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DEL.ICIO.USThe Abramoff report and the Sonny Perdue staffer
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
On Monday, the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform released its report on convicted Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff and White House officials.
You can read the entire document here.
The one item of local interest is the August 2007 deposition by Padgett Robinson Wilson, a former staffer for U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal, then U.S. Sen. Paul Coverdell, who wandered into D.C. lobbying circles and became a low-ranking member of Jack Abramoff’s team — first at the team of Preston Gates, then at Greenberg Traurig.
The report makes Wilson’s importance clear:
The Committee sought depositions of Abramoff lobbying team members including Jack Abramoff, Neil Volz, Tony Rudy, Kevin Ring, Todd Boulanger, Shawn Vasell, and Padgett Wilson. Of these requests, the only Abramoff lobbyist deposed was Padgett Wilson, who while prominent in the Greenberg Traurig billing records, indicated that as Assistant Director of Government Affairs he was “basically a paralegal for the practice.”
Wilson, 34, has not been charged with any crime. Questioning by House investigators focused on whether prominent Republican figures in D.C., including Ken Mehlman and Karl Rove, received favors from Abramoff and his team. Wilson was also questioned about his social contacts with White House staff, many of whom worked for Coverdell, who died in 2000.
The most salacious evidence in the Wilson deposition was leaked several weeks ago. It’s an e-mail exchange between Ring, the Abramoff associate, and Wilson. The topic is a Dave Matthews concert.
Ring: I have the suite filling up with [Department of Justice] staffers that just got our client $16 million. Come to the show, baby.
Wilson: Are there any tickets left?
And as for DOJ staffers, those guys should get anything they want for the rest of the time they are In office opening day tickets, Skins v Giants, oriental massages, hookers, whatever…..
Under questioning, Wilson, a Dave Matthews fan, elaborates on the e-mail to House investigator, Suzanne Sachsman:
It’s not something that — it’s not me and it’s definitely not something I would ever say today, and it’s definitely not the way I was raised, but it was a smart aleck comment back to Kevin wanting to — kind of pointing out the fact that I’d really like to go to this and a bad attempt at sarcasm at best.
The investigator’s reply is interesting. She didn’t care about “hookers, whatever.”
“What I’m interested in is what the DOJ staffer has done that made you think that they should get anything that they want for the rest of the time that they’re in office,” she said.
Said Wilson:
Well, Kevin says something there and it was again a direct response to his comment, but you know, again, it’s bad sarcasm. And did I — would I ever think that somebody should be rewarded as a thank you? No, I really — I would never give tickets or dinner or anything as a thank you, so this is — this is just me being smart and a bad attempt at locker room humor.”
Wilson was hired by the state to handle Washington relations in 2005, just as the Abramoff scandal was exploding. Wilson informed the governor and his chief of staff when he gave the deposition this summer, and spoke again with the governor when the e-mail surfaced weeks ago.
“The governor and Pat talked about the issue of the e-mail,” said Bert Brantley, spokesman for Sonny Perdue, who noted that Wilson was the only cooperating member of the Abramoff team. “Pat was very upfront with the governor.
“He’s completely satisfied with everything that Pat has told him,” Brantley said.
Wilson is now in charge of governmental affairs in Washington and both chambers of the House and Senate.
Comments
By disgusted
June 10, 2008 4:50 PM | Link to this
How ironic that this man offers up hookers and is now in charge of governmental “affairs” in Washington and both chambers of the House and Senate.
By Luther
June 10, 2008 5:10 PM | Link to this
Enough already. Pat Wilson’s comment was funny and the real crime is that Washington prudes like Suzanne Rozanna Danna Sachsman can’t take a joke. Must have been a slow day for news in the AJC DC bureau.
By Clueless Sonny
June 10, 2008 6:20 PM | Link to this
Says a lot abut Sonny Perdue that this guy is on the state’s payroll.
“And as for DOJ staffers, those guys should get anything they want for the rest of the time they are In office opening day tickets, Skins v Giants, oriental massages, hookers, whatever…..”
You just don’t make up stuff like that as part of “lockerroom humor”.
Wilson is corrupt and has no business being paid by taxpayer money.
By wigbert
June 11, 2008 7:39 AM | Link to this
It was a complete joke! Go find someone else to whine about! The State of GA is lucky to have Mr.
By wigbert
June 11, 2008 7:45 AM | Link to this
It was a complete joke! Please find someone else to whine about, folks! The state is lucky to have Mr. Wilson on the payroll.
By Grumpy
June 11, 2008 9:42 AM | Link to this
Oh, yeah, Wigbert! We’re sooooo fortunate to have Wilson on the state payroll. Isn’t it interesting how Wilson and the likes of Ralph Reed and Tom Delay are associated with one of the most corrupt lobbyists in US History, and the rest of us are supposwed to be grateful that we’re paying Wilson’s salary? Wake up, Wigbert!! Your heroes are thieves!
By andy
June 11, 2008 10:52 AM | Link to this
Wilson will be gone by August 1st. Maybe he can work for some of the red light district houses in Vegas since he has such a deep understanding of their services.
By sickening
June 11, 2008 12:04 PM | Link to this
This guy is corrupt. He should not be representing the state of GA.
By Capitol Hack
June 11, 2008 2:29 PM | Link to this
I met Pat Wilson in DC a few years ago and was immediately impressed with his integrity and work ethic. I’ve had a chance to work with him a couple of times since and can honestly say that I believe his deposition that this single e-mail (you noticed it was the only one, right? Investigators found no other compromising statements from him, right?) definitely wasn’t the way he was raised and it was not something he meant to be taken seriously. Sometimes we all just do and say dumb things. How quickly could someone find something embarrassing in your e-mail history? The fact that he was the only G-T staffer to cooperate with the investigation speaks more about his integrity than a single sassy e-mail. Cut him some slack!