Several news articles today reveal deeper and more serious potential violations in the relationship between lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his associates and Congress, including Majority Leader Tom Delay. This story is about a lot more than ‘congressional travel,’ although that is still part of it.

Congressman George Miller reiterated today his earlier call for a thorough congressional investigation into activities related to its jurisdiction over the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands – part of the United States. Miller said the activities involving the Islands and the lobbyists and Congress are beginning to look more like ‘criminal activity.’

We encourage you to further examine the issues raised in these articles and Miller’s letter to the House Resources Committee, all of which are enclosed below.

Miller, the former chairman of the House Resources Committee and a long-time advocate of immigration and labor reform in Islands, issued the following statement today.

“Even after years of trying to bring reform to the U.S. Marianas Islands, I am shocked by the new revelations of corrupt practices, including several important news stories today. It is equally disturbing to read the justifications: the Marianas sweatshops, and their protectors in past CNMI governments, ‘got what they paid for.’

“Let’s remember what they paid for: a protection racket that sheltered a sweatshop industry that systematically exploited tens of thousands of impoverished foreign workers -- mostly Asian women -- who were little better than indentured servants; a sweatshop industry that earned some of the heaviest fines in U.S. history for violating labor laws; an industry repeatedly cited by the Departments of Justice, Interior and other federal agencies. They were defending a corrupt immigration system that regularly approved visas for non-existent jobs, resulting in hundreds of women being forced into the sex trade, including prostitution.

“They killed my reform bills year after year. And even when an immigration reform by Senator Frank Murkowski, a Republican, was approved by the full Senate, they blocked it repeatedly in the House. Abramoff took credit and was paid handsomely for that, too.

“This corrupt system existed because the CNMI slipped under federal labor and immigration laws. Abramoff, his lobbying colleagues, and some powerful friends in Congress are proud they prevented bipartisan reforms from being implemented.

“The outstanding investigations by the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, the Associated Press and others confirm the depravity of this protection racquet: the sweatshop industry, past CNMI administrations, Washington lobbyists and House Republican leaders who washed each others’ hands.

“Everyone seems to have made a lot of money, except the poor and disenfranchised women who toiled in the sweatshops and the brothels. These people have so much to be ‘proud’ of.

“And still, no congressional committee is investigating this aspect of Abramoff’s work, even though information indicates that Congress played a pivotal role in this protection scheme. This operation is beginning to look more and more like criminal activity and Congress must immediately launch a thorough investigation of this issue. The House Committee on Resources has jurisdiction over the Mariana Islands and I have already called on the Chairman, Representative Richard Pombo, to investigate this matter.

“There are many in Washington today who hope to dismiss the current attention to ethics abuses and congressional travel under the guise of, ‘Everyone does it.’ Well, if you read today’s news articles I think you will agree that everyone does not do this. Today’s revelations should provide further incentive for the Committee to begin an investigation right away.”

Below are links to the articles in today’s press, and also to the letter Representative Miller wrote to Chairman Pombo in April asking for the investigation.

1. Letter -- May 11, 2005 (pdf file)
   Letter from Congressman George Miller (D-CA) sent to Resources Committee Chairman Richard Pombo (R-CA) further pressing his request for an investigation by the Committee of activities involving Jack Abramoff and the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Congress. See Chairman Pombo's May 9th letter here.

2. Los Angeles Times, May 6, 2005
   Two Former Aides to DeLay Paved Way for Lobbyist's Deal; Their work on Saipan helped get a contract for a lawyer now the target of a corruption probe.

   By Walter F. Roche Jr. and Chuck Neubauer

   SAIPAN, Northern Mariana Islands — Two former top aides of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's brokered a political deal here five years ago that helped land island government contracts worth $1.6 million for a Washington lobbyist now the target of a federal corruption probe.

3. New York Times, May 6, 2005
   In Pacific Islands, Mixed Feelings About a Lobbyist's Work

   By JAMES BROOKE and KATE ZERNIKE

   SAIPAN, Northern Mariana Islands, May 5 - Jack Abramoff, the Washington lobbyist under criminal investigation, used to say that the government here needed his services because it was the only American territory without a nonvoting delegate to Congress. But in previously unreleased documents, Mr. Abramoff described how he worked hard to kill a bill in Congress that would have given the islands a delegate. He did so by exploiting his ties to Republican House leaders, including Tom DeLay of Texas, the majority leader whose travels arranged by the lobbyist have raised ethical questions. The men here who hired Mr. Abramoff said they had no regrets about paying for his influence. But four years after Mr. Abramoff left, his work remains hotly debated here, 8,000 miles and 14 time zones ahead of Washington.

4. Associated Press, May 6, 2005
   Lobbyist Had Close Contact With Bush Team

   By Sharon Theimer

   In President Bush's first 10 months, GOP fundraiser Jack Abramoff and his lobbying team logged nearly 200 contacts with the new administration as they pressed for friendly hires at federal agencies and sought to keep the Northern Mariana Islands exempt from the minimum wage and other laws, records show.

5. Miller Letter to Chairman Pombo, April 14, 2005
   Representative George Miller Calls For Congressional Investigation of Lobbyist Jack Abramoff and His Activities Regarding the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands