In 1996, Jack Abramoff, then a member of Preston Gates Ellis & Rouvelas Meeds, targeted my Congressman, Doc Hastings, for lobbying, while Hastings served on the House Natural Resources Committee.^ⁱ Abramoff, and his team of lobbyists, then represented the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, a south Pacific territory of the United States. ^ⁱⁱ

In the 1990s, the Northern Mariana Islands faced sharp criticism from Democrats in the United States Congress.^ⁱⁱⁱ The territory’s factory workers, many from China and other Asian nations, toiled in "sweatshops" and were paid less than the U.S. minimum wage.^{^iv} Many of the workers worked under indentured servitude conditions and toiled as sex slaves.^{^v} At the same time, clothing produced in the Northern Marianas was allowed to carry the "Made in the USA" label.^{^vi} Congressional Democrats and the Clinton administration sought to increase the islands’ minimum wage and provide other labor protections for garment workers.^{^vii}

As the result of pending legislation, the Northern Marianas could use the assistance of a high power lobbyist on Capitol Hill.^{^viii} In an effort to convince the commonwealth’s government to hire Preston Gates Ellis & Rovellas Meeds, Jack Abramoff, in early 1995, wrote to the Northern Marianas’ lieutenant governor.^{^ix} In the letter, Abramoff bragged that his firm had an "excellent relationship" with Doc Hastings.^{^x} Two weeks later, in a similar letter to the commonwealth’s governor, Abramoff repeated the comment about Hastings.^{^xi}

Upon their hire by the commonwealth, Preston Gates lobbyists desired Hastings’ support of the Northern Marianas’ government in blocking the Democratic proposal, which would impose United States labor and immigration laws upon the United States territory.^{^xii} On June 1, 1996, an Abramoff assistant spoke by phone to Ed Cassidy and Chuck Berwick, two Hastings’ aides.^{^xiii} On June 20, a Preston Gates lobbyist discussed proposed questions, with Berwick, for Congressman Hastings to ask at a June 26 Native American and Insular Affairs Subcommittee hearing.^{^xiv} Cassidy, Berwick, and Doug Riggs, another Hastings’ assistant, discussed the proposed legislation with Abramoff assistants in the days before and after the June 26, 1996, subcommittee hearing.^{^xv}

Ironically, during the June 26, 1996, subcommittee hearing, Doc Hastings failed to ask questions of any witness.^{^xvi} Nevertheless, Hastings stated he had a "particular interest" in hearing from witnesses about the Northern Marianas and then introduced a prepared statement into the record in which he praised the islands’ government for "moving in the right direction toward self-sufficiency." ^{^xvii} In his statement, Hastings praised the commonwealth for "weaning" itself from federal dependency and for its economic growth.^{^xviii} Hastings warned any effort to impose tougher labor or immigration standards would result in the loss of jobs and businesses.^{^xix} "It would suddenly halt the commonwealth’s economic growth," he said.^{^xx} Doc Hastings also warned that the imposition of the minimum wage "could crush its fragile economy."^{^xxi} At the hearing, Hastings also asked that an editorial, published in The Washington Times, supporting the position of the Northern Marianas’ government on labor issues, be placed in The Congressional Record.^{^xxii}

Billing records show that the Washington Times editorial’s author was a paid consultant to Preston Gates. ^{^xxiii}At the time the newspaper published the editorial, Jack Abramoff, in a letter to a commonwealth official, praised the piece and said he intended to spread the article "all over Capitol Hill."^{^xxiv}

Ed Cassidy, Doc Hastings’ assistant, denied any lobbying contact of any sort with Jack Abramoff.^{^xxv} Cassidy also stated neither he, nor Hastings, recalled how the Washington Times article came into Hastings’ possession.^{^xxvi} Cassidy claimed Hastings had no idea that the author, of the Washington Times article, was affiliated with Preston Gates, adding that the lawmaker "reads that paper every day, rain or shine, and doesn’t typically call up the columnists to ask who paid their salaries that week.”^{^xxvii}

According to lobbying records, Jack Abramoff’s firm repeatedly billed the Northern Marianas for meetings and telephone conversations between Abramoff’s lobbying team and Representative Hastings' staff.^{^xxviii} In fact, Abramoff’s firm billed the Northern Marianas for as many as 85 hours for work relating to Rep. Hastings.^{^xxix} The name of Jack Abramoff, the chief lobbyist for the island territory, appears on the invoices.^{^xxx} According to billing records, Jack Abramoff spoke directly to Doug Riggs, in March 1997. [29] Hastings’ name also appears in correspondence between Abramoff and the government of the Northern Mariana Islands.^{^xxxi}

Preston Gates’ political action committee contributed $14,000 to Hastings’ campaigns, including $1,000 from Jack Abramoff.^{^xxxii} One of the contributions, for $500, came in conjunction with a Hastings fundraiser, on June 26, 1996, the day of the subcommittee hearing on the Northern Mariana Islands.^{^xxxiii}

During an interview in 2005, Doug Riggs, the former Hastings’ aide and now a lobbyist himself, claimed that Jack Abramoff’s "track record is one of deceit and dishonesty. We all knew it."

On January 3, 2006, Jack Abramoff pled guilty to three criminal charges: tax evasion, corruption of a public official, and mail fraud. On January 4, 2006, Abramoff pled guilty to two more charges, conspiracy and wire fraud. He now sits in a federal prison, in Cumberland, Maryland.

i Alicia Mundy, "Pasco Congressman in Rare Spotlight," Seattle Times, June 10, 2005; Michael Hedges and Samantha Levine, "Ethics panel chair linked to lobby firm - Representative. Hastings had contact with office of Abramoff now part of probe into DeLay trips," Houston Chronicle, June 9, 2005.

ii Alicia Mundy, "Pasco Congressman in Rare Spotlight," Seattle Times, June 10, 2005; Michael Hedges and Samantha Levine, "Ethics panel chair linked to lobby firm - Representative. Hastings had contact with office of Abramoff now part of probe into DeLay trips," Houston Chronicle, June 9, 2005.

iii Alicia Mundy, "Pasco Congressman in Rare Spotlight," Seattle Times, June 10, 2005; Michael Hedges and Samantha Levine, "Ethics panel chair linked to lobby firm - Representative. Hastings had contact with office of Abramoff now part of probe into DeLay trips," Houston Chronicle, June 9, 2005.

iv Alicia Mundy, "Pasco Congressman in Rare Spotlight," Seattle Times, June 10, 2005.

v Alicia Mundy, "Pasco Congressman in Rare Spotlight," Seattle Times, June 10, 2005; Michael Hedges and Samantha Levine, "Ethics panel chair linked to lobby firm - Representative. Hastings had contact with office of Abramoff now part of probe into DeLay trips," Houston Chronicle, June 9, 2005.

vi Alicia Mundy, "Pasco Congressman in Rare Spotlight," Seattle Times, June 10, 2005; Michael Hedges and Samantha Levine, "Ethics panel chair linked to lobby firm - Representative. Hastings had contact with office of Abramoff now part of probe into DeLay trips," Houston Chronicle, June 9, 2005.

vii Alicia Mundy, "Pasco Congressman in Rare Spotlight," Seattle Times, June 10, 2005; Michael Hedges and Samantha Levine, "Ethics panel chair linked to lobby firm - Representative. Hastings had contact with office of Abramoff now part of probe into DeLay trips," Houston Chronicle, June 9, 2005.

viii Alicia Mundy, "Pasco Congressman in Rare Spotlight," Seattle Times, June 10, 2005; Michael Hedges and Samantha Levine, "Ethics panel chair linked to lobby firm - Representative. Hastings had contact with office of Abramoff now part of probe into DeLay trips," Houston Chronicle, June 9, 2005.

ix Alicia Mundy, "Pasco Congressman in Rare Spotlight," Seattle Times, June 10, 2005; Michael Hedges and Samantha Levine, "Ethics panel chair linked to lobby firm - Representative. Hastings had contact with office of Abramoff now part of probe into DeLay trips," Houston Chronicle, June 9, 2005.

x Alicia Mundy, "Pasco Congressman in Rare Spotlight," Seattle Times, June 10, 2005.

xi Alicia Mundy, "Pasco Congressman in Rare Spotlight," Seattle Times, June 10, 2005.

xii Alicia Mundy, "Pasco Congressman in Rare Spotlight," Seattle Times, June 10, 2005; Michael Hedges and Samantha Levine, "Ethics panel chair linked to lobby firm - Representative. Hastings had contact with office of Abramoff now part of probe into DeLay trips," Houston Chronicle, June 9, 2005.

xiii Alicia Mundy, "Pasco Congressman in Rare Spotlight," Seattle Times, June 10, 2005; Michael Hedges and Samantha Levine, "Ethics panel chair linked to lobby firm - Representative. Hastings had contact with office of Abramoff now part of probe into DeLay trips," Houston Chronicle, June 9, 2005.

xiv Alicia Mundy, "Pasco Congressman in Rare Spotlight," Seattle Times, June 10, 2005; Michael Hedges and Samantha Levine, "Ethics panel chair linked to lobby firm - Representative. Hastings had contact with office of Abramoff now part of probe into DeLay trips," Houston Chronicle, June 9, 2005.

xv Alicia Mundy, "Pasco Congressman in Rare Spotlight," Seattle Times, June 10, 2005; Michael Hedges and Samantha Levine, "Ethics panel chair linked to lobby firm - Representative. Hastings had contact with office of Abramoff now part of probe into DeLay trips," Houston Chronicle, June 9, 2005.

xvi Alicia Mundy, "Pasco Congressman in Rare Spotlight," Seattle Times, June 10, 2005; Michael Hedges and Samantha Levine, "Ethics panel chair linked to lobby firm - Representative. Hastings had contact with office of Abramoff now part of probe into DeLay trips," Houston Chronicle, June 9, 2005.

xvii Alicia Mundy, "Pasco Congressman in Rare Spotlight," Seattle Times, June 10, 2005; Michael Hedges and Samantha Levine, "Ethics panel chair linked to lobby firm - Representative. Hastings had contact with office of Abramoff now part of probe into DeLay trips," Houston Chronicle, June 9, 2005.

xviii Alicia Mundy, "Pasco Congressman in Rare Spotlight," Seattle Times, June 10, 2005; Michael Hedges and Samantha Levine, "Ethics panel chair linked to lobby firm - Representative. Hastings had contact with office of Abramoff now part of probe into DeLay trips," Houston Chronicle, June 9, 2005.

xix Alicia Mundy, "Pasco Congressman in Rare Spotlight," Seattle Times, June 10, 2005; Michael Hedges and Samantha Levine, "Ethics panel chair linked to lobby firm - Representative. Hastings had contact with office of Abramoff now part of probe into DeLay trips," Houston Chronicle, June 9, 2005.

xx Alicia Mundy, "Pasco Congressman in Rare Spotlight," Seattle Times, June 10, 2005; Michael Hedges and Samantha Levine, "Ethics panel chair linked to lobby firm - Representative. Hastings had contact with office of Abramoff now part of probe into DeLay trips," Houston Chronicle, June 9, 2005.

xxi Alicia Mundy, "Pasco Congressman in Rare Spotlight," Seattle Times, June 10, 2005; Michael Hedges and Samantha Levine, "Ethics panel chair linked to lobby firm - Representative. Hastings had contact with office of Abramoff now part of probe into DeLay trips," Houston Chronicle, June 9, 2005.

xxii Alicia Mundy, "Pasco Congressman in Rare Spotlight," Seattle Times, June 10, 2005; Michael Hedges and Samantha Levine, "Ethics panel chair linked to lobby firm - Representative. Hastings had contact with office of Abramoff now part of probe into DeLay trips," Houston Chronicle, June 9, 2005.

xxiii Alicia Mundy, "Pasco Congressman in Rare Spotlight," Seattle Times, June 10, 2005; Michael Hedges and Samantha Levine, "Ethics panel chair linked to lobby firm - Representative. Hastings had contact with office of Abramoff now part of probe into DeLay trips," Houston Chronicle, June 9, 2005.

xxiv Alicia Mundy, "Pasco Congressman in Rare Spotlight," Seattle Times, June 10, 2005; Michael Hedges and Samantha Levine, "Ethics panel chair linked to lobby firm - Representative. Hastings had contact with office of Abramoff now part of probe into DeLay trips," Houston Chronicle, June 9, 2005.

xxv Alicia Mundy, "Pasco Congressman in Rare Spotlight," Seattle Times, June 10, 2005.

xxvi Alicia Mundy, "Pasco Congressman in Rare Spotlight," Seattle Times, June 10, 2005.

xxvii Alicia Mundy, "Pasco Congressman in Rare Spotlight," Seattle Times, June 10, 2005.

xxviii Michael Hedges and Samantha Levine, "Ethics panel chair linked to lobby firm - Representative. Hastings had contact with office of Abramoff now part of probe into DeLay trips," Houston Chronicle, June 9, 2005.

xxx Michael Hedges and Samantha Levine, "Ethics panel chair linked to lobby firm - Representative. Hastings had contact with office of Abramoff now part of probe into DeLay trips," Houston Chronicle, June 9, 2005.

xxxi Michael Hedges and Samantha Levine, "Ethics panel chair linked to lobby firm - Representative. Hastings had contact with office of Abramoff now part of probe into DeLay trips," Houston Chronicle, June 9, 2005.

xxxii Philip Shenon, "House Ethics Chief Is Tied to Lobby Figures," New York Times, June 8, 2005, Page A14; Alicia Mundy, "Pasco Congressman in Rare Spotlight," Seattle Times, June 10, 2005.

xxxiii Philip Shenon, "House Ethics Chief Is Tied to Lobby Figures," New York Times, June 8, 2005, Page A14; Alicia Mundy, "Pasco Congressman in Rare Spotlight," Seattle Times, June 10, 2005.