Pombo Lied (Again) -- Here's What You Can Do About It

In front of a room full of his constituents at the Tracy Press Forum last Thursday, Rep. Richard Pombo flatly denied any connection to convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff (via the Tracy Press):

"I've seen myself described as one of (Jack Abramoff's closest allies in Congress. I met the guy two or three times in my whole life -- he never once lobbied me on anything, never asked me to sign a letter, to vote for or against a bill, to introduce a bill; he never once stepped foot in my office. ..."

Yesterday the Associated Press dropped a "Bomb-o on CA's Pombo," as a TPMmuckraker headline described it, by reporting that records from Abramoff's former firm, Preston Gates, say otherwise.

WASHINGTON -- California Rep. Richard Pombo has insisted he was never lobbied by Jack Abramoff. Records show the disgraced lobbyist billed a client for at least two contacts with Pombo a decade ago.

The lobbying records released by the Northern Marianas Islands show that Abramoff billed once for calls to Pombo, chairman of the House Resources Committee, and a second time for a discussion with him, while lobbying in 1996.

Pombo has been caught lying to the faces of each and every one of his constituents in California's 11th Congressional District.

Tomorrow, Thursday, October 12 at 12pm noon, there will be a "Richard Pombo Caught Red-Handed" rally. The meet-up point will be at Central Park (12501 Alcosta Blvd., San Ramon) and from there, we will head over to Pombo's district office.

From the Defenders' event advisory:

According to the Associated Press on October 10, however, billing records released by the Northern Marianas Islands show that Abramoff lobbied Pombo directly at least twice so that he would vote “no” in the House Resources Committee, which he now chairs, to giving a nonvoting delegate to Congress from Marianas Islands, which would have compelled congressional investigation of child prostitution, forced abortion, and sweatshop labor in the Marianas.

“Richard Pombo is caught red-handed having lied to his constituents about his direct ties with convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff,” said Ed Yoon, campaign manager for Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund. “Worse, Pombo lied to cover up being under the influence of Abramoff to prevent investigation of child prostitution, forced abortion, and sweatshop labor in the Northern Marianas Islands.”

Pombo’s office sidestepped that assertion by alleging that these billing records produced by the Northern Marianas Islands were falsified, to which Yoon replied: “The evidence connecting Pombo to Abramoff is clear – Congressman Pombo now has the burden of producing facts which refute that relationship. Abramoff has been proven guilty of bilking his clients, but he was never charged with falsifying contacts with them. The real question is: Just how much time did Abramoff spend lobbying Pombo?”

Join us to demand some answers. (You never know, he just might complain about it later.)

Tags: CA-11, Richard Pombo, Jack Abramoff, Mariana Islands, Marianas, CNMI, ethics, greed, corruption, bribery, Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, Pombo In Their Pocket, Jerry McNerney