GOP House Leadership Linked Anew to Abramoff

Doolittle's name surfaced in the probe when the Washington Post reported late last year that the eight-term congressman from Roseville -- a Mormon and staunch opponent of casino gambling -- used Abramoff's luxury sports box in a Washington arena to host a fundraiser and then failed to report its value, as required by law.

The Post pointed to Doolittle's use of Abramoff's skybox as an example of how the lobbyist used such perks to cultivate connections with influential lawmakers as he sought to further the interests of Native American clients who owned casinos. Doolittle subsequently paid back Abramoff's firm for the use of the skybox and reported it on federal disclosure records.

But with Abramoff and his associates the subject of a widening federal investigation into alleged influence-peddling, Doolittle's name surfaced again Friday. A Wall Street Journal article, citing several unnamed sources close to the probe, listed him as one of four lawmakers and more than a dozen former and current Capitol Hill staff members whose links to Abramoff are being looked into.

The other lawmakers were said to be former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas), Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Mont.) and Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio).

The Justice Department declined to comment on the report Friday.

Laura Blackann, a spokeswoman for Doolittle, denied that he had done anything wrong.

"Any suggestion that [Doolittle] may have had some improper involvement in matters recently disclosed about Mr. Abramoff and others comes as a complete surprise and is simply ridiculous," Blackann said in a statement. "Anyone who knows John Doolittle personally is well-aware of his character and high standard of ethics."

In an interview, Blackann said that the Justice Department had not contacted Doolittle or subpoenaed any documents from him.

It did, however, subpoena documents from Doolittle's wife, Julia Doolittle, who hosted a fundraising event for an Abramoff charity, the Capital Athletic Foundation.