Yellow Dog

The Bush administration has tried to distance itself from corrupt lobbyist Jack Abramoff, claiming that he had no more than two known meetings or contacts with White House officials. Turns out that estimate was a little low: how about 435?

In January, after he was indicted and there were rumors —which turned out to be correct—that Abramoff was in several photos at the White House, Bush said at a news conference, "I, frankly, don't even remember having my picture taken with the guy... I don't know him." At the time, White House officials also suggested that Abramoff had little influence or contact with them. The report cites more than 400 instances of Abramoff's team lobbying the White House.

The report makes clear that Abramoff was in frequent communication with White House officials, particularly Susan Ralston, who was an assistant to Abramoff before becoming Rove's assistant early in Bush's first term. Abramoff's clients, mainly Indian tribes, paid for skyboxes and tickets to events that the lobbyist used to host congressional aides and others, and in the e-mails, Ralston treats Abramoff like her own personal Ticketmaster, frequently asking him if he has tickets to games and leaving the impression in some messages that she occasionally didn't pay for them. White House officials are banned from taking gifts of more than $20, which would barely get you a cheap seat at any of these events, let alone a luxury box seat. Other Rove aides were shown to be in e-mail contact with lobbyists on Abramoff's staff, and Rove himself e-mailed Abramoff a few days before the 2000 elections, responding to a message from Abramoff noting that "Governor Bush is winning" by saying "Jack - I will rest much easier..." Abramoff relied on Ralston, who remains in the White House as an aide to Rove, and Ralph Reed, an advisor to the 2004 campaign who was close to Rove, to communicate his wishes.

TIME.com: Too Close for Comfort with Abramoff -- Page 1