Republican Governors around the country  have been the direct beneficiary of the conspiracy between Michael Scanlon and Jack Abramoff.  Both Abramoff and Scanlon have pled guilty to a conspiracy that included bribing public officials in return for offical actions that benefitted their clients.

In 2002, Michael Scanlon, via Capitol Campaign Strategies (CCS) contributed $500,000 to the Republican Governors Association (RGA).  Yet not a single Republican Governor has returned this money.

CCS was a primary vehicle used by Abramoff and Scanlon to defraud their clients and to funnel money for other purposes.  CCS is mentioned throughout the charging documents and pleas of both Abramoff and Scanlon.  (See the criminal information and plea of Michael Scanlon.)

Based on information first revealed on the watchdog website of PoliticalMoneyLine.com, a May 2004 story in Roll Call reported that Michael Scanlon made contributions totalling $500,000 to the RGA in October of 2002, which they subsequently used to benefit Republican candidates for Governor around the country.

The funds contributed to the RGA by Scanlon via CCS were the direct proceeds of the Abramoff fraud and bribery schemes.  Thus far no Republican Governors have returned this tainted money. 

Yesterday, Republicans, including the President, engaged in a publicity stunt.  In an attempt to distance themselves from the Abramoff scandal, they returned a handful of personal contributions they had received from Jack Abramoff. 

Yet, not a single Republican leader has has the integrity to demand that Republican Governors around the country and the RGA return this tainted money.

This is Exhibit A in the argument that Abramoff is a core part of the modern GOP.  He and the elected officials he has bribed and cultivated have institutionalized corruption within the GOP in a fashion that we can hardly yet comprehend.

As a starting point, every Republican Governor who has ever taken money from the RGA should be publicly hounded until they return every cent of this sleazy money.