[Mb-civic] White House Silent on Abramoff Meetings By Nedra Pickler The Associated Press

[Michael Butler]

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    White House Silent on Abramoff Meetings
    By Nedra Pickler
    The Associated Press

    Tuesday 17 January 2005

    The White House is refusing to reveal details of tainted lobbyist Jack
Abramoff's visits with President Bush's staff.

    Abramoff had "a few staff-level meetings" at the Bush White House,
presidential spokesman Scott McClellan said Tuesday. But he would not say
with whom Abramoff met, which interests he was representing or how he got
access to the White House.

    Since Abramoff pleaded guilty two weeks ago to conspiracy, mail fraud
and tax evasion charges in an influence-peddling scandal, McClellan has told
reporters he was checking into Abramoff's meetings. "I'm making sure that I
have a thorough report back to you on that," he said in his press briefing
Jan. 5. "And I'll get that to you, hopefully very soon."

    McClellan said Tuesday that he checked on it at reporters' requests, but
wouldn't discuss the private staff-level meetings.

    He has said Abramoff attended three Hanukkah receptions at the White
House, but corrected himself Tuesday to say there were only two - in 2001
and 2002.

    McClellan said Bush does not know Abramoff personally, although it's
possible the two met at the holiday receptions.

    Abramoff was one of Bush's top fundraisers, having brought in at least
$100,000 for the Bush-Cheney '04 re-election campaign and earning the
honorary title "pioneer." The campaign took $6,000 of the contributions -
which came directly from Abramoff, his wife and one of the Indian tribes he
represented - and donated it to the American Heart Association. But the
campaign has not returned the rest of the money Abramoff raised.