9.06.07Aides testify before jury
Rep. John Doolittle's staff questioned over lobbyist connections.
By David Whitney - Bee Washington Bureau
Rep. John Doolittle's office has confirmed that two staff aides testified under subpoena Wednesday before a federal grand jury investigating the congressman's connections to lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
Alisha Perkins, who has worked for six years as the congressman's scheduler, testified before the grand jury Wednesday morning, said the congressman's press aide, Gordon Hinkle.
Hinkle said Perkins was served a grand jury subpoena about the same time as was Ron Rogers, the congressman's chief of staff, and his deputy chief of staff, Dan Blankenburg.
Blankenburg also appeared before the grand jury Wednesday and later issued a statement.
"This morning I testified before the federal grand jury," he said. "Overall, it was a very uneventful experience. I was questioned primarily about the operations of our office. To me, the process represents a necessary and promising step toward the truth."
The scheduler is one of the most important administrative jobs in a congressional office. Perkins would have known who was trying to reach the congressman by telephone or in person.
Unlike Blankenburg, who started working for the congressman in 2005, and Rogers, who joined the office only in May, Perkins' work in the office dates back long enough that she would have been there when Abramoff and his associates, most notably Kevin Ring, were seeking to meet with the Roseville Republican. Ring, according to billing records from Abramoff's lobbying firm, frequently was in Doolittle's office meeting with him or his staff. Ring used to work for Doolittle and, after joining Abramoff's firm, was the lead in handling lobbying for several of Abramoff's clients, including the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and some Indian tribes.
Ring abruptly resigned from his lobbying job on April 13, the same day FBI agents searched the Doolittles' home in Oakton, Va., raising speculation that he was in negotiations with the Justice Department over his fate. His attorney has repeatedly declined to comment. Ring invoked his Fifth Amendment constitutional right against self-incrimination in 2005 rather than answer questions from the Senate Indian Affairs Committee.
In a statement Tuesday, Doolittle said he hopes that the testimony of his staff will bring quick closure to the investigation that has been going on for three years. He has denied any wrongdoing, but said prosecutors believe Abramoff paid his wife, Julie, for work she didn't do in an effort to reward him for help he provided to the lobbyist.
Alisha Perkins, who has worked for six years as the congressman's scheduler, testified before the grand jury Wednesday morning, said the congressman's press aide, Gordon Hinkle.
Hinkle said Perkins was served a grand jury subpoena about the same time as was Ron Rogers, the congressman's chief of staff, and his deputy chief of staff, Dan Blankenburg.
Blankenburg also appeared before the grand jury Wednesday and later issued a statement.
"This morning I testified before the federal grand jury," he said. "Overall, it was a very uneventful experience. I was questioned primarily about the operations of our office. To me, the process represents a necessary and promising step toward the truth."
The scheduler is one of the most important administrative jobs in a congressional office. Perkins would have known who was trying to reach the congressman by telephone or in person.
Unlike Blankenburg, who started working for the congressman in 2005, and Rogers, who joined the office only in May, Perkins' work in the office dates back long enough that she would have been there when Abramoff and his associates, most notably Kevin Ring, were seeking to meet with the Roseville Republican. Ring, according to billing records from Abramoff's lobbying firm, frequently was in Doolittle's office meeting with him or his staff. Ring used to work for Doolittle and, after joining Abramoff's firm, was the lead in handling lobbying for several of Abramoff's clients, including the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and some Indian tribes.
Ring abruptly resigned from his lobbying job on April 13, the same day FBI agents searched the Doolittles' home in Oakton, Va., raising speculation that he was in negotiations with the Justice Department over his fate. His attorney has repeatedly declined to comment. Ring invoked his Fifth Amendment constitutional right against self-incrimination in 2005 rather than answer questions from the Senate Indian Affairs Committee.
In a statement Tuesday, Doolittle said he hopes that the testimony of his staff will bring quick closure to the investigation that has been going on for three years. He has denied any wrongdoing, but said prosecutors believe Abramoff paid his wife, Julie, for work she didn't do in an effort to reward him for help he provided to the lobbyist.
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