Mark Zachares

Mark Zachares is a Republican politician and lobbyist who served as Congressional aide to Rep. Don Young (R-AK). He pleaded guilty on April 24, 2007 to accepting tens of thousands of dollars in gifts from lobbyist Jack Abramoff^[1] in return for using his position in Congress to advance Abramoff's interests.^[2][3]

Career

Zachares became acquainted with Jack Abramoff while serving as Secretary of the Department of Labor and Immigration for the

Abramoff was the commonwealth's lobbyist. According to the Saipan Tribune, he was paid at least $11 million from 1994 to 2001 to prevent Congress from interfering with local regulation of wage rates and immigration - the two issues under Zachares' authority. "Beginning in the mid-1990s, Zachares came to have extensive contact with Abramoff during Zachares' tenure as an official of the CNMI, and Zachares and Abramoff became personal and professional acquaintances", the charging document said.[4]

Zachares received $10,000 from Abramoff's false charity,

It was alleged that

While doing favors for Abramoff from his positions on Young's committee, Zachares was rewarded with all kinds of favors, from being invited on a $160,000 golf trip to Scotland to use of Abramoff's luxury box seats at the MCI Center in Washington where the Wizards of the NBA and Capitals of the NHL play,

Woodmore Country Club, where Abramoff was a member.^[2]

Zachares, as part of his plea bargain, agreed to cooperate with federal prosecutors, who, in exchange, would not prosecute Zachares' wife, Cynthia.[5]

The scandal was portrayed in the 2010 movie Casino Jack and the United States of Money.^[6]

References