws from International Baccalaureate
Officials at Tyler ISD have determined that it is best to withdraw John Tyler High School (JTHS) from the IB-Diploma program. The other high school in Tyler ISD, Robert E. Lee, will remain in the program. It is worth looking at the reasons enumerated by Tyler ISD officials as to why International Baccalaureate was not successful.
In the past 10 years, only 41 students at JTHS completed the IB Diploma program. Wow! I'd love to see the cost per IB Diploma graduate ... particularly since Tyler ISD concedes that the IB Diploma Programme is not any more academically rigorous than the Advanced Placement program:
Even though AP and IB are equal in their academic rigor, there are reasons to choose AP over IB. Ms. Harper suggests that IB had been a program for "just a select few" whereas AP is "able to reach a lot more students". (You know, I wonder if that is the genesis of the characterization of IB as elitist. Why in the world would you want to place barriers in front of kids willing to take academically rigorous classes? Unfortunately, I've never been too sensitive to accusations of elitism. A person has to be a downright snob before I'd notice.)
Tyler ISD also noticed just how expensive IB is. By eliminating IB, Tyler ISD will be able to fund (1) the AP Program; (2) A dual credit program at UT-Tyler; and (3) some sort of Career and Technology Education program. Remember that Pearland ISD is simultaneously increasing IB funding as it considers cuts in career technology programs.
Tyler ISD tells us why the IB Diploma Program wasn't popular among its students. (1) IB-Diploma is not at "flexible" as AP; (2) IB-Diploma "can limit students' ability to participate in extracurricular activities; and (this one is really strange) (3) IB-Diploma forces students to "basically give up [their] normal high school life". I'm not sure what the last disadvantage articulated by Tyler ISD means, but I'm a big advocate in letting kids be kids.
Given that IB-Diploma isn't any more rigorous than AP and that it is significantly more expensive, I really can't explain why it remains at Robert E. Lee High School. Nevertheless, the Tyler paper tells us that the local community has a lot of pride in the program.
I'm going to use a metaphor I used once before. Some people view IB as some sort of designer label. (Who wouldn't want a "World School"?) But upon closer inspection, IB-Diploma isn't any more rigorous than the AP program. Also, AP reaches more students. Yes, many people see IB as some sort of designer label for the district. To me, it is more like the Emperor's New Suit. I've always been comfortable in a pair of Levi's.
==
While the IB-Diploma program is equivalent in academic rigor to the AP Program, my personal observations lead me to conclude that Pearland ISD has seen a decline in academic rigor as it implements the IB-Primary Years Program. In the past, Pearland ISD has had ability-grouped advanced classes. These classes have been eliminated.
In math, my son's private school 2nd grade class is multiplying with fractions and dividing three-digit numbers by one-digit numbers. He actually takes a science class for a grade -- science doesn't even appear on a Pearland ISD 2nd grade report card. I recently saw one of the former Carleston parents who has moved to Friendswood ISD in pursuit of a rigorous curriculum. Their kid is also learning division. What is Pearland ISD doing? A kid from Carleston's so-called "GT Cluster Class" spent the night this weekend. The so-called "GT Cluster Class" hasn't even started learning multiplication tables.
================
Political Activism and International Baccalaureate
There is an alarming number of incidents involving IB students and political activism. Here, in reverse chronological order, are a few examples:
May 1, 2008
St. Helena, CA
Students march for "peace" (picture above)
While these kids decorated "Umbrellas for Peace" and marched around, my kid was actually learning about another culture. He gets a grade in social studies ... my recollection tells me that social studies isn't even on the 2nd grade report card at Pearland ISD.
==
April 23, 2008
Texarkana, TX
Students protest against retail stores using disposable bags on Earth Day
Again, my kid was in science class actually learning something as these kids went on a political protest.
==
April 18, 2008
Aurora, CO
Students participate in "Lights Out" campaign against "climate change"
While these kids were learning to be political activists in the dark at school, the lights were on and science class held at my kid's school. Which school do you think is more likely to produce a political activist? Which school do you think is more likely to produce an engineer who will find a technological breakthrough that allows people to keep the lights on *AND* conserve energy through efficiency?
====================
Enemies List
Several weeks ago, I received a report from a person who attended a principal's meeting at Pearland ISD. Apparently, Mrs. Anti-Corruption and I were a topic of discussion. The school district was fishing for information on both of us.
If Pearland ISD wants me to go away, they should drop the IB program and return the district to the academic rigor it had when I moved here back in the 1990s.
There are a lot of authoritarian characteristics of those who promote IB. I find it very wrong that Pearland ISD does not allow parents who don't want their children in this program to choose some sort of alternative. (I've suggested allowing these parents to return to the ability-grouped advanced classes Pearland ISD once had.)
But a Nixon-style Enemies List? C'mon Pearland ISD, don't you think you've gone too far? If Pearland ISD was as evil as the Nixon administration, I'd worry about it.
In the past 10 years, only 41 students at JTHS completed the IB Diploma program. Wow! I'd love to see the cost per IB Diploma graduate ... particularly since Tyler ISD concedes that the IB Diploma Programme is not any more academically rigorous than the Advanced Placement program:
Ms. Harper, who will become the AP coordinator, said the AP program will "have the same rigor the IB program did."
Even though AP and IB are equal in their academic rigor, there are reasons to choose AP over IB. Ms. Harper suggests that IB had been a program for "just a select few" whereas AP is "able to reach a lot more students". (You know, I wonder if that is the genesis of the characterization of IB as elitist. Why in the world would you want to place barriers in front of kids willing to take academically rigorous classes? Unfortunately, I've never been too sensitive to accusations of elitism. A person has to be a downright snob before I'd notice.)
Tyler ISD also noticed just how expensive IB is. By eliminating IB, Tyler ISD will be able to fund (1) the AP Program; (2) A dual credit program at UT-Tyler; and (3) some sort of Career and Technology Education program. Remember that Pearland ISD is simultaneously increasing IB funding as it considers cuts in career technology programs.
Tyler ISD tells us why the IB Diploma Program wasn't popular among its students. (1) IB-Diploma is not at "flexible" as AP; (2) IB-Diploma "can limit students' ability to participate in extracurricular activities; and (this one is really strange) (3) IB-Diploma forces students to "basically give up [their] normal high school life". I'm not sure what the last disadvantage articulated by Tyler ISD means, but I'm a big advocate in letting kids be kids.
Given that IB-Diploma isn't any more rigorous than AP and that it is significantly more expensive, I really can't explain why it remains at Robert E. Lee High School. Nevertheless, the Tyler paper tells us that the local community has a lot of pride in the program.
I'm going to use a metaphor I used once before. Some people view IB as some sort of designer label. (Who wouldn't want a "World School"?) But upon closer inspection, IB-Diploma isn't any more rigorous than the AP program. Also, AP reaches more students. Yes, many people see IB as some sort of designer label for the district. To me, it is more like the Emperor's New Suit. I've always been comfortable in a pair of Levi's.
==
While the IB-Diploma program is equivalent in academic rigor to the AP Program, my personal observations lead me to conclude that Pearland ISD has seen a decline in academic rigor as it implements the IB-Primary Years Program. In the past, Pearland ISD has had ability-grouped advanced classes. These classes have been eliminated.
In math, my son's private school 2nd grade class is multiplying with fractions and dividing three-digit numbers by one-digit numbers. He actually takes a science class for a grade -- science doesn't even appear on a Pearland ISD 2nd grade report card. I recently saw one of the former Carleston parents who has moved to Friendswood ISD in pursuit of a rigorous curriculum. Their kid is also learning division. What is Pearland ISD doing? A kid from Carleston's so-called "GT Cluster Class" spent the night this weekend. The so-called "GT Cluster Class" hasn't even started learning multiplication tables.
================
Political Activism and International Baccalaureate
There is an alarming number of incidents involving IB students and political activism. Here, in reverse chronological order, are a few examples:
May 1, 2008
St. Helena, CA
Students march for "peace" (picture above)
District officials have said the international theme of the “Umbrellas for Peace” program was consistent with their adoption of the International Baccalaureate program, which teaches students how to be a part of a global community.
While these kids decorated "Umbrellas for Peace" and marched around, my kid was actually learning about another culture. He gets a grade in social studies ... my recollection tells me that social studies isn't even on the 2nd grade report card at Pearland ISD.
==
April 23, 2008
Texarkana, TX
Students protest against retail stores using disposable bags on Earth Day
Dressed in bright red, yellow, green and blue hats and shirts, College Hill International Baccalaureate students sang and performed skits Tuesday for Earth Day at the Downtown Post Office.
The second-grade classes, as part of a worldwide project called “Pay It Forward,” decorated grocery bags with earth-related messages for Albertson’s on State Line Avenue.
Again, my kid was in science class actually learning something as these kids went on a political protest.
==
April 18, 2008
Aurora, CO
Students participate in "Lights Out" campaign against "climate change"
The halls of Smoky Hill High School were dark on Friday, but it was not because of an electrical problem.
Students there decided to participate in the National Lights Out program. It was all to raise awareness for energy conservation. The classrooms and hallways were dark for the day as classes continued. The lights were kept on in areas where there weren't any windows...
The National Lights Out idea was organized by Junior Maria Rayas as a part of the International Baccalaureate program at Smoky Hill.
While these kids were learning to be political activists in the dark at school, the lights were on and science class held at my kid's school. Which school do you think is more likely to produce a political activist? Which school do you think is more likely to produce an engineer who will find a technological breakthrough that allows people to keep the lights on *AND* conserve energy through efficiency?
====================
Enemies List
Several weeks ago, I received a report from a person who attended a principal's meeting at Pearland ISD. Apparently, Mrs. Anti-Corruption and I were a topic of discussion. The school district was fishing for information on both of us.
If Pearland ISD wants me to go away, they should drop the IB program and return the district to the academic rigor it had when I moved here back in the 1990s.
There are a lot of authoritarian characteristics of those who promote IB. I find it very wrong that Pearland ISD does not allow parents who don't want their children in this program to choose some sort of alternative. (I've suggested allowing these parents to return to the ability-grouped advanced classes Pearland ISD once had.)
But a Nixon-style Enemies List? C'mon Pearland ISD, don't you think you've gone too far? If Pearland ISD was as evil as the Nixon administration, I'd worry about it.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
The Metro - Berlin
Berlin - The Metro (1983)
The Metro is the best song from the best American New Romantic band.
==
By 1994, New Wave was over. I went back to my rural roots and returned to country music. I even gave up the spiky hair that I wore for most of the 80s as I tried to look like Corey Hart. (I must admit that even to this day, I like to see my hair spike up a bit.)
The first week of May 1994, I spent a Wednesday night at Denim & Diamonds in Madison, Tennessee with some of my college classmates. Finals were over, and it was time to let off some steam. I spotted a blonde across the room who made me think of Terri Nunn in the Metro video (particularly when she says "Sorry" at 3:16).
Eventually, I got the nerve to approach this girl. Obviously, I had the blonde with big hair pegged as a New Wave girl. She wasn't. She was a rocker chick who preferred 80s hair bands (which were also essentially gone by 1994). This girl had never heard of New Order; she liked some band called Poison or something. It is a good thing I'm not observant enough to tell the difference between a New Wave girl and a rocker chick.
A few years later I married this blonde rocker chick. I have no clue how Mrs. Anti-Corruption has found the strength to not complain about my dirty socks in the middle of the floor for the past 14 years.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Justice Department Line-Up
Reporters at the Legal Times tell us the story involving admitted criminal Robert Coughlin has more than firsts meets the eye.
Now we have to be careful here. Justice officials who helped secure the full $16.3 million grant to the Choctaws did not necessarily break the law. Some may have been professionally predisposed to approve the full amount. Others may have gotten involved solely in response to Mr. Coughlin's request. For example, on page 3 of Coughlin's statement of offense, a "friendly" is defined as "a political appointee who would be favorably inclined toward assisting [Kevin Ring] and [Greenberg Traurig]." Being "favorably inclined" isn't illegal, but as we've learned from the Coughlin case, accepting meals can be.
So who might be these "other former Justice officials" the DoJ is investigating? Coughlin's statement of offense mentions that Mr. Ring "paid for lunch for Coughlin and two other DOJ officials at Signatures" (p. 9). I have no clue who those people are.
The Legal Times article supplies us with two other prospects:
Tickets? Isn't that one of the things that got Mr. Coughlin in trouble? Legal Times doesn't indicate whether or not Mr. Ayres or Ms. Day actually received the U2 tickets or the NCAA tournament tickets, but Bloomberg News reports that Mr. Ayres went to a Washington Redskins game on Jack Abramoff's nickel. At that game, Mr. Ayres apparently told Mr. Abramoff of a Justice Department report recommending that immigration controls be tightened in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) in the name of national security.
Also, while not dispositive, there is evidence that Ms. Day attended the U2 concert. In a letter authored by Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) (.pdf) to RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman, Rep. Waxman refers to an e-mail that looks to me to be the attendee list for the U2 concert. Ms. Day's name appears on that list. Other government employees on the list include Pete Rowan (deputy director for legislative affairs at the White House), Don Trigg (director of policy at the Commerce Department), and Doug Mescar (Chief of Staff in the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education at the Department of Education). Mr. Mehlman also was on the list of people to receive tickets. I have no idea why Legal Times singled out Ms. Day while reporting on this. Maybe the Legal Times reporters are simply focused on the Justice Department, or maybe investigators have given the Legal Times a heads up.
And who knows? Maybe Mr. Ayres, Ms. Day, et. al. reimbursed Mr. Abramoff's for the tickets. It could have happened, you know.
==
The Legal Times article goes on to name more names of people who seemingly received benefits:
I know of nothing connecting Mr. Sansonetti to this scandal beyond what Legal Times reports. Again, I trust that the Legal Times isn't chasing down red herrings. Judgment suspended on this matter. Mr. Sansonetti's name goes to long term memory (my archives).
==
... and more ...
Ken Mehlman again. Ralph Reed and Karl Rove, too. This is a virtual who's who of top brass. If I had to rank them in order of culpability, I'd say Ralph Reed is first, Ken Mehlman, then Karl Rove.
David Israelite doesn't seem to have any connections to scandal beyond Abramoff's suggestion that he could help. But again, his name is committed to long term memory.
===
Lastly, I found this snippet from email from Kevin Ring associate Padgett Wilson odd:
Hookers? I hope that is simply an unguarded attempt at humor in an email. Let's hope it was.
I'll have more to say about Kevin Ring soon...
[C]ourt documents filed in Coughlin’s case and e-mails released through congressional investigations are explicit about Team Abramoff’s line into the Justice Department: Coughlin was but one of many “friendlies,” as they are identified in Coughlin’s statement of offense (.pdf).
A source familiar with the Abramoff probe says the Justice Department is continuing to investigate other former Justice officials. Coughlin and at least two other unnamed Justice officials helped secure a $16.3 million grant for Ring’s client, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, court documents say. A deputy assistant attorney general had previously approved $9 million for the tribe. One unanswered question is which official at the department overruled that decision, giving the tribe the full amount.
Now we have to be careful here. Justice officials who helped secure the full $16.3 million grant to the Choctaws did not necessarily break the law. Some may have been professionally predisposed to approve the full amount. Others may have gotten involved solely in response to Mr. Coughlin's request. For example, on page 3 of Coughlin's statement of offense, a "friendly" is defined as "a political appointee who would be favorably inclined toward assisting [Kevin Ring] and [Greenberg Traurig]." Being "favorably inclined" isn't illegal, but as we've learned from the Coughlin case, accepting meals can be.
So who might be these "other former Justice officials" the DoJ is investigating? Coughlin's statement of offense mentions that Mr. Ring "paid for lunch for Coughlin and two other DOJ officials at Signatures" (p. 9). I have no clue who those people are.
The Legal Times article supplies us with two other prospects:
[Former Attorney General John] Ashcroft aides such as David Ayres, the attorney general’s chief of staff in the Senate and at the Justice Department, and Lori Sharpe Day — head of the Office of Intergovernmental and Public Liaison — show up on a list for tickets lobbyists had requested for a U2 rock concert in 2001 and the NCAA men’s basketball tournament in 2002. Both now work at the Ashcroft Group and did not respond to requests for comment.
Tickets? Isn't that one of the things that got Mr. Coughlin in trouble? Legal Times doesn't indicate whether or not Mr. Ayres or Ms. Day actually received the U2 tickets or the NCAA tournament tickets, but Bloomberg News reports that Mr. Ayres went to a Washington Redskins game on Jack Abramoff's nickel. At that game, Mr. Ayres apparently told Mr. Abramoff of a Justice Department report recommending that immigration controls be tightened in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) in the name of national security.
Also, while not dispositive, there is evidence that Ms. Day attended the U2 concert. In a letter authored by Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) (.pdf) to RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman, Rep. Waxman refers to an e-mail that looks to me to be the attendee list for the U2 concert. Ms. Day's name appears on that list. Other government employees on the list include Pete Rowan (deputy director for legislative affairs at the White House), Don Trigg (director of policy at the Commerce Department), and Doug Mescar (Chief of Staff in the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education at the Department of Education). Mr. Mehlman also was on the list of people to receive tickets. I have no idea why Legal Times singled out Ms. Day while reporting on this. Maybe the Legal Times reporters are simply focused on the Justice Department, or maybe investigators have given the Legal Times a heads up.
And who knows? Maybe Mr. Ayres, Ms. Day, et. al. reimbursed Mr. Abramoff's for the tickets. It could have happened, you know.
==
The Legal Times article goes on to name more names of people who seemingly received benefits:
In 2001, Italia Federici, a former head of a Republican environmental conservative group working for Abramoff, introduced Abramoff to Tom Sansonetti, then-assistant attorney general of the Environment and Natural Resources Division. Federici later pleaded guilty to giving false statements in the Abramoff investigation. E-mails show that Sansonetti, who served at Main Justice from 2001 to 2005, attended lobbyist dinners organized by Federici and dined with her and J. Steven Griles, then-deputy secretary at the Interior Department, at Abramoff's restaurant, Signatures.
When Ring ran into opposition to one of his projects, a new jail for the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, in January of 2002, he fired off an e-mail to his boss: "Re: Sansonetti ... Think he might be able to help at Justice?"
Abramoff replied: "Yes! Good idea. Call Italia and ask her to help us with this."
Sansonetti said in an e-mail to Legal Times that while he knew "Abramoff socially, I had no contacts with him or any of his associates on any topic while in my official capacity at DOJ." (Sansonetti's replacement -- Sue Ellen Wooldridge -- resigned in February 2007 amid questions about her undisclosed romantic involvement with Griles, whom she married after he pleaded guilty in the Abramoff case.)
Emphasis added.
I know of nothing connecting Mr. Sansonetti to this scandal beyond what Legal Times reports. Again, I trust that the Legal Times isn't chasing down red herrings. Judgment suspended on this matter. Mr. Sansonetti's name goes to long term memory (my archives).
==
... and more ...
[Jack Abramoff associate Tony] Rudy suggested reaching out to then-White House political director Ken Mehlman and David Israelite, then-deputy chief of staff to Ashcroft, to "get this on his radar." Israelite, now president and CEO of the National Music Publishers Association, did not respond to questions about Abramoff.
Abramoff appealed to Republican activist Ralph Reed Jr. the next day, asking him to raise the issue with White House adviser Karl Rove ("We really need some serious swat from Karl").
The Justice Department abruptly reversed itself less than two weeks later, awarding the Choctaws the full $16.3 million, according to the statement of offense filed in Coughlin's case.
It's unclear who made the final call. Ring and Coughlin had discussed the prospect that "a more senior DOJ official" would override Henke in November 2001, and Coughlin had also related "a positive conversation he had with a high-ranking DOJ official" about the grant, court papers state.
Links and emphasis added.
Ken Mehlman again. Ralph Reed and Karl Rove, too. This is a virtual who's who of top brass. If I had to rank them in order of culpability, I'd say Ralph Reed is first, Ken Mehlman, then Karl Rove.
David Israelite doesn't seem to have any connections to scandal beyond Abramoff's suggestion that he could help. But again, his name is committed to long term memory.
===
Lastly, I found this snippet from email from Kevin Ring associate Padgett Wilson odd:
"And as for those DOJ staffers, those guys should get anything they want for the rest of the time they are in office -- opening day tickets, Skins v. Giants, oriental massages, hookers, whatever."
Hookers? I hope that is simply an unguarded attempt at humor in an email. Let's hope it was.
I'll have more to say about Kevin Ring soon...
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