More abramoff embarrassment for rabbi daniel lapin

Once again, erstwhile Seattle talk host, Rabbi Daniel Lapin made national news after newly released documents in the Jack Abramoff scandal show how the disgraced lobbyist secretly routed funds through tax-exempt organizations with the "acquiescence of those in charge." in Sunday's Washington Post.

(Lapin has been all over the right-wing dial in Seattle- on KVI, KKOL, and most recently, KTTH. In April, he moved his weekly talk show to San Francisco's right-wing talker, KSFO Sundays, 1-4p.)

Those in charge and acquiescing, it turns out, are such values community leaders as conservative anti-tax guru, Grover Norquist; former Christian Coalition executive director Ralph "Boyo" Reed; and, once again, Mercer Island's anti-gay activist and anti-recycling fundamentalist, rabbi Daniel Lapin.

E-mails show that Abramoff also moved client money through a conservative Jewish foundation called Toward Tradition, run by longtime Abramoff friend Rabbi Daniel Lapin. In January 2000, when Reed sent Abramoff an $867,000 invoice to be billed to a Choctaw official, Abramoff responded: "Ok, thanks. Please get me the groups we are using, since I want to give this to her all at once." Reed responded: "Amy, Grover, Lapin and one other I will get you."
...
Abramoff tapped the same cluster of tax-exempt groups in 2000 to help defeat legislation to ban gambling on the Internet. Abramoff's client, an online gambling services company called eLottery, donated money to ATR, the policy research center and Toward Tradition.

In May 2000, just before a key vote on the anti-gambling bill, the research center paid for the Scotland trip for then-House Majority Whip DeLay. Toward Tradition hired the wife of DeLay aide Tony C. Rudy, who later pleaded guilty to conspiring to corrupt public officials, saying his wife was paid in exchange for his official actions. Lapin has said his hiring of Lisa Rudy was not connected to any eLottery donations.

"It's not a tax-exempt activity to act as a bag man for Jack Abramoff," Marcus S. Owens, a former Internal Revenue Service official told the Washington Post.

We'll be mighty interested to see if the Bush Justice Department or the IRS will be doing any prosecuting these of these "charities" for their "acquiescence" to Abramoff laundering.

We've reported that Toward Tradition has fallen on hard times since all this has unfolded- the organization has vacated its leased north Mercer Island offices, laid off most of the staff, and is being run- mostly by the good rebbe- and from home.

This isn't the first time his non-profit has been mentioned as a laundromat for the former fat-cat lobbyist. Here's some more reading about the rabid rabbi:
Seattle times: rabbi daniel lapin abramoff connections
Rabbi Daniel Lapin: show rabbi of the racists
Rabbi Daniel Lapin: "The Man Who Stands By His Scandal-Ridden Friends"
Rabbi Daniel Lapin: More National Embarrassment
Rabbi daniel lapin, a long look backward

Comments

[The Anti KIRO]

This Goldy crap is cronyism at is worst!

Shut up everbody!!!

[The Anti KIRO]

I am so sick of these Ron and Don guys. Did KIRO pick these guys up at the local gym to "fill-in".

Give me a break KIRO...these guys can barely read the script. Get a respectable intellectual and forget about the failed DJ crowd.

[JDB]

You have probably already read this, but since the great blathering one doesn't have it up yet:

http://cbs4.com/topstories/local_story_177194808.html

Sources have confirmed to CBS4 News that conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh has been detained at Palm Beach International Airport for the possible possession of illegal prescription drugs Monday evening.

Get ready for spin like you have never seen it before.

[sparky]

It was probably anti-flatulence drugs that have not been approved by the FDA because nobody on the FDA board believes that anyone has that much gas....

[Stephen Schwartz]

Small point: in American Judaism the term "conservative" applies to a denmination of Jews .. not hardly Rabbi Lapin (who claims to be Orthodox).

[Fremont]

Great line, Sparkler! ROFL!