WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Despite repeated White House objections to the release of documents related to Jack Abramoff's visits to the White House, the Secret Service has agreed to produce all logs detailing the disgraced lobbyist's meetings, according to a court filing released Monday.
The Secret Service agreed on April 25 to drop any objections to turning over the information and will "produce any and all documents" on or before May 10, according to the filing released by the conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch, which filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request on February 2.
Judicial Watch officials have said they believe the records will show the frequency and length of Abramoff's visits to the White House in recent years and could shed light on the former lobbyist's relationship with the White House.
Naturally, the Bush White House has been stonewalling this access of the Secret Service logs regarding Abramoff's visits. Consider this from the CNN story:
Questions have also been raised about Abramoff's contact with White House officials, including President Bush.
When reporters in January pressed him on his relationship with Abramoff, the president said, "I've never sat down with him and had a discussion with the guy."
White House aides have confirmed that Abramoff attended holiday parties at the White House and had some "staff-level meetings" as well.
While White House officials have been careful not to rule out the possibility that other Bush-Abramoff meetings occurred, they have refused to turn over any documents detailing who at the White House has met with Abramoff and under what circumstances.
So, the first questions to ask would regard Abramoff's visits--how many times? When? Who did Abramoff meet? What was the nature of the visits? What about Abramoff's involvement in these "staff-level meetings?" What were the nature of these staff level meetings, and who were involved in these meetings? And there is a whole range of questions regarding President Bush's involvement with Abramoff--even though Bush claims he has never sat down and had a discussion with Abramoff. I'm not sure that the Secret Service logs will be able to answer any of these questions, but they can provide the number of times Abramoff visited the White House, what dates and times, and perhaps show who Abramoff was suppose to meet in the White House. In other words, we get a timeline regarding this relationship between Abramoff and the Bush administration.
I especially find it interesting that for the longest time, the Bush administration has been refusing to hand over any documents regarding Jack Abramoff. You have to wonder if the White House is hiding something regarding the Abramoff scandal? But now, the White House has to turn over these Secret Service logs. And what does the White House say regarding this matter? You're gonna love this! This little story is from Yahoo News, titled, White House Cautions on Abramoff Logs:
WASHINGTON - The Secret Service's records documenting convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff's contacts with Bush administration officials may not reveal all such meetings, the White House said Tuesday.
he Secret Service has agreed to turn over White House visitor logs showing when Abramoff met with administration officials — and with whom. But presidential spokesman Scott McClellan cautioned reporters from viewing the release as all-inclusive.
"I don't know exactly what they'll be providing, but they only have certain records and so I just wouldn't view it as a complete historical record," McClellan said.
I just have to laugh at this. First, the Bush administration refuses to turn over any documents regarding Jack Abramoff's visits to the White House, and then when the Bush administration turns over these Secret Service documents, White House Press Secretary Scotty McClellan disregards them, claiming people are not going to view the "complete historical record" of these Abramoff visits. Excuse me Mr. Scott--why not have the White House hand over ALL documents regarding Jack Abramoff's visits, so that the American public can view this "complete historical record?" Or is the Bush administration trying to hide its own involvement in this Abramoff scandal? Consider this:
Abramoff, who represented Indian tribes in their dealings with Washington politicians and raised at least $100,000 for Bush's re-election campaign, was once one of the city's most successful lobbyists.
When a photo of Bush with Abramoff surfaced earlier this year, the president said he has his picture taken with "a lot of people." In the 2001 photo, Bush is shaking hands with a leader of an Indian tribe. Abramoff is in the background.
The president has said that he does not know Abramoff personally, but Abramoff told the Washingtonian magazine that he had met with Bush nearly a dozen times and that the president knew him well enough to joke with him.
McClellan has said that Abramoff attended Hanukkah receptions at the White House in 2001 and 2002, and some additional staff-level meetings. "But I said I couldn't rule out that there might be other large events that may have taken place that he attended, but that's what I know and that still stands," McClellan said.
I'm sorry Mr. Scott. There is more to this scandal here.
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