|
An American government adviser and lobbyist, caught offering access to top White House figures in exchange for hefty donations, has resigned following the launch of a Congressional inquiry into this scandal.
Stephen Payne, who has close links to the White House, had to relinquish his seat following an expose in The Sunday Times daily last weekend.
It also emerges that Payne had made misleading statements about his business dealings relating to another scandal in which a $2 million payment was allegedly made by a foreign government to secure a visit from Dick Cheney, the US vice president.
Payne, a leading fundraiser for George W Bush, was covertly filmed, offering to arrange meetings with Cheney, Condoleezza Rice, the secretary of state, and and other senior officials for a former dignitary from central Asia who wanted to relaunch himself politically.
The foreign politician was asked to make a payment of $250,000 to the Bush library, plus another $450,000 for his lobbying firm.
Payne said he stepped down because he could not devote the necessary attention to the post, given the controversy, the daily reported.
| 
