Abramoff Report Details Abuse of Nonprofits, Urges Senate Finance Committee to Investigate

Yesterday, the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs issued a 350+ page report entitled “Gimme Five: Investigation of Tribal Lobbying Matters,” which examines lobbying activities of a half-dozen Indian tribes connected to Jack Abramoff. According to The Washington Post, “The report extensively details Abramoff's use of nonprofit charities and advocacy groups to advance his lobbying interests. The Indian Affairs Committee said the way such groups were used to move money around and evade tax liability raises questions about whether existing federal laws are sufficient.” Specifically, the report recommended the Senate Finance Committee investigate the use of tax-exempt organizations "as extensions of for-profit lobbying operations."

The report will likely give Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley even more ammunition to go after what he has referred to as “nonprofits that may be used for political purposes.”

Upon the release of the report, Chairman Grassley’s Democratic counterpart, Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Max Baucus said, “The Finance Committee continues to review documents provided by the Committee on Indian Affairs and related to non-profit groups with links to Jack Abramoff. This is being done as part of an ongoing, broad-scale look at whether tax-exempt groups are misused for financial or political gain. I expect that the Finance Committee will act as our findings warrant, in keeping with our oversight responsibilities."