National Center for Public Policy Research
Funded in part by the Scaife family and endorsed by every conservative hero from Paul Weyrich to George W. Bush himself, the NCPPR has been championing conservative causes since 1982. According to their website, NCPPR is "a communications and research foundation supportive of a strong national defense and dedicated to providing free market solutions to today's public policy problems."
NCPPR's chairman and president is Amy Ridenour, who worked with the College Republicans and also for Reagan's 1980 campaign. Jack Abramoff was a member of the board.
Key Points:
Delay claimed NCPPR covered his Russia trip.
Tom Delay visited Russia in 1997 to meet with executives of Russian oil and gas companies as well as Jack Abramoff at a cost of over $57,000 for Delay and his staff. He claimed NCPPR covered it, but NCPPR was reimbursed by a Bahamian firm connected to Russian oil interests.
Buckham claimed NCPPR covered Concorde ticket.
On the Buckham-Delay trip to Russia in 1997, which was financed by Russian oil interests, Buckham took a $5,500 flight home on the Concorde. He claimed the ticket was financed by the NCPPR.
Delay claimed NCPPR covered Scotland Trip.
When Delay and his wife went to Scotland in 2000 along with several of his staffers, Jack Abramoff, and Ed Buckham, he claimed that the NCPPR covered his expenses. But the expenses were placed on the credit cards of Jack Abramoff and Ed Buckham, both lobbyists. House ethics rules do not allow lobbyists to cover travel expenses, and there is no exemption based on the fact that Abramoff was on NCPPR's board of directors at the time.
Research by Ryan Chiachiere
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