Jun 22, 2006 -- Statement of Trevor Potter, Campaign Legal Center President, on the Release of Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Report on the Jack Abramoff Lobbying Scandal

We believe that the report provides further proof why Congress should immediately enact serious, meaningful Congressional lobbying and ethics reform. The abuses outlined in the Senate Committee's report represent still more examples of a culture of corruption on Capitol Hill that has undermined the public's faith in its elected officials. It is little wonder that Congressional approval ratings are at historic lows. There is no question that our current system is broken and the toothless "reform bills" passed by the House and the Senate will do nothing to fix the system or slow the parade of scandals that have disillusioned the public.

We can only hope that the tribal nations, whose mistreatment is graphically detailed in the report, will ultimately enjoy a legacy of bringing about the lobbying and ethics reforms our nation so desperately needs.

Early press reports suggest that the Committee has found that no new or revised federal laws are needed. That is incorrect. The Committee correctly concluded that "with respect solely to the kickbacks from Scanlon to Abramoff…existing federal criminal statures are sufficient to deter and punish such misconduct." Report at p.352. The report reached no similar conclusions regarding lobbying statutes and did in fact refer numerous instances of misuse of tax exempt organization to the Senate Finance Committee for investigation.

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