Abramoff, according to e-mails cited by the inspector general, worried the FBI report would prompt Congress to restrict immigration in the Northern Marianas -- cutting off a supply of low-wage labor for garment manufacturers who had hired Abramoff to protect their interests.
After seeing the FBI report, the lobbyist suggested an attack on Black. "We have to make sure that Black guy is smeared into the ground," Abramoff wrote in an e-mail to his clients.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Friday July 21, 2006 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 2 inches; 88 words Type of Material: Correction
Jack Abramoff: A July 1 article in Section A about a Justice Department report that said convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff had improperly obtained a secret file on the Pacific Island territories misidentified the author of an e-mail. It said Carl T.C. Gutierrez -- the former governor of Guam -- had sent Abramoff an e-mail calling the acting U.S. attorney for Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, Frederick A. Black, "a total commie.... We need to get this guy sniped out of there." The e-mail was written by Abramoff.
The inspector general's investigation, which included an interview with Abramoff and a review of his e-mails, followed a Los Angles Times report on the circumstances surrounding Black's replacement.
According to Fine's report, Abramoff became actively involved in the efforts to oust Black at the behest of then-Guam Gov. Carl Gutierrez, a Democrat who was under investigation by Black's office. Abramoff told investigators that he met with Gutierrez in February 2002 in an effort to land a $1.3-million contract with the government of Guam.
Abramoff, the report said, told investigators that the two came up with a plan to smear Black by releasing copies of a letter Gutierrez had written in 1995 to President Clinton. The letter referred to Black as "a good Democrat" and recommended he be reappointed as U.S. attorney. Black was originally appointed as acting U.S. attorney by President George H.W. Bush in 1991.
In one e-mail to Abramoff, Gutierrez referred to Black as "a total commie.... We need to get this guy sniped out of there."
In another e-mail, Abramoff wrote: "We are opposed to Black. He has been screwing us for years.... So this is good payback. I don't care if they appoint Bozo the clown, we need to get rid of Fred Black."
Although the inspector general's report said Abramoff had nothing to do with Black's ouster, it did find that the lobbyist had a pipeline into the White House through which he learned of Rapadas' impending nomination and other matters involving Guam.
Leonard Rodriguez, a Bush aide, told the inspector general's office that then-White House political director Ken Mehlman "recommended or suggested that I reach out to make Jack aware" on Guam issues.
Once informed of Rapadas' selection, Abramoff instructed his colleagues in an e-mail to take credit for the decision even though his favored candidate had lost out.
