May 17, 2000

Abraham's Office Told Lobbyists About Attack Ads Ed
By NEDRA PICKLER Associated Press Writer
The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) - Democrats criticized Sen. Spencer Abraham on Wednesday for a fax from his Senate office telling lobbyists who support his pro-immigration bill about attacks he faced on the issue back home in Michigan.

The Democrats complained the fax was political and amounted to a violation of Senate ethics rules. Government-paid aides are prohibited from handling political, or campaign, literature.

A spokesman for Abraham, a first-term Republican in a tough re-election battle this year, said the senator simply wanted to notify parties interested in the bill's passage about opposition in the state.

According to a fax obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press, Abraham's staff sent a copy of an ad that appeared March 19 in The Detroit News to about 70 supporters of his immigration bill. The legislation would allow 297,000 more skilled foreigners into the United States over the next three years.

The ad, which opposes the legislation, was paid for by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) and encourages readers to call Abraham and "stop the giveaway of American jobs."

Abraham spokesman Joe Davis said the senator's staff has been sending faxes about immigration issues to the people on the list for years. He said it was proper to send the ad because it dealt with the legislation allowing more visas.

"It is wrong and misleading to have political groups say that this fax was used for political purposes," Davis insisted. "We did not imply, ask or tell any of these groups to contribute to our campaign or any other group."

But at an April meeting with lobbyists for high-tech companies that support Abraham's bill, Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., asked for donations to Americans for Job Reform, an organization financing ad campaign to counter the FAIR ads.

Davis denied that Abraham's office was involved in planning the meeting with Lott.

Jim Jordan, political director of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said the fax raises questions about Abraham's involvement in fund-raising for Americans for Job Reform, an issue advocacy group forbidden by tax law from promoting political candidates.

"Sen. Abraham's government employees from a government office are communicating to contributors and would-be contributors for political purposes," Jordan said. "This is not an innocent fyi. This is an implicit demand for political dollars."

Jordan said at least 12 people the fax was addressed to have donated money to Abraham's Senate campaign. He said those individuals and political action committees for the companies they represent have donated at least $24,475 to Abraham.

Former Michigan Attorney General Frank Kelley held a press conference Wednesday at the request of Abraham's opponent, Democratic Rep. Debbie Stabenow, calling for an investigation by the Senate Ethics Committee.

Kelley did not accuse Abraham of any wrongdoing, saying "it may well be that Senator Abraham didn't even know this went on."

Stabenow spokeswoman Carol Butler said Stabenow isn't yet calling for an ethics investigation.

AP-ES-05-17-00 2003EDT