Jack Abramoff '81 donated $50 to 'Deis in 2002
by Noah Bein
News | 1/17/06
Posted online at 7:50 AM EST on 1/17/06
Although former Washington lobbyist Jack A. Abramoff '81 admitted earlier this month to embezzling millions of dollars from various political interest groups, he donated a mere $50 to his alma mater in the 25 years since his graduation.
According to Nancy Winship, the vice president for institutional advancement, Abramoff gave the donation in 2002 in response to a mass-mailing from the development office. Winship said the money was spent in the 2002 operating budget, and the University has no plans to return it.
"The [donation] wasn't used for anything problematic, and we have no relationship with him," she said. "The $50 was not given to us to pressure us to do anything."
Abramoff pleaded guilty to three felony counts Jan. 3 as part of a deal with federal prosecutors in which he agreed to act as the star witness in a large-scale investigation of congressional lobbying practices.
Since the inquiry began, several members of Congress have rid themselves of money they received in connection with the lobbyist, including House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert of Illinois, who earlier this month donated to charity about $70,000 in political contributions from Abramoff and his associates.
Winship said Abramoff seemed to have severed ties with the University after his graduation. "He never attended an alumni event, never attended a reunion, never talked to anyone," she said. "Nobody had any relationship with him."
Nat Lathropp '09 said that while the University should consider donating the $50 to some of the victims of Abramoff's crimes, he did not believe it had committed a moral breach by accepting the contribution.
"I have a hard time getting worked up about that because I don't expect much from criminals," he said. "In some ways, it would be more embarrassing to the university if he had given us more."
Winship said the gift was a relatively small one for a Brandeis alumnus. A recent U.S. News and World Report ranking listed Brandeis 17th out of 285 national universities in the percentage of alumni who donate each year.
"He was obviously a very influential lobbyist who could have helped his alma mater, and he never had anything to do with us," she said. "When you have somebody who gives one gift in 25 years, they're really not on the radar screen."
According to Nancy Winship, the vice president for institutional advancement, Abramoff gave the donation in 2002 in response to a mass-mailing from the development office. Winship said the money was spent in the 2002 operating budget, and the University has no plans to return it.
"The [donation] wasn't used for anything problematic, and we have no relationship with him," she said. "The $50 was not given to us to pressure us to do anything."
Abramoff pleaded guilty to three felony counts Jan. 3 as part of a deal with federal prosecutors in which he agreed to act as the star witness in a large-scale investigation of congressional lobbying practices.
Since the inquiry began, several members of Congress have rid themselves of money they received in connection with the lobbyist, including House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert of Illinois, who earlier this month donated to charity about $70,000 in political contributions from Abramoff and his associates.
Winship said Abramoff seemed to have severed ties with the University after his graduation. "He never attended an alumni event, never attended a reunion, never talked to anyone," she said. "Nobody had any relationship with him."
Nat Lathropp '09 said that while the University should consider donating the $50 to some of the victims of Abramoff's crimes, he did not believe it had committed a moral breach by accepting the contribution.
"I have a hard time getting worked up about that because I don't expect much from criminals," he said. "In some ways, it would be more embarrassing to the university if he had given us more."
Winship said the gift was a relatively small one for a Brandeis alumnus. A recent U.S. News and World Report ranking listed Brandeis 17th out of 285 national universities in the percentage of alumni who donate each year.
"He was obviously a very influential lobbyist who could have helped his alma mater, and he never had anything to do with us," she said. "When you have somebody who gives one gift in 25 years, they're really not on the radar screen."
