WASHINGTON – The Maryland 6th District congressional campaign saw its first attack Thursday with an email sent to state delegates, senators and Maryland reporters linking state Sen. Rob Garagiola, D-Montgomery, to felonious lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
The email by a “Tim Teblow” accuses Garagiola of working with Abramoff while at the firm Greenberg Traurig and includes a cartoon depicting Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. riding on a “Garagiola” donkey tied to an “Abramhoff” ball and chain, spelling the lobbyist’s name wrong.
Efforts to track down the “Tim Teblow” sender by replying to the email and searching social media were unsuccessful.
“Now the revolving door of ‘politics as usual’ continues as the Senator tries to ‘Hi-JACK!’ his way into Congress to take yet another corrupt assignment from the BIG LOBBY GUYS,” says the email.
“Rob got a good chuckle out of the cartoon and the first Republican attack on him,” Sean Rankin, Garagiola’s campaign manager replied in another email.
“For a minute, let’s focus on the facts: Rob worked at Greenberg Traurig along with 2,000 other lawyers. Abramoff was a Republican, Rob is a Democrat, and they neither worked together nor shared clients. Abramoff is a criminal and rightly was convicted for what he did,” Rankin wrote.
Greenberg Traurig has 1,800 employees according to Martindale.com, however the Washington, D.C., office employs about 90 lawyers.
Abramoff was a lawyer with Greenberg Traurig before he pleaded guilty in 2006 to mail fraud and conspiracy for grossly overbilling clients, including Native American casino interests. Abramoff served more than three years in prison.
Numerous lawmakers who received the email responded, many asking to be removed from the sending list.
“Please remove the Krysztoforski for Congress e-mail address from your distribution list ASAP,” read one. Joe Krysztoforski is a Republican candidate in the 6th District campaign against Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, R-Frederick.
Another replied to the list saying, “They sent the same ____ out about Glenn. Recycled ____.”
This is the first negative attack in the District 6 congressional campaign. The boundaries of the Republican-controlled district have been redrawn to include most of Democratic Montgomery County, making the district very competitive in the primaries and the General Election.
Rankin signed his email, “Welcome to Campaign Season.”