Fraser Verrusio

Fraser Verrusio, was a high-level committee aide to Alaska Rep. Don Young and a policy director for the House Transportation Committee while Young was chairman of the panel. On March 6, 2009, he was indicted for violating federal anti-corruption laws in the long-running Jack Abramoff scandals.^[1]

Background

Verrusio was one of the first hires Young made when he took over as chairman of the Transportation Committee in 2001 and was promoted to policy director in 2002.^[1] He was charged with using his position on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to help an equipment rental company secure three amendments in federal highway legislation^[2] and accepting an all-expenses-paid trip to the first game of the 2003 World Series in New York between the Yankees and the Florida Marlins that later included a visit to a strip club. The amendments "would have encouraged public works agencies collecting federal highway money to rent rather than own equipment", according to the indictment. Rather than purchase their equipment, the amendment created incentives for agencies to rent from the leasing company, which wasn't named in the indictment."^[1]

The equipment rental conspiracy alleged in the indictment "has already resulted in guilty pleas from the two Abramoff associates -- Todd Boulanger and James Hirni -- and the Senate aide, Trevor Blackann, who at the time worked for Missouri Senator Christopher Bond, ^[1]

References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Mauer, Richard (2009-03-06). "Former Young aide is indicted in lobbying scandal: GRATUITY: All-expense paid trip to World Series wasn't reported.". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved 2009-03-11. 
2. ↑ Roth, Bennett (2009-03-06). "Former Aide to Rep. Don Young Indicted as Part of Abramoff Probe". CQPolitics.com. Retrieved 2009-03-11.