Norquist implicated in Abramoff case

Senate Report: Five Nonprofit Groups Sold Clout to Abramoff

By James Grimaldi and Steno Sue Schmidt in the Washington Post.

Five conservative nonprofit organizations, including one run by prominent Republican Grover Norquist, "perpetrated a fraud" on taxpayers by selling their clout to lobbyist Jack Abramoff, Senate investigators said in a report issued today.

The report includes previously unreleased e-mails between the now-disgraced lobbyist and officers of the nonprofit groups, showing that Abramoff routed money from his clients to the groups. In exchange the groups, among other things, produced ostensibly independent newspaper op-ed columns or press releases that favored the clients' positions.

How conveeeeeeenient that they would release this report now.  What with Yankee airplanes and La Cage Aux Foley, I mean...

Norquist's attorney told the Senate panel that as long as Americans for Tax Reform spends funds in keeping with its general purpose, "There is no 'abuse' of ATR's tax status."

You just keep telling yourself that, Grovie.

The article details emails that show exactly how Grover was hitting Abramoff up for cold, hard cash.
(UPDATE) Another lovely part of the article:

The committee chairman, Charles Grassley (R-IA), "endorsed its findings of wrongdoing by the nonprofit groups."