Thursday, October 19, 2006

Guy Who Once Shared Cab With Jack Abramoff Resigns From Insurance Job

A Baltimore man has resigned from his job as an associate insurance underwriter after it was revealed that he once shared a cab with disgraced DC lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
Phil Schumann, 41, admitted this week that he shared the cab with Abramoff in November, 2002 when he was in a hurry to get to Union Station to catch a train home after a meeting.
"We both got to the corner at the same time and were both going to the train station, so we figured why not just split it," said Schumman, who said he had never before met Abramoff.
But Schumann admitted that, while sharing the cost of the cab, he allowed Abramoff the pay the entire $2 tip to cabby Wally Linkford, which could be considered an in-kind benefit from Abramoff.
While no regulation in the insurance industry or at Schumann's brokerage, First United Mutual, precludes receiving gifts from lobbyists, Schumman said he wanted to preclude any appearance of impropriety.