Press Releases

Jack Abramoff was faxed a letter by the Senate Finance Committee on March 16, 2005, requesting more information about his nonprofit, the Capital Athletic Foundation, as part of the Committee's oversight of tax-exempt organizations. The Committee's investigations into the nonprofit sector continue amid waves of interrelated media coverage of the alleged ethical misconduct of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and his connection to Abramoff and Indian tribes' millions, and the struggle over control of the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct.

Abramoff's connections, and the questionable activities of CAF, were discussed in a Responsive Philanthropy article in the fall of 2004, "Abramoff: Well-Connected to the Well-Heeled of the Right," written by NCRP executive director, Rick Cohen.

In the faxed letter, Abramoff was asked to explain conflicting information that was found in CAF's 990-PFs, some of which Cohen had pointed out in the abovementioned article. Among the Committee's requests are:

• An explanation of "why CAF solicited contributions from various Indian Tribal governments and why they should not be deemed payments for attempts to influence Federal and state laws and regulations regarding gaming."

• A detailed description of all CAF travel- and meeting-related expenses, which includes a Scotland trip on a private jet. Passengers on this particular trip included the Christian Coalition's Ralph Reed and House Administration Committee Chairman Robert Ney (R-Ohio).