US President George W Bush has joined the growing list of senior US officials and politicians discarding donations from a former political lobbyist who has agreed to testify in a broad-ranging investigation into political corruption.
Abramoff has pleaded guilty to charges of fraud, conspiracy and tax evasion as part of an agreement to help prosecutors in an investigation that could involve senior Republican politicians.
Justice Department officials said they intended to make use of e-mails and other material in Abramoff's possession as part of their investigation which is believed to focus on as many as 20 members of Congress and their aides.
"The corruption scheme with Mr. Abramoff is very extensive and we will continue to follow it wherever it leads," said Assistant Attorney General Alice Fisher, head of the Justice Department's criminal division.
President Bush's re-election campaign is giving up $6,000 in campaign contributions connected to Abramoff, who pleaded guilty yesterday to other charges of fraud, corruption and tax evasion charges in Washington.
Bush, DeLay, Blunt and Rep. Bob Ney joined House Speaker Dennis Hastert in announcing plans to either return campaign contributions from Abramoff or give them to charity. Several others announced in December that they were returning Abramoff's donations to their campaigns.
Abramoff raised at least $100,000 for the Bush-Cheney re-election campaign in 2004, earning the honorary title "pioneer" from the campaign.
However, the campaign is giving up only $6,000 directly from Abramoff, his wife and one of the Indian tribes that he worked to win influence for in Washington. The money is being donated to the American Heart Association.
Abramoff, his wife and the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan each donated $2,000 to the Bush campaign, said Republican National Committee spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt. The rest of the money that Abramoff brought in was from other individuals whom he encouraged to donate to Bush.
AP