Rabbi Daniel Lapin and his Mercer Island nonprofit Toward Tradition has been named by Senate investigators as among five groups that "perpetrated a fraud" on taxpayers by selling their clout to lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
According to today's Washington Post:
The report includes previously unreleased e-mails between the now-disgraced lobbyist and officers of the nonprofit groups, showing that Abramoff routed money from his clients to the groups. In exchange the groups, among other things, produced ostensibly independent newspaper op-ed columns or press releases that favored the clients' positions.
Officers of the groups "were generally available to carry out Mr. Abramoff's requests for help with his clients in exchange for cash payments," said the report, issued by the Democratic members of the Senate Finance Committee after a one-year investigation.
Lapin (KSFO Sundays,1-4p) is in good conservative company: Grover Norquist, the anti-tax guru who famously said government should be small enough to drown in a bathtub, is deeply implicated too.
The WaPo reports that Lapin, "whose group was at the center of some of
the most infamous lobbying schemes with Abramoff" told the committee
that he was shutting down the Seattle-based nonprofit because of
negative news coverage related to Abramoff."
But Lapin responded to an e-mail from the Seattle Times' David Postman,
"I can assure you that Toward Tradition is alive and healthy with a
brand new Web site only one week old and a vibrant program for 2007."
The "vibrance" is none too apparent- the Web site's calendar of events is as empty as the rabbi's ethical credibility.
We reported that Toward Tradition's funding, after the scandal erupted last year, had dropped to a dribble; Lapin had laid off the help, and moved its offices into Lapin's home. He rolled up his KTTH talk show and moved it to San Francisco's KSFO, where his name is not so well-known and connected to the scandal.
Syndicated conservative talker, Michael Medved, an old friend of Lapin's is on TT's board as was Jack Abramoff in better days.
Read our SF Bay Guardian piece about what brought us to this point.
Lapin told Postman, "Although unfounded allegations by Democratic
members of some committees and others during the first part of 2006
certainly hurt Toward Tradition, the organization at the present time
has no intention of ceasing its work and is engaged in its plans and
activities for the remainder of this year and 2007."
This grubbiness may be drifting from the unethical into the
criminal- Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont) the ranking Democrat on the Senate
Finance Committee is calling on the FBI and IRS to investigate these
charges that the Senate report plainly terms as a "fraud."
This has been coming down for a long time. Lapin has complained about
persecution by partisans, and continues to make occasional guest appearances on
local talk radio on shows such as Sytman and Boze (KTTH m-f, 5-9a).
How long KSFO can take the heat of having Lapin's dark cloud over their very conservative Sunday line-up. Stay tuned.
Read about the rabid rabbi's checkered past:
More embarrassment for rabbi daniel lapin
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
Get ready for the media blitz by northwest conservative radio talkers that this is the result of years of the evil democrats countering the good rabbi's wholesome message.
Posted by: Rick | October 12, 2006 at 06:18 PM
Deny, deny, deny. Works every time. Esp. for these guys . . .
Posted by: joanie | October 12, 2006 at 06:54 PM
Quite frankly, deny deny deny seems to work well for most everyone
Yawn
Posted by: Ryder | October 12, 2006 at 07:35 PM
I'd love to see that arrogant bastard perpwalked into the Federal Building downtown in cuffs.
Posted by: Committee for a Styble-free Overnight | October 12, 2006 at 07:42 PM
Ah, Ryder, sorry to be so obvious . . . just that the repugs have so overused the strategy of late that it just rolled out without my thinking . . .
BTW, Oprah is currently interviewing Frank Rich on TV. She's not my favorite hard-line interviewer, but I am enjoying the discussion. Love Rich!
Every since her show with Friedman, I've actually pegged her as part of the problem.
Posted by: joanie | October 12, 2006 at 09:18 PM
I love it. GOP scandal after scandal. And Frank Shier's topic tonight? "Kitties" Thanks a lot douchebag
OH, and this just heard on KIRO - Frank said that he "likes this topic" and wants to do more segments on pets.
Posted by: mercifurious | October 12, 2006 at 10:59 PM
STYBLEHEAD UNHINGED!!!!!!!!
Yet another overheard tribute to you Bla'M. Styblecrap called your website "venomous", that you're entire goal was to put "democrats into office", and "democrats onto news/talk radio".
He then gave us this gem:
"And it's funny, because I've been nothing but polite to that jerk"
Good work, Bla'M.
Posted by: mercifurious | October 13, 2006 at 02:58 AM