February 14, 2005
Greenberg Traurig settles with Tigua tribe

Interesting development in the Abramoff/Scanlon scandal.


A Texas Indian tribe that paid $4.2 million to two Washington consultants for help reopening its casino -- while unaware that the same consultants had quietly worked to shut the casino down -- has reached a settlement with the law firm Greenberg Traurig, which employed one of the men.

Representatives of the Tigua tribe of El Paso said yesterday that they negotiated a confidential financial settlement with Greenberg Traurig in January. As part of the arrangement, they said, Greenberg Traurig will have the authority to pursue claims on the tribe's behalf against its former employee Jack Abramoff and public relations consultant Michael Scanlon.

[...]

Attorneys for Scanlon and Abramoff said they were surprised yesterday by the settlement. "If its terms are as described by the Tigua representative," said Scanlon's lawyer, Stephen L. Braga, "it's a most unusual posture for Greenberg Traurig to put itself in, and we would have to see how it plays out in court."

"Without seeing the settlement, Mr. Abramoff can have no comment," said a spokesman for Abramoff's lawyer, Abbe D. Lowell. "But it would be an odd legal arrangement for the firm to be able to sue one of its former employees on behalf of a tribe it did not represent and does not stand in the shoes of."


Sounds like a little false bravado to me. Given Scanlon and Abramoff's reticence so far before the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, I'm thinking that they wouldn't be looking forward to the discovery process. We'll see what happens. Via Julia.

In tangential news, the CRNC Truth Caucus has some of the actual letters sent out by the College Republicans to scare senior citizens into sending them lots of money. They also say that CRNC President Eric Hoplin, the driving force behind this debacle, is mulling a run for Congress. Yo, Jesse Lee - call your office.

Posted by Charles Kuffner on February 14, 2005 to Scandalized! | TrackBack
Comments

I am sure Mr. Lowell is a fine attorney, but, if Texas law is controlling, he needs to check the employer's right on indemnity against a an employee and a partnership's right of indemnity against a partner. If the employer/partnership had to pay a settlement because of the wrongdoing of the employee/partner, they are entitled to indemnity (get paid back) by the partner/employee. I suspect that this is the law in other jurisdictions as well.

Posted by: cdw on February 14, 2005 3:01 PM

Ha, sorry I'm a couple days late, but don't worry, I'll keep an eye on him. I hope he runs.

Posted by: jesselee on February 16, 2005 3:22 PM