In the name of faith

On May 1, a story in The New York Times Magazine told a sordid tale of "front groups, secret kickbacks, manipulated tribal elections and political payoffs," with lobbyist Jack Abramoff as the central character.

"What sets this tale apart," said U.S. Sen. John McCain, (R-Ariz.), continuing the stranger-than-fiction metaphor, "is the extent and degree of the apparent exploitation and deceit. Even in this town (Washington, D.C.), where huge sums are routinely paid as the price of political access, the figures are astonishing."

Abramoff, a self-described "religious Jew" whom Tom DeLay has called "one of my closest and dearest friends," is a lawyer with a seriously checkered past. His association with Citizens for America, a conservative group that once helped fund Oliver North's support for the Nicaraguan contras, ended badly when the group's wealthy founder decided that Abramoff had been less than careful with his money. In 1989 Abramoff produced a violent piece of trash on film called "Red Scorpion," then did a 180 and established the Committee for Traditional Jewish Values in Entertainment, which apparently lasted about as long as the filming of the movie itself.

When the Republicans won control of both the House and the Senate in 1994, Abramoff suddenly found himself in the enviable position of having access to great power. Because of his ties to Ralph Reed's Christian Coalition, the Republican National Committee and top House Republican leaders, Abramoff was in demand.

That he exploited that fact and became powerful himself in doing so is not in dispute. But Abramoff says he did it because he was part of a system that demanded such behavior. "I didn't create the system," he told The New York Times. "This is the system we have." He went on to compare himself to Job and to Jacob, insisting that his charitable impulses drove him to make money.

A spokesman for Abramoff told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that Abramoff's political activities, "like everything in his life, were informed by his religious beliefs. While he did not always meet the standard of his faith, he certainly aspired to do so."

But the words don't go with the picture. What about the concept of tikkun olam - our responsibility to make the world a better place rather than accepting "the system we have"? What about the fact that in Judaism, not only is slander forbidden (motzi shem ra, or giving someone a bad name), but so is saying something negative about another person (lashon hara), even if it is true?

On the basis of his derogatory e-mails alone - he refers to one Indian tribe as "(expletive) troglodytes" - Jack Abramoff either completely misunderstands the tenets of Judaism, or, more plausibly, uses them only when they serve his own selfish purpose.

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