After 27 years of working with Gregg, Maiola left a year ago to start his own consulting firm.
In January of 2006, the Associated Press reported, "A spokesman for Sen. Judd Gregg said Wednesday the senator has never had any contact with lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who pleaded guilty to fraud, corruption and tax-evasion charges and has agreed to tell the FBI about alleged bribes to lawmakers."
"But Gregg spokesman Joel Maiola said records show donations came from two Indian tribes represented by Abramoff's firm in 2002 and 2004, totaling $12,000, which will be given to a New Hampshire-based charity," the AP reported.
At Talking Points Memo, Paul Kiel wrote that "Todd Boulanger, a lobbyist in Abramoff's shop, gave the two checks to a staffer for Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) to pass along, because, the staffer says, Boulanger 'wanted to help out.' Gregg wasn't running that year, mind you, but Abramoff didn't see that as a reason to stop passing money around."
I think we could guess that the staffer in Gregg's office getting checks from Boulanger was Koonce, but it could have also been Maiola. Back in 2006 Paul Kiel of TPM Muckraker reported that the money from Abramoff did not appear to be for the phone jamming scam, but that was based on a quote of one NH Democrat to a local NH paper. In light of the Boulanger guilty plea and Koonce's roll as Staffer F, it may be time to give the Abramoff to Gregg to NH GOP to Phone Jamming links a second look. There might be something there and it should be explored as part of the confirmation process. Senator Gregg should face some serious questions about the many reported links between his staff and Team Abramoff.
This is a much bigger issue than unpaid taxes. This is about being clueless about your staff taking brides, looking the other way or participating in the criminal activity. Even the best case scenario for Senator Gregg-being clueless-is pretty bad (IMHO).
This Nomination brings the Abramoff scandal to the front door of President Obama's White House. It is yet another mess left over from the Gingrich/DeLay/Bush era of corruption. It is a mess that needs to be cleaned up. There is evidence that the Bush DOJ slow walked the Abramoff scandal at best and may have actively obstructed it. One former aide to John Ashcroft and DOJ staffer (Robert Coughlin) has pleaded guilty to helping Team Abramoff and Ashcroft's former Chief of Staff, David Ayers, was Jack's guest in his skyboxes. There are many reported links between Ashcroft and Abramoff. In fact, the DOJ even buried a threat assessment report for Guam and the Marianas Islands that Abramoff wanted out of the way. Abramoff and his team had influence in the DOJ. The US Attorney from Baltimore has been called in to investigate the DOJ in Washington because of Abramoff links. And that doesn't even factor in the ways Karl Rove involved himself in the DOJ and cases from California to New Mexico to Alabama to DC.
This Culture of Corruption requires a through investigation. Without one, the toxic players spawn by the K Street Project will infect the politics of our Nation for decades to come. We need a Special Prosecutor to investigate, expose and punish this crime wave.
I hope the Judd Gregg Nomination and the taint of scandal that clings to him will inspire the appointment of a Special Prosecutor by Attorney General Holder and a commitment by President Obama to expose and end this infestation of corruption in our Nation's Capital.
It is time for the truth and way past time for justice.
Cheers
