On May 9, 2001, five of lobbyist Jack Abramoff's clients met with the President at the White House. Grover Norquist, the President of Americans for Tax Reform, had invited them to a White House reception on behalf his organization.
Telling his clients they had to be event "sponsors" to attend, Mr. Abramoff convinced at least two clients to write $25,000 checks to Americans For Tax Reform (ATR). Four other of Abramoff's tribal clients also attended.
According to a Texas Observer article, Mr. Abramoff's client, Chairman of the Coushatta Tribe Lovelin Poncho came to the event after his tribe paid ATR $25,000.
Though they did not attend the event, the Choctaw Indians donated $25,000 to be a "sponsor" of the meeting, according to a June 8, 2005 Associated Press report. The same article reports another Abramoff client, the Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana, also attended.
Ben Fitial, then-Speaker of the House for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) showed up, too. A brochure later distributed by the Americans For Tax Reform features a picture of him shaking hands at the meeting with President Bush. Recently, Abramoff's ties to the Northern Mariana Islands have come under scrutiny: Several Congressmen have called for an investigation into whether he inappropriately influenced then-Attorney General John Ashcroft to get the US Attorney for the islands fired.
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Yet another Abramoff client, Raul Garza of the Kickapoo tribe, also attended. Last week, Time Magazine reported the existence of a photograph of Abramoff, Garza and the President from the ATR event. The White House has denied that Abramoff attended the event at all.
Finally, accounts suggest that a final Abramoff client, the Saginaw Tribe of Michigan might have been there. A May 2005 Newsweek article reported that Abramoff arranged for the tribe to meet with Bush and Rove after a $25,000 donation to ATR.