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:	post by whiskey_weed_and_women at 2006-05-25 07:27:33

more from cnn

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- House Speaker Dennis Hastert is demanding a "full retraction" of an ABC News report that he is being investigated in connection with the Jack Abramoff corruption probe.

The report Wednesday night prompted the Justice Department to take the highly unusual step of denying on the record that the Illinois Republican is the subject of a probe.

"Speaker Hastert is not under investigation by the Justice Department," spokeswoman Tasia Scolinos said.

Usually, when queried by reporters, the Justice Department neither confirms nor denies the existence of an investigation.

Citing the department's denial, Hastert's spokesman, Ron Bonjean, released a statement saying the ABC report was "absolutely untrue."

"We are demanding a full retraction of the ABC News story," Bonjean said.

However, ABC News posted a statement on its Web site late Wednesday standing by the story.

The network said law enforcement sources told ABC that the Justice Department denial meant only that the speaker was not a formal "target" or "subject" of the probe, not that he wasn't under investigation.

Hastert deflected questions about the report while on his way to the House floor by telling reporters to "ask the Justice Department."

Asked where the report came from, the speaker shook his head and said, "Somebody leaked it."

A senior aide to Hastert told CNN that the speaker first learned about the report after it aired. ABC News called shortly before its deadline asking for a response, and his office issued a denial after checking with their lawyers, the aide said.

While Hastert did not personally talk to anyone at the Justice Department, senior staff called to find out about the report and were told that the department would be putting out a denial, the aide said.

ABC News, citing "high-level official sources," reported that the FBI is investigating a letter Hastert wrote three years ago urging then-Interior Secretary Gale Norton to block an Indian casino that would have competed with casinos operated by other tribes, which were represented by Abramoff.

Hastert's letter, the details of which were widely reported during news coverage of the Abramoff case, was written shortly after a fund-raiser for the speaker was held at the lobbyist's Washington restaurant, where Abramoff and his clients made contributions to Hastert.

A source involved with the Abramoff case told CNN that Justice Department officials have asked Abramoff about the fund-raiser, which netted $75,000 for Hastert days before he wrote the letter. However, the source said it is unclear if the Justice Department is actively pursuing an investigation of Hastert or simply checking out the details of the fund-raiser.

Hastert's office told ABC News that the speaker has "a long history and a well-documented record of opposing Indian reservation shopping for casino gaming purposes."

Abramoff, the former high-flying lobbyist with strong connections to GOP leaders, has pleaded guilty to corruption charges and agreed to cooperate with an ongoing federal investigation.

The ABC News report came just hours after Hastert and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi demanded that the Justice Department return materials it seized over the weekend during a search of the office of Rep. William Jefferson, a Louisiana Democrat who is the subject of a separate federal corruption probe.

Hastert has been outspoken in his criticism of the FBI's search of Jefferson's office, saying it violated the separation of powers between the legislative and executive branches.

Asked if Hastert believed the leak to ABC News was retaliation for his criticisms of the Jefferson search, Hastert's senior aide said, "You'll have to ask someone else that."

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