ROHRABACHER ONLY LOCAL WHO TOOK ABRAMOFF CASH.Byline: Lisa Friedman Washington Bureau WASHINGTON - Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, lawmakers accepted more than $50,000 since 2002 from Indian tribes connected to embattled lobbyist Jack Abramoff Jack Abramoff (born February 28, 1959) is a former American political lobbyist, a Republican political activist and businessman who was a central figure in a series of high-profile political scandals. , a review of contribution records shows. Most of the contributions - ranging from $500 to $12,500 - came from the Agua Caliente Agua Caliente (also: Aguas Calientes, Aguascalientes, etc.) means "hot springs" in Spanish. The term has several uses: Place names:
The Agua Caliente Band is not one of the tribes Abramoff has pleaded guilty to defrauding and some of the donations appear to have been made before Abramoff worked for the band, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Federal Election Commission reports. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher Dana Tyron Rohrabacher (born June 21, 1947, in Coronado, California) is an American politician, who has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 1989, currently representing California's At-large congressional district. , R-Huntington Beach, is the only area lawmaker who took contributions directly from Abramoff. Rohrabacher said this week that he will return the $3,000. Rohrabacher also received $12,500 from the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana CODE, OF LOUISIANA. In 1822, Peter Derbigny, Edward Livingston, and Moreau Lislet, were selected by the legislature to revise and amend the civil code, and to add to it such laws still in force as were not included therein. ; the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians; the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe in Michigan; and the Tigua Indian Reservation in Texas. He said he will return those funds if asked to do so. Reps. Xavier Becerra Xavier Becerra (born January 26 1958), an American politician, has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 1993, representing California's 31st congressional district (map), which is based in Los Angeles. , D-Los Angeles, and Brad Sherman Bradley J. "Brad" Sherman (born October 24 1954) is an American politician. He has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 1997, representing California's At-large congressional district. , D-Sherman Oaks, said they would not return their tribal donations. A statement from Becerra said the $6,500 he received from the Agua Caliente Band and $1,023 he got from the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians were donated because of his long-standing relationship with American Indian tribes. ``I have never met or had any relationship with Jack Abramoff or his activities. It is unfair to paint the Native American community with the same brush as Jack Abramoff,'' he said. ``I find no reason to return legitimate contributions.'' A Sherman spokesman said the office made its decision after speaking with Agua Caliente officials Thursday and receiving assurance that neither a $1,000 donation made in 2002 nor a $2,000 donation made in 2004 was connected to Abramoff. Other state lawmakers said they are still examining the contributions. ``I feel it is important that public officials avoid even the appearance of impropriety Appearance of impropriety is a term often used in reference to a situation whose ethics is deemed questionable. It means that any layperson, without knowledge of the facts, would assume that something he/she saw or heard was inappropriate or a violation of a rule/regulation. and therefore I will donate any questionable contributions to charity,'' said a statement from Rep. Joe Baca, D-San Bernardino, who received $6,000 from the Agua Caliente Band and $2,000 from the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. Jim Specht, a spokesman for Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Redlands, said his office is compiling a list of tribal donations for the congressman to review. Lewis received $3,000 from the Agua Caliente Band; $5,000 from the Mississippi Choctaw Band; and $2,000 from the Saginaw Chippewa tribe. Rep. Elton Gallegly, R-Thousand Oaks, said he has long worked on American Indian concerns, but had never met Abramoff. He received $3,500 from the Agua Caliente Band, $1,000 from the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe and $1,000 from the Tigua Indian Reservation. ``We are trying to determine, and are in the process of trying to determine, if we have any contributions from tribes that may have been directly tied to him. I don't want to smear the name of an Indian tribe because of a scumbag scum·bag n. Slang A person regarded as despicable. scumbag Noun Slang an offensive or despicable person [perhaps from earlier US sense: condom] like Abramoff,'' Gallegly said. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Pasadena, who received $2,000 from the Agua Caliente Band and has received donations from the tribe since he served in the state Legislature, said he never met Abramoff. Also receiving tribal donations were Rep. Howard Berman, D-Van Nuys, who took $500 from the Agua Caliente Band in 2000; Rep. Grace Napolitano, D-Santa Fe Springs, $2,500 from the tribe in 2002; U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, $1,000 from the Agua Caliente Band; and U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, $1,000 from the Saginaw tribe. Neither they nor their representatives could be reached for comment. Lisa Friedman, (202) 662-8731 lisa.friedman(at)langnews.com |
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