Sunday, January 29, 2006

Lawmakers Push Bush on Abramoff Contacts

WASHINGTON (AP) - Republican lawmakers said Sunday that President Bush should publicly disclose White House contacts with Jack Abramoff, the lobbyist who has pleaded guilty to felony charges in an influence-peddling case.

Releasing the records would help eliminate suspicions that Abramoff, a top fundraiser for Bush's re-election campaign, had undue influence on the White House, the Republicans said.

``I'm one who believes that more is better, in terms of disclosure and transparency,'' said Sen. John Thune, R-S.D. ``And so I'd be a big advocate for making records that are out there available.''

The president has refused to reveal how much access Abramoff had to the White House, but has said he does not know Abramoff personally. Bush has said federal prosecutors are welcome to see the records of Abramoff's contacts if they suspect something inappropriate, but he has not released them publicly.

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