It's Becoming Hard to Stomach!

E-mail messages (dated 7/17/02) from lobbyist Jack Abramoff, obtained by the Justice Department and Senate investigators, show that he told an Indian tribe client that he was being pressured by U.S. Rep. Tom Delay for a $25,000 political donation.

This is significant because the e-mail messages are the first evidence to demonstrate that Abramoff cited personal pressure from DeLay in trying to persuade political donations. Previous ties between Abramoff and DeLay have centered around a series of overseas trips taken by the lawmaker.

Abramoff went about this task of "obtaining" money for DeLay through his charity, Capital Athletic Foundation. This foundation would make the sales pitch that the foundation was supported by Tom DeLay and that he would remember their donation in the future.

This is the same foundation at the center of an influence-peddling investigation on Capitol Hill. Apparently, the foundation told the IRS that in 2002 they gave away $330,000 to various charities, but these groups say they never received any money.

Naturally, DeLay and his cohorts have no idea what this is all about and maintain that they are completely innocent.