Book rips McCain's probe of Abramoff

WASHINGTON, Sept. 8 (UPI) -- John McCain's investigation into disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff wasn't for political reform but political payback, a book about the probe argues.

"The Perfect Villain: John McCain and the Demonization of Lobbyist Jack Abramoff," by former Boston Globe freelance writer Gary Chafetz was released Friday, the day after McCain accepted Republican party's presidential nomination, Politico reported Monday.

Abramoff was a financier of evangelical leader Ralph Reed's effort to defeat McCain in the 2000 South Carolina Republican primary. McCain abandoned his bid shortly after he lost that race.

In his book, Chafetz argued that McCain harbored a grudge and in 2004 grabbed the chance to investigate Abramoff after The Washington Post published an expose on the millions of dollars in lobbying fees Abramoff collected from Indian tribal clients.

Abramoff, who met with Chafetz while in federal prison in Cumberland, Md., alleges that McCain withheld many e-mail messages he confiscated during the inquiry, many of which could be exculpatory to the former lobbyist or damaging to McCain allies, the Washington publication reported.

Chafetz also argued that McCain manipulated his investigation's results to cast Abramoff in the worse light and that McCain's actions benefiting his contributors are similar to those he accused Abramoff of committing, Politico said.

The McCain campaign didn't respond to Politico's request for comment.