January 23, 2006

The Honorable Tom Davis

Chairman

Committee on Government Reform

U.S. House of Representatives

Washington, DC 20515

Dear Chairman Davis:

Earlier this month former lobbyist Jack Abramoff pled guilty to a number
of counts related to what appears to be a widespread corruption scandal
involving conspiracy to bribe public officials.[^1] Facing evidence of
close ties between the Bush White House and Mr. Abramoff, the White
House promised a "thorough report" to the public regarding Mr.
Abramoff's White House contacts.[^2] Yet days later the White House
reversed this pledge, and is now refusing to provide basic
accountability on this issue.[^3]

As the primary oversight committee for the House of Representatives, the
Government Reform Committee is responsible for ensuring public
confidence that the White House is operating appropriately and without
taint of corruption. Therefore, I am writing to request that this
Committee seek from the White House information essential to
understanding the nature of Mr. Abramoff's relationship and influence
with the White House.

Reports continue to mount indicating substantial connections between Mr.
Abramoff and the White House. For example:

-   According to the *Associated Press*, which examined billing records
    of Mr. Abramoff's lobbying firm, Mr. Abramoff and his lobbying team
    had "nearly 200 contacts" with the Administration during the first
    ten months of the Bush Administration, including meetings with
    policy advisers to the Vice President and the White House
    intergovernmental affairs chief, among others.[^4]

-   According to a September 2005 statement by the President's nominee
    to be deputy attorney general, Mr. Abramoff bragged in 2003 that he
    "had contact with Mr. Karl Rove," senior advisor to the President,
    on behalf of Tyco International Ltd.[^5] In addition, Mr. Abramoff's
    lobbying disclosure statements "cited 'Executive Office of the
    President' as one of his lobbying targets" on the tax and contracts
    issues of concern to Tyco, and records Mr. Abramoff's firm submitted
    to Tyco "describe specific contacts with the White House legislative
    office."[^6]

-   At the beginning of the Bush Administration, Mr. Abramoff's personal
    assistant moved over to serve as "gatekeeper" for senior advisor to
    the President Karl Rove,[^7] a position that she reportedly just
    recently left.[^8]

-   Mr. Abramoff's relationship with President Bush's aides reportedly
    dates "as far back as 1997," the year in which "Abramoff charged the
    Marianas for getting then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush to write a
    letter expressing support for the Pacific territory's school choice
    proposal."[^9]

-   Just yesterday, *Time* reported it had seen "five photographs of
    Abramoff and the President that suggest a level of contact between
    them that Bush's aides have downplayed."[^10]

As you know, this Committee devoted extraordinary resources
investigating contacts between the Clinton White House and individuals
with alleged inappropriate influence with or access to the White House
--- regardless of whether these individuals had been indicted for any
wrongdoing.[^11] In 1997, the Committee Chairman announced that the
Committee would "look into every area where there's a possibility of
illegal activity as far as influence-peddling" including "possible
involvement of White House personnel and things like that."[^12]

Toward this end, the Committee issued a broad subpoena to the White
House for all records --- including photographs --- relating to a long
list of dozens of specific individuals and entities thought to have been
in contact with the Clinton White House.[^13] This subpoena also
requested information including:

-   All records of White House social secretaries regarding scheduling
    of White House events, including "ceremonies, residence visits,
    overnight stays at the White House, Kennedy Center tickets, Camp
    David visits, private dinners, guests at White House movie showings,
    and official delegation trips abroad";

-   All records of attendees at White House movies;

-   All records of attendees at Presidential radio address spots,

-   All records of guests at Camp David;

-   All records of who had White House mess privileges;

-   All records relating to use of the Presidential box at the Kennedy
    Center;

-   All records of Air Force I and Air Force II passenger manifests and
    all records of reimbursements for Air Force I and/or Air Force II
    expenses for non-staff passengers; and

-   All records relating to official delegation trips abroad, among many
    other items.

The request I am making today is far more narrowly tailored than this
Committee's past demands to the Clinton White House to explore the
extent of lobbyist and fundraiser influence. Specifically, I ask that
the Committee require the White House to turn over to the Committee all
records, including photographs, relating to contacts between the White
House and Mr. Abramoff or members of his lobbying team acting under his
direction since the beginning of the Bush Administration.

I hope we can work together on this important oversight issue.

Sincerely,

> Henry A. Waxman

Ranking Minority Member

[^1]: *Abramoff Pleads Guilty to 3 Counts,* Washington Post (Jan. 4,
    2006).

[^2]: The White House, *Press Briefing by Scott McClellan* (Jan. 5,
    2006).

[^3]: *White House Silent on Abramoff Meetings,* Associated Press (Jan.
    17, 2006).

[^4]: *Lobbyist Now Under Investigation Had Close Contact with Bush
    Team,* Associated Press (May 5, 2006).

[^5]: *Tyco Exec: Abramoff Claimed Ties to the Administration,*
    Washington Post (Sept. 23, 2005).

[^6]: *Tyco Exec: Abramoff Claimed Ties to the Administration,*
    Washington Post (Sept. 23, 2005).

[^7]: *A Lobbyist in Full,* New York Times (May 1, 2005).

[^8]: *Is Ralston Still at the White House?,* Phillipine News.com (Dec.
    7, 2005).

[^9]: *Lobbyist Now Under Investigation Had Close Contact with Bush
    Team,* Associated Press (May 5, 2006).

[^10]: *When George Met Jack,* Time (Jan. 22, 2006).

[^11]: For a summary of the types of information this Committee and
    others sought from the Clinton Administration, as well as a
    description of the costs of these investigations, *see* Minority
    Staff, House Committee on Government Reform, *Congressional
    Oversight of the Clinton Administration* (Jan. 17, 2006).

[^12]: *Meet the Press*, NBC (Feb. 16, 1997).

[^13]: *See* House Committee on Government Reform, Subpoena Ducus Tecum
    to the Executive Office of the President (Mar. 4, 1997).