washington | Reading the indictment against Jack Abramoff, one might not know that he was prominent in Washington Jewish circles. But in coming months, his ties with Jewish and Israeli organizations may play a large role in the web of illegal activity to which the lobbyist has pleaded guilty.
While Abramoff has been portrayed as a man willing to do nearly anything to further his political goals and wallet, he also has been an idiosyncratic player in the Jewish community of the nation’s capital, starting several short-lived, money-losing ventures to fill religious gaps he saw in the city’s Jewish world.
He also used his largess to further Israeli businesses and charities that appealed to his conservative worldview.
Specifically, Abramoff is accused of using money from a Washington charity he oversaw to fund military-type programs in the West Bank. Native American tribes donated money to tax-exempt charities, believing they were supporting anti-gambling foundations, but the money was redirected to a “sniper school” in the West Bank, operated by a friend of Abramoff.
According to congressional documents, Abramoff sought night-vision goggles and a vehicle for the sniper training facility.
Abramoff also allegedly worked on behalf of an Israeli firm that sought to wire the Capitol for cellular phone use.
While leading cell phone manufacturers in the United States settled on JGC Wireless to install antennas in House buildings, an Israeli company with ties to Abramoff, Foxcom Wireless, ultimately won the bid.
The switch is allegedly linked to Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio), chairman of the House Administration Committee, who accepted numerous favors from Abramoff over the years.
Foxcom didn’t pay Abramoff to lobby for the House job, but it did donate $50,000 to the Capitol Athletic Foundation, an Abramoff charity, the Washington Post reported.
Abramoff also has been tied to two rabbis, the Lapin brothers from South Africa, who aided his political and personal ventures. David Lapin was hired to run a Jewish school Abramoff created in suburban Maryland to teach his children and others.
Lapin also received close to $1.2 million to promote “ethics in government” to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, one of Abramoff’s clients. Officials on the island said Lapin did little for the money.
His brother, Daniel Lapin, is president of Toward Tradition, an alliance of American Jews and Christians looking to advance traditional values. Abramoff allegedly asked Daniel Lapin to create an award to bestow upon Abramoff to help his acceptance into Washington’s elite Cosmos Club. Abramoff suggested he could be a “scholar of Talmudic studies” or a “distinguished biblical scholar.”
Lapin said yes, according to e-mails obtained by congressional investigators, and asked whether Abramoff needed a letter or a plaque. Lapin told the Washington Post he meant the exchange to be tongue-in-cheek and never produced an award for Abramoff.
Abramoff also made contributions to several Jewish lawmakers, among numerous congressmen Abramoff and his associates help finance. Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.) donated $7,000 — the amount he received from Abramoff — to charity last week.
In Washington, Abramoff was best known for his idiosyncratic use of his money.
He shunned other religious schools in the area, choosing to open Eshkol Academy specifically for his children’s education. The school closed within two years, and several teachers say they are owed back pay.
Abramoff also opened several kosher restaurants that failed quickly. Stacks, a deli, was welcomed by the city’s Jewish community, but never made money.
A more formal restaurant upstairs, Archives, never stayed open for more than a few weeks at a time.