Katana VentraIP

Capitol Campaign Strategies

Capitol Campaign Strategies was an American public relations firm run by Michael Scanlon, Tom DeLay's former press secretary, which Scanlon used in coordination with Jack Abramoff to redirect about $40 million in lobbying contributions from Indian tribes to Scanlon, Abramoff, and their associates, as well as funding bribes to Republican politicians such as Bob Ney. Scanlon and Abramoff have pleaded guilty for their activities. After Abramoff left Preston Gates and went to Greenberg Traurig in January 2001, Scanlon formed Capitol Campaign Strategies. Its official location was 611 Pennsylvania Avenue SE in Washington, D.C., which is a maildrop. Scanlon also formed the dummy organizations American International Center and Atlantic Research Analysis aka Atlantic Research & Analysis, used to receive and distribute CCS money.

Their criminal scheme worked as follows: Abramoff directed his tribal clients to pay CCS for political services without disclosing his ties to Scanlon; the clients were grossly overbilled; Scanlon and Abramoff split the profits fifty-fifty in a scheme known to the two as "Gimme Five". Public relations firms are not under the same disclosure requirements as registered lobbyists such as Abramoff.

$1.8 million plus $2.3 million from Scanlon's front organization to Abramoff's college friend Ralph Reed in 2001 and 2002 to assemble anti-gambling coalitions in Louisiana and Texas. Abramoff and Scanlon later took on the Tigua Tribe of Texas whose casinos were blocked by the coalition as clients.

American International Center

$500,000 to the Republican Governors Association before the 2002 election (in two contributions of $250,000 each on October 17 and 22). The payment was not disclosed until the association filed amended reports on April 27, 2004. In January 2006 Gov. said the association would donate $500,000 to American Red Cross chapters in the hurricane areas of Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Florida and Alabama.

Mitt Romney

$125,000 to member Kevin Ring (through KAR LLC, based at Ring's home) with monies from the Pueblo of Sandia Tribe of New Mexico in 2002

Team Abramoff

$20,000 each to members John Van Horne and Michael Smith in 2002 (contrary to Greenberg Traurig policy; Horne and Smith were asked to resign in 2005)

Team Abramoff

An example of the Abramoff : more than $12 million to Abramoff’s Kay Gold Inc. in 9 months in 2002 [Roll Call, 3/23/04], including a $2,266,250 check on September 12, 2002

kickback

An example of an actual lobbying expense: $50,000 to lobbying firm Lunde & Burger to lobby Senator Dodd

$120,000 to the in 2002

Alexander Strategy Group

$950,000 via Scanlon's front organization Atlantic Research Analysis to Capital Athletic Foundation in 2003

Employees[edit]

A few mostly young people were employed by CCS in a townhouse on Capitol Hill.

January 3, 2006

Justice Department News Conference on Abramoff Guilty Plea

Susan Schmidt (August 21, 2012). . The Washington Post. p. A01.

"Lobbyist Quits as Firm Probes Work With Tribes"

. The Texas Observer. 2004-11-19. Archived from the original on 2006-04-15.

"K Street Croupiers: How Two of Tom DeLay's Players Beat the House at the Grand Coushatta Casino"

. Scripps Howard News Service. 2006-01-04. Archived from the original on 2006-01-28.

"Lobbyist made 1.17M off pueblo"

FBI press release, November 21, 2005

Former Public Relations Specialist Michael Scanlon Pleads Guilty to Corruption and Fraud Conspiracy

FBI press release, January 3, 2006

Former Lobbyist Jack Abramoff Pleads Guilty to Charges Involving Corruption, Fraud Conspiracy, and Tax Evasion

Text of Jack Abramoff plea