McCain swears off tribal money, but accepts contributions from lobbyists

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who led the Senate Indian Affairs Committee investigation into the Jack Abramoff scandal, has sworn off taking tribal money in his presidential campaign but continues to accept donations from lobbyists whose firms represent tribal clients.

McCain spokesman Danny Diaz said the senator believes that tribes can spend their money in other ways. He added that McCain implemented the ban on tribal money when he became chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee in the midst of the Abramoff scandal, before the panel began probing the tens of millions of dollars the tribes paid the former lobbyist.

{mosads}Diaz, however, would not explain why McCain would not extend that policy to lobbyists representing tribes.

Other members, such as Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), who chairs the National Republican Congressional Committee and is the only registered member of an Indian tribe in Congress, say they believe that tribes should not be punished for the Abramoff scandal and should be free to be as active in the political process as possible — including in the political fundraising arena.

Cole said he respects McCain’s decision not to accept money from tribes, stressing that any member is free to establish his or her own policy about fundraising. But Cole argues that the Abramoff scandal is a lobbying scandal, not an Indian scandal.

“I don’t know one tribe that was found to have done anything wrong — in fact, they were the victims,” Cole said last month in an interview. “But what Abramoff and others were doing was clearly criminal. Tribes have the right to participate in the system because if they are not looking out for their interests, nobody else will.”

With his lackluster first-quarter presidential fundraising numbers, however, McCain cannot afford to alienate potential donors on K Street, many of whom either represent tribes or tribal interests directly or are employed at firms with lucrative tribal clients.

But in accepting these contributions, McCain could be making himself vulnerable to some of the very same tribal ties he wants to avoid.

Scott Reed, who competed with Abramoff for tribal clients prior to the probe, inherited at least one of Abramoff’s clients while McCain was investigating the scandal. Reed’s firm, Chesapeake Enterprises, represented the Saginaw Chippewa tribe of Michigan during the committee investigation.

Reed and the three other members of his firm consistently have contributed to McCain’s presidential campaign, political action committee and reelection committee in the past three election cycles, doling out a total of $24,100.

Reed has said he has not chosen sides in the GOP presidential nomination contest. He did not return a call seeking comment.

Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer and Feld, with its affiliate, Ietan Consulting, is another powerful player in the tribal lobbying community. Combined the two firms represent at least 21 tribal clients, and employees of the firm have cut $41,000 in checks to McCain committees in the past three election cycles.

Akin Gump also has a direct link to the Indian Affairs Committee probe. Michael Rossetti, an Akin Gump lobbyist who previously served as counsel to former Interior Secretary Gale Norton, testified before the panel against former Interior
Deputy Secretary J. Stephen Griles.

Griles, who was convicted of obstruction of justice in the Abramoff probe two months ago, was accused of helping two Abramoff clients — the Louisiana Coushatta tribe and the Saginaw Chippewa — fend off casino proposals from rival tribes.
Griles denied the allegations and Rossetti disputed his accounts.  

Rossetti is now a registered lobbyist for the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, another former Abramoff client, and four other tribes. In the wake of the Abramoff scandal, in addition to Chesapeake Enterprises, the Saginaw Chippewa also hired Ietan Consulting as well as Holland & Knight

Philip Baker-Shenker, a top tribal lobbyist for Holland & Knight, also has donated consistently to McCain’s committees, giving him $4,300 in the last three election cycles.