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Caught Our Eye

Abramoff scandal still reverberates in Washington

Posted by LegiStorm on Nov. 21, 2008

Nearly three years after lobbyist Jack Abramoff pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy and fraud, the scandal is still playing out on Capitol Hill.

Thursday, former congressional staffer Trevor L. Blackann pleaded guilty to charges he failed to report gifts he received from lobbyists on this tax returns.

Among the more than $4,000 in gifts received was a trip to New York City for the opening game of the 2003 World Series. Blackann admitted to knowing the trip was paid for by lobbyists. The court documents do not identify the lobbyists in question, but the Department of Justice issued a release calling the case part of the investigation into the lobbying activities of Abramoff. Blackann also did not report the trip to Congress.

One of the trips Blackann did disclose in his time as a congressional aide was paid for by the Dairy Farmers of America. According to filings reported to the House of Representatives, Blackann later worked as a lobbyist for the Dairy Farmers of America in 2007.

Top congressional aides are required to file personal financial disclosures that list gifts and other matters that might reveal conflicts of interest. But Blackann was not required to file a financial disclosure because his salary did not meet the minimum threshold. Instead, prosecutors focused on his tax filings, which did not disclose the gifts as income.