By Gina Tabonares
Variety News Staff

FORMER Guam Congressman Robert Underwood, who ran for the gubernatorial seat twice, had his suspicions confirmed that he was, indeed, a “victim” of disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
Underwood has been vindicated after Congress released a copy of Abramoff’s list of clients which included services rendered by the lobbyist for Guam officials who worked against Underwood’s gubernatorial bid.
While it’s been known for some time that Superior Court Judge Alberto Lamorena was the “mastermind” in contracting the services of Abramoff and directed former court administrator Tony Sanchez, documents show how the court also used judiciary money for politics.
Judge Lamorena and Sanchez paid Greenberg Traurig, Abramoff’s lobbyist firm, to help them win a turf fight over who would control the reigns of Guam’s judicial administrative power.
But aside from lobbying for the Guam Judicial Empowerment Act, Judge Lamorena, through Sanchez, also tapped the services of Abramoff not only to block Underwood’s judiciary bill but also to hurt the reputation of the former congressman.
They went to the extent of contacting a global news agency, United Press International, or UPI, to syndicate a damaging story about Underwood.
In his Oct. 6, 2002 letter to Abramoff—Sanchez, citing an instruction from Judge Lamorena--asked him if there was any national media that might be interested in a story involving Underwood and his affair with a woman.
“Any national media interested in a story on a U.S. congressman (Bob Underwod) who had an affair with a woman who was shot by her husband 10 years ago. Now the court case file is missing. Judge was BJ Cruz. The grand jury tapes are available for review via judges orders…Nothing has ever run. Need media to open files. KUAM seems reluctant,” Sanchez stated in his letter to Abramoff.
The lobbyist replied: “We could get UPI to do an item. Get me the facts in one page.”
Underwood told Variety that UPI released some sort of story in 2002.
Franking case
Besides indications that Abramoff worked for the Republican team of Ada-Camacho in the 1998 election, dirty tactics against Underwood when he ran against Camacho and Moylan in 2002 were also confirmed in the Greenberg Traurig’s records of clients.
Underwood lost the 2002 election to Felix P. Camacho because of the mass distributed flyers from Mississippi alleging that the Democratic gubernatorial candidate was anti-Filipino.
When Underwood distributed letters to Filipino voters on Guam, it was used as the basis of a franking case filed against him in Congress.
Filed by one Ryan Slater, the complaint cited that the former Congress delegate, under his frank, mailed to Filipino voters on Guam a letter including enclosures of his picture taken with Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
Underwood told Variety that he knew all along that the anti-Filipino flyers and the franking case were prepared by the same group, but it was difficult to get evidence to prove his suspicions.
Greenberg Traurig records show that one of the firm’s staff, Jane C. Gumbrewicz, spent almost four hours drafting a complaint for misuse of House franking laws on Aug. 22, 2002. She charged Guam Superior Court $563.10 for the work.
On the same day, Jon W. van Horne prepared the draft franking complaint and charged $1,198.85 for the three hours he did spent on the demolition job against Underwood.
The complaint filed before the chairman of the U.S. Congress Commission on Congressional Mailing Standards alleged that Underwood used the letter to solicit political support for his candidacy in the Sept. 7, 2002 gubernatorial election.
Judicial bill
The Guam judicial independence bill, also known as H.R. 2400, was first reported out of the House resources committee on July 14, 2004, and later passed the U.S. House of Representatives on Sept. 13, 2004 before it was sent to the Senate for consideration.
It was based on a local law authored by former Sen. Randall Cunliffe, whose major amendment not just establishes the judiciary as an independent branch of the government of Guam, but also clarifies that the Supreme Court of Guam shall have appellate and administrative authority over all inferior courts on Guam, thereby effectively establishing a unified local judiciary.
The language of H.R. 2400 is based upon previous legislation introduced by Underwood in the 105th, 106th, and 107th Congresses.
Underwood’s judicial bill was a major project of Abramoff’s firm since day one of their lobbying contract with the Superior Court of Guam.
Greenberg Traurig staff professional services started on March 8, 2002 with discussions with Senate Republican leadership on how to block Underwood’s bill.
Almost every day, Greenberg Traurig senior director Michael Williams’s strategized against Underwood bill. There were occasions when they would get congressmen’s help in delaying consideration of the proposed legislation and spend a remarkable amount of money for dinner and lunch just “to ensure that the Underwood bill is not considered on the House floor.”
Underwood recalled those trying times in Congress, saying that he felt that there were people who preoccupied themselves with killing his judiciary bill.
“They haunted me politically,” he told Variety.
The orchestrated opposition against Underwood’s bill succeeded as reflected in the Greenberg Traurig professional services record stating that on Nov. 27, 2002, Williams met and thanked a Congressional staffer for “his help in defeating the Underwood bill.”
This was also confirmed by Howard Hills’ attorney, Carol Elder Bruce, who informed the Guam Judiciary that Abramoff actually won the turf fight for the Superior Court for a period of time until public revelations about the lobbyist’s involvement in the lobbying forced a reversal.
Investigation
Underwood said now that records show how people’s money was used to destroy other people, the investigation should continue to look deeper into the role of Abramoff in Guam.
“It is sad and disgusting. We should spare no effort to make sure that this will not happen again. If Abramoff was not indicted, this would have not come out in the open and this would continue to happen. People should demand a full investigation of Guam’s link with Abramoff,” he told Variety.
Underwood said Judge Lamorena’s role in the issue “shows that there are people who get attracted to power and they will do everything to hold onto the power that they have.”
He said it was unfortunate, saying that he has known the presiding judge since they were in high school.
“We should support Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo’s initiative to ask for this inquiry so everything will come clear and we will find out who was really involved with Abramoff,” Underwood concluded.