Ex-Malaysia PM: Abramoff Was Paid $1.2M

By PAULINE JASUDASON, Associated Press Writer Tue Feb 21, 7:53 AM ET
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said disgraced U.S. lobbyist Jack Abramoff was paid $1.2 million to organize a meeting between him and President Bush in 2002, but denied the money came from the Malaysian government.

Mahathir told reporters late Monday he was aware the payment was made to Abramoff, but he didn't know who made it.

In a report last week, The Los Angeles Times said that Abramoff received $1.2 million from the Malaysian government for his lobbying services in 2001 and 2002.

According to the Times, which cited an unnamed former Abramoff associate who attended meetings with the Malaysian ambassador and the lobbyist, Abramoff allegedly contacted presidential adviser Karl Rove at least four times to help arrange a meeting between Mahathir and Bush, which took place in May 2002 in the Oval Office.

Abramoff also has pleaded guilty to charges stemming from an investigation into his ties to members of Congress and to the Bush administration.

According to documents released by U.S. Senate investigators, the Malaysian government had paid $300,000 to a company connected to Abramoff as part of a broad lobbying strategy that included arranging two confessional trips to Malaysia in January 2002 and a trip by then-House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and his wife in October 2001. - Washington Post
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So Bush doesn't know Abramoff, he claims, despite the pictures of Abramoff in the White House, despite Abramoff attending 3 Hannukah reception at the White House, despite Abramoff raising over $100,000 for Bush's election (and being given entry into Bush's "Pioneer Group", a group of Bush's top fund-raisers), despite the picture of Bush hugging Abramoff, despite the Native American who was present at one of the Bush/Abramoff meetings, and despite former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad comments that Abramoff arranged a meeting which took place in the Oval Office. Somebody's lying, folks. Could it be the various cameras that took the pictures? Could it be the White House log that shows every visitor? Could it be the former Prime Minister? Could it be the Native American? Could it be Abramoff himself? Or could it be someone else?

It was all Photoshopped by Bush-haters. And they're funded by Al-Qaeda.

Thanks. I knew that there was a logical explanation. Those Bush-haters really are a despicable lot.