Back Scratching and Greenwashing

The Council of Republicans for Environmental Advocacy, a nonprofit organization founded by Interior Secretary Gale Norton and Grover Norquist, has been subpoenaed by "an interagency criminal task force investigating former lobbyist Jack Abramoff." Abramoff and associates are being investigated for "their dealings with Indian tribes." CREA received significant contributions from tribes represented by Abramoff, as a quid pro quo for help with "the tribes' lobbying of the Interior Department," according to anonymous sources. CREA is a "staunch supporter of the Bush administration's environmental policies," and has been called a "greenscam" by Republicans for Environmental Protection, for taking mining, logging, chemical and coal industry money.