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Rove Aide Linked To Abramoff Resigns
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"She leaves without any animosity from us," said White House counselor Dan Bartlett. "She's been a tireless worker for the president, and we will be sad to see her leave."
As a former Abramoff assistant, Ralston played intermediary between the lobbyist and Rove. The congressional report found 66 Abramoff contacts with the White House, more than half of them with Ralston. In addition, Abramoff's lobbying colleagues contacted Ralston 69 times.
On Oct. 21, 2001, Ralston e-mailed Abramoff that Rove had read an Abramoff memo about a political endorsement in the Mariana Islands governor's race, a little-noticed election but one important to Abramoff because he had lucrative clients there. Ralston reported to Abramoff that Rove had agreed, writing the next day: "You win :)."
More often, Abramoff fell short at the White House. Abramoff contacted Ralston to get Rove to place a close ally, Mark Zachares, as head of the Interior Department's Office of Insular Affairs. Ralston rebuffed a meeting with Rove for Zachares, saying it was unnecessary because Rove was on their side. But Zachares did not get the position.
In November and December 2003, Abramoff e-mailed Ralston about Iraqi bonds apparently issued by one of his clients, American Bondholders Foundation, the House committee said. In response, Ralston indicated that the National Security Council had not "gotten back to me yet." Six days later, she had an answer. "The NSC is very suspect of this proposal," she wrote. "The White House will not support it."
Ralston helped Rove get tickets from Abramoff for a game in the NCAA basketball tournament but told Abramoff that "Karl has to pay for his tickets." The White House said last week that Rove paid for his tickets. But Ralston apparently did not pay for tickets she accepted to Bruce Springsteen and Andrea Bocelli concerts and Washington Capitals, Washington Wizards and Baltimore Orioles games.
"Are floor seats available," Ralston asked in December 2001 for four Wizards tickets worth a combined $1,300, the report said.
"For you? Anything!" Abramoff replied. "How many do you need?"
Ralston: "4"
"You got 'em," Abramoff said. "I'll organize."
