Duane R. Gibson

Duane R. Gibson, "a solo lobbyist and veteran of the Greenberg Traurig lobby operation," Judy Sarasohn wrote in the September 15, 2004, Washington Post, was "affiliating" with The Livingston Group as a consultant.

Earlier, Gibson was a senior staffer for Represenatative Don Young (R-Alaska), who chaired the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Gibson also worked for Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska). 

2000 Florida Recount
"Four of Abramoff’s colleagues—all of whom have left Greenberg in the wake of investigations surrounding Abramoff’s activities—were foot soldiers in the Florida recount. Two of them bragged of their recount work on their official online Greenberg biographies, which have since been removed," John Byrne reported in the May 5, 2005, Raw Story.

"Shawn Vasell noted that he was a 'team leader' in Broward and Duval counties in his bio; Duane Gibson was photographed in the acclaimed Brooks Brothers riot of Republican operatives outside the Miami-Dade County polling headquarters; Todd Boulanger boasted of being on the Broward and Duval recount team in his profile. Also on the ground was former DeLay deputy chief of staff Tony Rudy," Byrne wrote.

Newsweek reported in the December 4, 2000, issue "on how the 'spontaneous' demonstrations in Florida were led by senior Republican 'operatives.' They were summoned from all over by e-mail from the Bush campaign, provided with plane tickets and hotel rooms. These election 'observers' were handed placards to wave, T shirts to wear (SORE-LOSERMAN) and led in chants. ... One of the shock troops was Duane Gibson, who had his trip to Miami paid for by the Bush team and is an aide to Alaska GOP Congressman Don Young. He told Newsweek he was angered by what he saw outside the canvassing board's ballot-counting room. 'I thought, My gosh, they're taking those ballots to a closed area and they're not going to let us see them.' He insisted the angry demonstrations were 'spontaneous.'"

More on the Abramoff Connection
"Also, registered as a lobbyist for the [Missouri] Highway Commission was Abramoff deputy Duane Gibson, who aided Abramoff's Greenberg-funded efforts to stop the 2000 Florida recount and assisted in unreported fundraising events at Abramoff's DC restaurants held on behalf of GOP luminaries including DeLay, Blunt, and [Eric] Cantor." 

Duane Gibson worked on the Agua Caliente Band of the Cahuilla Master Plan for their Tribal elections in 2002, in order to help get candidates Candace C. Patencio and Virginia Siva elected to the Tribal Board. Gibson was working for Jack Abramoff and with Michael Scanlon on this project. (p.53)

Fundraising with Abramoff
On June 3, 2003, Speaker of the House J. Dennis Hastert’s political action committee held "a $1,500-a-plate lunch at [Abramoff's restaurant] Signatures at which Hastert [was] the featured speaker. Abramoff and two other members of his staff may have been in attendance, as Hastert’s PAC records contributions of $6,250 from the lobbyist and six other members of his firm"--Todd A. Boulanger, Duane R. Gibson, Kevin A. Ring, Shawn Vasell, Neil G. Volz and Padgett Wilson--"shortly thereafter–including a $500 contribution from Boulanger," John Byrne reported in The Raw Story, March 29, 2005.

"GovBizAdvantage"
"Duane Gibson, a former counsel to the House Resources Committee when Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) was chairman, named his firm GovBizAdvantage because as he navigates the 'maze of government,' he said, he tries to keep always in mind the specific business needs of his clients," Jim Snyder wrote May 4, 2005, in The Hill.

GOVBIZ Advantage is a registered lobbyist for the Alaska Federation of Natives as well as a registered lobbyist for the developers of the controversial Pebble Mine Project in Southwestern Alaska, Northern Dynasty Mines. Pebble, if developed would be the largest open pit gold mine in North America. 

Events
National Republican Congressional Committee "GOP Calendar of Events": July 27, 2005: "The Honorable Bob Livingston, The Honorable Andy Ireland, Duane R. Gibson, Bernie Robinson, Joan Galvin, Roger France, Allen Martin Cordially invite you to a fundraising reception with Congressman Richard Pombo." Note that all of the hosts are members of The Livingston Group.

SourceWatch Resources

 * "Team Abramoff"

Articles & Commentary

 * Al Kamen, "Miami 'Riot' Squad: Where Are They Now?" Washington Post, January 24, 2005.
 * Jonathan E. Kaplan, "The lobbyist and the lobsterman," The Hill, March 15, 2005.
 * John Byrne, "Stacking the deck: How GOP lawmakers teamed with a top lobbyist to crush a rival’s casino bid, raking in donations in the process," The Raw Story (Beware of This page catch), March 29, 2005.
 * John Byrne, "New ties link House GOP leadership with lobbyist Abramoff," The Raw Story (Beware of This page catch), March 29, 2005.
 * John Byrne, "Bush Florida 2000 recount committee still owes lobbyist's former firm $314k. White House directs queries to RNC," The Raw Story, May 5, 2005.
 * "Alaska Miner's Association 2005 Convention Schedule," Alaska Journal of Commerce, October 30, 2005. Coffee break sponsored by Duane R. Gibson.
 * Jeff Mazur, "Missouri Contract Followed Abramoff From Firm to Firm," Fired Up Missouri, November 22, 2005.
 * "Kenai River Classic" Guest -Greenberg Traurig, 2003.
 * "Kenai River Classic" Guest - With Mel Goodweather with the Group", 2005.