The Palm Springs Desert News reports that Jack Abramoff’s plea agreement mentions efforts on behalf of the Agua Caliente band of Indians to move the Palm Springs Post Office from its current location to make way for an expansion of the tribe’s casino.
According to the paper, Abramoff’s plea agreement included “reference to action with a member of Congress, a Native American tribal client and a California tribe lobbyist to assist… with an issue relating to a post office of interest to the California tribe. [Current band chairman Richard] Milanovich said last week that the tribe had been working with the federal government to try to move the Palm Springs Post Office from 333 E. Amado Road, so the tribe could make more room to rebuild the Spa Resort Casino.”
The Palm Springs Post Office is located on land leased from the Indian band. In a September 2004 story, the Riverside Press Enterprise reported that the USPS paid annual rent of $24,000 a year on the site, with a lease that “doesn’t expire until 2018″.
“Let the games begin! We’re really fired up.”
- Magazine Publishers of America President Nina B. Link
The quote comes from an interview Link gave to the Washington Post on March 23, 2000, after signing a $10 million contract with the lobbying firm of Preston Gates Ellis & Rouvelas Meeds. The money was to fund a campaign to “stave off the latest proposed postage increase and fight for legislation to change the postal system… the Preston Gates team includes… Jack Abramoff, who is close to the GOP House leadership”
Maybe a little too close?
Stay tuned…
