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Arizona congressman sheds campaign contributions linked to lobbyist Shadegg jumps into majority-leader race Arizona's Shadegg joins race for House majority leader

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PHOENIX — Rep. John Shadegg, R-Ariz., who has been mentioned as a possible candidate for House majority leader, has shed more than $6,900 in campaign contributions from sources connected with disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Shadegg's office said his campaign fund in early December returned one tribal contribution and donated to charities five others that had come to him through a partner of Abramoff and the political arm of the lobbyist's employer.

Sean Noble, a campaign spokesman and chief of Shadegg's Arizona staff, said three contributions involved the congressman's use of sports suites provided to him for fund-raisers at hockey and basketball games at the MCI Center in Washington and one fund-raising dinner paid for by Abramoff partner Kevin Ring. The total value was calculated as $5,444.

The skyboxes were leased in Abramoff's name and parceled out at his discretion for others to use. Some of his clients — Indian tribes with gambling interests — footed the bill.

If food, entertainment or a venue for a fund-raiser are paid for by anyone other than the politician's campaign fund, the value must be disclosed as an in-kind contribution in reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.

Two cash contributions, $500 from Ring and $1,000 from the PAC at the Greenberg Traurig law firm, brought Shadegg's total to $6,944.

Noble said the campaign returned $1,388 to the Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana, a former Abramoff client; donated $1,500 to the Phoenix-area Native American Connections charity; and sent the remaining $4,056 to the National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling.

Although Shadegg's campaign reported the value of the skyboxes used in 1999 and 2003, use of the box on Feb. 28, 2000, was not reported early last year. Noble said the report "slipped through the cracks."