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Neocon Nuttery See other Neocon Nuttery Articles Title: New Charges Filed in Abramoff Probe The head of a Republican environmental advocacy group was charged Wednesday with tax evasion and obstructing a Senate inquiry as part of the Jack Abramoff corruption probe. Italia Federici was named in a two-count criminal information, a document that normally indicates a guilty plea has been negotiated. A hearing was set for Friday, the Justice Department said. Federici served as a go-between for Abramoff, the once-powerful lobbyist, and J. Steven Griles, who was deputy interior secretary during President Bush's first term, prosecutors said. Federici introduced the two men, which Griles said gave Abramoff more credibility and allowed him greater access to the department. After making his entree, Abramoff repeatedly sought Griles' intervention at the Interior Department on behalf of Indian tribal clients. Federici is accused of lying about her relationship with Griles and Abramoff in testimony before the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, which in 2005 was investigating Abramoff's dealings with officials in the Interior Department. Federici's attorney did not return a message seeking comment Wednesday. In March, Griles became the highest-ranking Bush administration official convicted in the lobbying scandal when he pleaded guilty to a felony charge of obstructing justice by lying to the Indian Affairs Committee in 2005. Federici co-founded the Council of Republicans for Environmental Advocacy with Gale Norton, who went on to become Interior Department secretary, and Grover Norquist, a college friend of Abramoff and a close ally of President Bush. Prosecutors said Federici supplemented her CREA salary by making ATM withdrawals directly from the organization's bank accounts. She did not pay income tax from 2001-2003 and owes tens of thousands of dollars in back taxes, prosecutors said. During that period, Abramoff was directing his tribal clients to give $500,000 to CREA. Abramoff is serving time in federal prison for a fraudulent Florida casino deal and is awaiting sentencing in the Washington public corruption case. He is the government's star witness in a case that has already landed former Rep. Bob Ney, R-Ohio, and has ensnared members of the Bush administration and several congressional aides.
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#1. To: Eoghan (#0)
A nest of vipers.
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