American International Center
Encyclopedia
The American International Center LLC was a front organization
established in 2001 by Michael Scanlon
as part of his conspiracy with Jack Abramoff
to receive and redistribute funds given by their clients for personal and political gain. AIC, like Scanlon Gould Public Affairs and Atlantic Research Analysis, was effectively a shell for Scanlon's primary company, Capitol Campaign Strategies
.
Presented as a thinktank, American International Center was headed by Scanlon's childhood friends, Brian Mann, a yoga instructor, and David Grosh, a lifeguard on the Delaware shore who operated it from his beach house. Grosh had no qualifications or experience relevant to policy research and currently works in construction. At a Senate hearing into the Jack Abramoff Indian lobbying scandal
, Mann refused to answer questions, but Grosh admitted that he had abetted the deception. In a prepared statement that opened his testimony, he said ""I'm embarrassed and disgusted to be a part of this whole thing. The Lakota Indians have a word, Wasi'chu
, which aptly describes all of us right now." The Center paid for the rent of the beach house and gave Grosh at most $2500 and some ice hockey
tickets.
In a documentary
Grosh recounted Scanlon's phone call to him:
The American International Center received a $500,000 contribution from the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana in 2001 via Southern Underwriters, a firm owned by a tribal member. AIC contributed $400,000 to Ralph Reed
's consulting company Century Strategies to block competition to the Coushatta casino. In all, Scanlon transferred $2.3 million through AIC to Reed.
Front organization
A front organization is any entity set up by and controlled by another organization, such as intelligence agencies, organized crime groups, banned organizations, religious or political groups, advocacy groups, or corporations...
established in 2001 by Michael Scanlon
Michael Scanlon
Michael Scanlon, AKA "Sean Scanlon", is a former communications director for Rep. Tom DeLay, lobbyist, and public relations executive who has pleaded guilty to corruption charges related to the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal...
as part of his conspiracy with Jack Abramoff
Jack Abramoff
Jack Abramoff is an American former lobbyist and businessman. Convicted in 2006 of mail fraud and conspiracy, he was at the heart of an extensive corruption investigation that led to the conviction of White House officials J. Steven Griles and David Safavian, U.S. Representative Bob Ney, and nine...
to receive and redistribute funds given by their clients for personal and political gain. AIC, like Scanlon Gould Public Affairs and Atlantic Research Analysis, was effectively a shell for Scanlon's primary company, Capitol Campaign Strategies
Capitol Campaign Strategies
Capitol Campaign Strategies was a public relations firm run by Michael Scanlon, Tom DeLay's former press secretary, which Scanlon used in coordination with Jack Abramoff to redirect about $40 million in lobbying contributions from Indian tribes to Scanlon, Abramoff, and their associates, as well as...
.
Presented as a thinktank, American International Center was headed by Scanlon's childhood friends, Brian Mann, a yoga instructor, and David Grosh, a lifeguard on the Delaware shore who operated it from his beach house. Grosh had no qualifications or experience relevant to policy research and currently works in construction. At a Senate hearing into the Jack Abramoff Indian lobbying scandal
Jack Abramoff Indian lobbying scandal
The Jack Abramoff Indian lobbying scandal is a United States political scandal relating to the work performed by political lobbyists Jack Abramoff, Ralph E. Reed, Jr., Grover Norquist and Michael Scanlon on Indian casino gambling interests for an estimated $85 million in fees. Abramoff and Scanlon...
, Mann refused to answer questions, but Grosh admitted that he had abetted the deception. In a prepared statement that opened his testimony, he said ""I'm embarrassed and disgusted to be a part of this whole thing. The Lakota Indians have a word, Wasi'chu
Wasi'chu
Wašíču is the Lakota and Dakota word for people of non-indigenous descent, with derogatory connotations. It expresses the native population's perception of the non-Natives' relationship with the land and the native population. Typically it refers to white people, but does not specifically mention...
, which aptly describes all of us right now." The Center paid for the rent of the beach house and gave Grosh at most $2500 and some ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
tickets.
In a documentary
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
Grosh recounted Scanlon's phone call to him:
- "'Do want to be head of an international corporation?'… I kind of laughed and I said, 'All right, well, you know, what's involved? What do I got to do?' And he said, 'Pretty much nothing'. So I said, 'Okay, sure and that's how it got started.'"
The American International Center received a $500,000 contribution from the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana in 2001 via Southern Underwriters, a firm owned by a tribal member. AIC contributed $400,000 to Ralph Reed
Ralph E. Reed, Jr.
Ralph Eugene Reed, Jr., is a conservative American political activist, best known as the first executive director of the Christian Coalition during the early 1990s. He sought the Republican nomination for the office of Lieutenant Governor of Georgia but lost the primary election on July 18, 2006,...
's consulting company Century Strategies to block competition to the Coushatta casino. In all, Scanlon transferred $2.3 million through AIC to Reed.