Lobbyist says he met Bush "almost a dozen" times

WASHINGTON — President Bush met lobbyist Jack Abramoff almost a dozen times in the past five years and invited him to Crawford, Texas, in summer 2003, according to an e-mail Abramoff wrote to an editor last month.

Bush "has one of the best memories of any politician I have ever met," Abramoff wrote to Kim Eisler of Washingtonian magazine. "The guy saw me in almost a dozen settings, and joked with me about a bunch of things, including details of my kids."

In the e-mail, Abramoff scoffs at Bush's public statements that he does not recall ever meeting the disgraced lobbyist and former top Bush fundraiser.

In an interview Thursday night, Eisler confirmed the contents of the e-mail and said he recently provided portions of it to the liberal Web log ThinkProgress because he thought he was dealing with a fellow journalist. The blog posted the contents of the Abramoff-Eisler communication.

Eisler said that Abramoff was the source of his exclusive report last month that at least five photographs of Bush with Abramoff exist. Abramoff showed him the pictures, Eisler said. Abramoff has told others he will not release them publicly.

Eisler said Abramoff did not grant him permission to release the contents of their e-mail and is upset that he did. Eisler, who described himself as sympathetic to Abramoff's situation, was trying to show the ThinkProgress writer that Abramoff was not exaggerating his relationship with Bush.

Eisler said he has known Abramoff for years and considers the level of vilification "out of proportion."

Eisler's wife, Judy Sarasohn, is a reporter at The Washington Post covering lobbying issues.

Bush has said he does not recall ever meeting Abramoff or posing for pictures with the Republican lobbyist at official events or parties. The White House has declined to release the pictures or detail Abramoff's contacts with top White House officials in the past five years.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Thursday that "what the president said still stands."

"Mr. Abramoff is someone who was involved in wrongdoing," McClellan said. "He acknowledged that himself. He is being brought to account."

Abramoff would not comment Thursday night.

He pleaded guilty last month in a bribery-and-corruption scandal that has rocked the Republican Party and threatened the political and professional careers of several lawmakers and aides.

No evidence has emerged that Bush or his top White House aides did anything improper to aid Abramoff or his clients, according to people familiar with the investigation. Several lower-level administration officials, however, have been caught up in the scandal, including the top procurement official. As the federal investigation unfolds in the coming months, it is expected to zero in on Abramoff's dealings with the Interior Department.

In mentioning the invitation to Texas in 2003, Abramoff was apparently referring to a private barbecue Bush hosted for his biggest fundraisers at the Broken Spoke Ranch, down the road from the Bush compound near Crawford, on Aug. 9 that year. About 350 Republicans who had raised at least $50,000 each for Bush were invited.

Abramoff was a member of the exclusive group of top Bush fundraisers known as Pioneers, each of whom raised $100,000 or more for Bush. So it would not have been unusual for him to be invited to the barbecue. McClellan said that the photographs are no different from thousands taken each year of Bush with visitors, supporters and even reporters, and that it would not be unusual for the president to not recall meeting Abramoff.

"Perhaps he has forgotten everything," Abramoff wrote in the e-mail. "Who knows?"