Abramoff colleague seeks court dismissal

A former colleague of disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff has asked a federal court to dismiss civil charges filed by a Texas Indian tribe that both lobbyists represented, claiming lack of jurisdiction.

A former colleague of disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff has asked a federal court to dismiss civil charges filed by a Texas Indian tribe that both lobbyists represented, claiming lack of jurisdiction.

Jon van Horne, who worked alongside Abramoff at Greenberg Traurig, filed a motion Thursday to dismiss fraud and racketeering charges against him in U.S. District Court. The suit, brought by the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas, names as defendants Abramoff, van Horne, former Christian Coalition head Ralph Reed, former Rep. Tom DeLay’s (R-Texas) aide, Michael Scanlon, and former Rep. Bob Ney’s (R-Ohio) chief of staff, Neil Volz.

The Texas tribe alleges that Abramoff and his three fellow lobbyists worked with Reed to misrepresent opposition to a Texas bill permitting casino gambling on state tribal land. The lobbyists sought to convince lawmakers of conservative objections to the gambling bill, the complaint states, but in fact were working on behalf of a rival tribe in Louisiana.

In his motion, van Horne asserts that he has not participated in any Texas-based actions relating to the tribe’s complaint, has never resided in Texas and never visited the state on behalf of the tribe. Whether a court approval of his motion will lead to similar attempts by other defendants remains to be seen, but the Texas tribe’s attorney told The Associated Press last month that van Horne and Reed were avoiding being served with the suit.