The Abramoff Chronicles: Jack is Back!

Jack Abramoff is back in the news, and that can't be good for the corrupt wing of the Republican Party.

Justin Rood of ABC News reports that the Bush White House had far more extensive interactions with the disgraced lobbyist than had previously been acknowledged. In fact, Bush himself met with Abramoff at least six times. The White House had previously held the number of such meetings at two.

Rood also reports that White House officials went to Abramoff for tickets to sporting and entertainment events. They also sought his advice on personnel decisions for plum jobs:

The committee's 2006 report found 19 instances in which White House officials asked for tickets to events from Abramoff and his associates, or were offered them. The new draft report said the new documents confirmed 15 of those and indicated six more instances, including tickets for soprano Sarah Brightman, to an NCAA basketball tournament game, tickets to the Washington Wizards and tickets to the Baltimore Orioles.

White House officials are generally restricted from receiving gifts worth more than $20 each, and from taking more than $50 in gifts from one source in a year. The White House did not respond to whether it was concerned about its employees violating federal gift rules.