Rove tied to Malaysian-Bush visit

Abramoff reportedly called adviser to get leader into Oval Office

By Tom Hamburger and Peter Wallsten, Tribune Newspapers: Los Angeles Times; staff writer Stephen Braun contributed
Published February 15, 2006


WASHINGTON -- When the government of Malaysia sought to repair its tarnished image in the U.S. by arranging a meeting between President Bush and its controversial prime minister in 2002, it called on lobbyist Jack Abramoff for help.

It was a tall order. A few years earlier, the prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad, had been chastised by the Clinton administration for making anti-Semitic statements and jailing political opponents. But it was important to the Malaysians to get a meeting with Bush, according to an Abramoff associate who attended meetings with the Malaysian ambassador and Abramoff.

Abramoff contacted presidential adviser Karl Rove on at least four occasions to help arrange a meeting, according to an eyewitness to the activities.

Finally, this former associate said, Rove's office called to tell Abramoff personally that the Malaysian leader would get an official White House invitation. In May 2002, Mahathir met with Bush in the Oval Office.

Abramoff received $1.2 million from the Malaysian government for his lobbying services in 2001 and 2002, according to an Abramoff associate. Documents obtained by Senate investigators appear to confirm at least $900,000 of that amount.

It's not clear how central Abramoff was in arranging the Oval Office session. The White House says the meeting was arranged through normal White House and State Department channels.

But it was clear, the former associate said, that Abramoff took credit for arranging the session. At least one other Washington lobbying firm--Alexander Strategies, run by an Abramoff friend and former chief of staff to then-House Majority Leader Tom DeLay--was also credited in some circles for helping arrange the meeting.

But the Malaysia episode suggests a closer tie than previously acknowledged between the highest levels of the Bush White House and Abramoff, who has pleaded guilty to improperly influencing members of Congress and their aides.

The Malaysian payments were made to the American International Center, a bogus "international think tank" that an Abramoff partner, Michael Scanlon, set up at a Delaware beach house. By routing the money in that way, Abramoff identified his client on federal lobbying disclosure forms as the Delaware-based center and avoided having to register as an agent of a foreign government.

The eyewitness was the only person to observe Abramoff's direct contacts with Rove and even then he heard only Abramoff's end of the conversation. He recalled Abramoff picking up his ringing cell phone, flashing the caller ID and saying, "It's Karl." Abramoff listened for a few seconds and gave the associate a thumbs-up. The lobbyist closed his phone and said the official invitation was forthcoming. "Call the ambassador."

The witness' description of the Malaysia episode was backed by another former Abramoff associate and by documents released last year by the Senate Indian Affairs Committee. Both of Abramoff's former associates asked that their names not be used because they feared it could damage their business opportunities.

Both said Abramoff talked of his access to Rove and cited his relationship with Rove's secretary, Susan Ralston, who serves as Rove's administrative assistant. Before joining the White House staff, Ralston was an assistant to Abramoff. One of the former associates said Abramoff referred to Ralston as "my implant" in the White House.

A White House spokeswoman, Erin Healy, said Tuesday that Rove had "no recollection" of any conversations with Abramoff regarding the Malaysian meeting. She said the meeting was arranged through "normal staffing channels."

LINK