Casino Jack And The United States Of Money Reddit
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January 27, 2010

from DemocracyNow Website

As a Supreme Court ruling opens the floodgates for corporations to affect elections, we take a look at corporate money and politics with Academy Award-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney.

His new documentary, Casino Jack and the United States of Money, focuses on the rise and fall of disgraced Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

We also speak with David Sickey, a member of the Tribal Council of the Coushatta Tribe, and Tom Rodgers, a lobbyist and member of the Blackfeet tribe who was a key whistleblower in the Abramoff case.

Outside of the film, this is Rodgers’ first national broadcast interview.

Guests

Alex Gibney, Academy Award-winning filmmaker. His latest documentary is called Casino Jack and the United States of Money.
Tom Rodgers, member of the Blackfeet tribe and a lobbyist with Carlyle Consulting.
David Sickey, member of the Tribal Council of the Coushatta Tribe.

Video Interview

Rush Transcript

AMYGOODMAN: We turn now to the issue of corporate money and politics.
Seven days ago, the Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling to allow corporations to spend unlimited amounts of money to elect and defeat candidates. In a five-to-four decision, the conservative members of the court argued that corporations and unions have First Amendment rights and that the government cannot impose restrictions on their political speech.
Many advocates for fair elections say the Court’s decision in the Citizens United case will open the floodgates of corporate campaign donations. In the dissenting opinion, Justice John Paul Stevens wrote, quote,
“The Court’s ruling threatens to undermine the integrity of elected institutions across the nation.”
Here at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, where we’re broadcasting, one of the most talked-about films deals with the topic of money and politics. It’s called Casino Jack and the United States of Money.
The documentary is by the Academy Award-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney. It focuses on the rise and fall of disgraced Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who is now serving time in jail for defrauding American Indian tribes, bribing public officials, and evading taxes.
In a moment, Alex Gibney will join us here in Park City, but first, a clip from Casino Jack.
NEWSREPORT: The government says Abramoff has admitted to bribing as many as twenty members of Congress.
ALICEFISHER: His activities went far beyond lawful lobbying.
MIKEWALLER: He was the number one lobbyist in Washington, who could get you in touch with the best and most influential members of Congress.
NEILVOLZ: It’s amazing how many members of Congress wanted in with Jack.
NEWSREPORT: When the story broke, President Bush publicly tried to distance himself from Jack Abramoff.
PRESIDENTGEORGE W. BUSH: I frankly don’t even remember having my picture taken with the guy.
BOBNEY: You know, all of a sudden, nobody remembered Jack Abramoff.
PRESIDENTGEORGE W. BUSH: I don’t know him.
BOBNEY: Of course Bush knew him. Absolutely.
SUSANSCHMIDT: It’s just amazing how close Abramoff and his people got to the levers of power in Washington.
TOMRODGERS: We had no idea that it would lead to the resignation of Tom DeLay, to the conviction of Bob Ney, to Tony Rudy, to Neil Volz. So many people were pulled into this web: Ralph Reed, John Doolittle, Karl Rove, Dick Armey, Conrad Burns, Don Young, Grover Norquist. It was all about the money. It’s the selling of America.
AMYGOODMAN: An excerpt from Casino Jack and the United States of Money.
The filmmaker Alex Gibney joins us here in Park City. We’re broadcasting from the headquarters of the Sundance Film Festival in Utah.
In 2007, Alex won an Academy Award for his documentary Taxi to the Dark Side. He also made the film Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room.
We’re also joined by two other guests who certainly played a role in the Jack Abramoff scandal, and they appear in the film. David Sickey is a member of the Tribal Council of the Coushatta Tribe. He’s the vice chair.
Tom Rodgers is a member of the Blackfoot Tribe, and he’s a lobbyist with Carlyle Consulting. The Hill newspaper just published an article about Rodgers titled 'The Man Who Blew the Whistle on Jack Abramoff Tells the Story of How He Did It.'
Well, I want to welcome you all here in Park City to Sundance headquarters, where we’re broadcasting from. Your film, Alex, has been received, as Taxi to the Dark Side was, with great acclaim here, the first time it’s showing.
Talk about the significance of going back in time a bit to Jack Abramoff, what could look like a really interesting historical piece, and the Supreme Court decision that just came out.
ALEXGIBNEY: Well, I think the Supreme Court decision suddenly pulls these events

Casino Jack And The United States Of Money Reddit