Wal-Mart's GOP outreach director to be charged with wire fraud in Abramoff scandal John Byrne

Published: Monday November 24, 2008





Print This Email This Wal-Mart's former Republican outreach director will be charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, the next to fall in a long list of current and former lobbyists linked to the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal, according to court documents filed last week.



Abramoff, formerly a powerful Republican lobbyist for the Miami-based Greenberg Traurig lawfirm, is now serving a jail sentence for bribing public officials.



James Hirni will be charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, according to papers filed by the Justice Department in U.S. District Court cited by Roll Call Sunday. Hirni was an executive director for Wal-Mart's Republican outreach effort.



Hirni is accused of providing a former Republican congressional aide Trevor Blackann with a trip to the World Series in 2003, including airfare, tickets, a souvenir jersey and other entertainment. The total value of the gifts was more than $1,000; Blackann is a former aide to Missouri Republican Sen. Kit Bond and GOP Rep. Roy Blunt.



In exchange, "Blackann agreed to provide favorable official action to, and to use their influence on behalf of, defendant Hirni," two other individuals and an unnamed equipment rental company, according to court documents.



The company was United Rentals.



"They wanted action on an amendment to a federal highway reauthorization bill that would have encouraged state public works agencies to rent, rather than buy, construction equipment," wrote TPM's Zachary Roth Friday. "That would clearly have benefited United Rentals."



The former Greenberg Traurig lobbyist once said that those who opposed Wal-Mart's labor practices were opposed to capitalism.



"It's the No. 1 company in the world and is doing nothing else than running a business and helping folks buy quality products at lower prices," Hirni said in 2005. "All that gets you in Washington is attacked by everybody else. Wal-Mart has been under constant attack for the past two years, by the unions, its competitors, by those that oppose capitalism."



Hirni spokesman's told Roll Call he's cooperating with the Justice Department.



"He regrets one single instance as a first-time lobbyist over five years ago when a mistake in judgment by agreeing to a client's request led to an unfortunate chain of events on one evening," spokesman Scott Sobel said. "Jim has acknowledged his role and the involvement of those responsible for that incident."



Sobel said Hirni is a former Abramoff lobbying "associate" but was not employed by Abramoff at the time of the incident.



Hirni told his alma mater's magazine in 2007 that he felt sorry for Abramoff.



"It's sad to see what has happened to Jack and to his family," Hirni remarked. "It underscores the point I made previously about appearances and ethics. You have to be straightforward in how you do business. You always want to make sure you follow the rules that are in place, and you make sure you do things on the most ethical, up-and-up level. I hate to see what's happened to him; it has been an ugly three years. This town is still going through the reverberations of what has gone on. It's a valuable lesson."



