Did Jack Abramoff and Ralph Hall (R) conspire to smear former sex slave from the CNMI?

[ck4829]

In September 1997, Representative Neil Abercrombie (D-HI) placed remarks in the Congressional Record describing a teenager named Katrina, whose story had been widely publicized, stating that an "employer had lured her to the CNMI under false pretenses" and that "she was also forced into service as a prostitute."

Abramoff's staff contacted Hall's office fifteen times in the two months following Abercrombie's remarks. In November 1997, Hall entered into the Congressional Record a statement saying that upon reviewing those remarks, he had "felt that Congressman Abercrombie had relied on an erroneous and misleading article published by the Reader's Digest some months ago." The article, according to Hall, said that the teenager "was forced to perform lewd sex acts with customers before a video camera." Hall quoted a report by the (acting) attorney general of the CNMI in response: "in fact...she wanted to do nude dancing...to support her family." The remarks by Abercrombie did not cite that source and the Reader’s Digest June 1997 story by Henry Hurt, "Shame on American Soil," does not refer to a child named Katrina.

In his remarks, Hall also said "I intend to seek further information on matters as reported by the Reader's Digest author--and I would hope that a fair minded person like Congressman Abercrombie would accompany me early next year if, and when, we can both work a visit into our schedule--a visit that would not involve the expenditure of any American tax dollars.

Asked in 2006 how the 1996 trip benefited the Texas Fourth Congressional District he represents, Hall said, "I think it benefits my constituents if you do anything that benefits the Peace Through Strength people, when you’re going out to bring information to them to help win the Cold War. That’s a benefit to them, to their strategic interests." The last gasps of the Cold War ended in 1991.

Hall also said "the whole thing was about ... them setting their own minimum wage. They had told me they would waive their foreign aid in return for setting their own minimum wage." Hall’s comments in the Congressional Record in 1997 do not mention minimum wage and the CNMI receives no foreign aid.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Hall#.22Katrina.22_controversy

[David Zephyr]

1. This story deserves more play.

Thanks for posting it here. :thumbsup:

[leveymg]

2. "a visit that would not involve the expenditure of any American tax dollars."

So, who was going to pay for that Congressional junket?

One guess: Jack Abramoff's client.

If that trip was made, here's an admission of payolla to Rep. Hall.