Nov. 4 (Bloomberg) -- Lobbyist Jack Abramoff told his associates that U.S. Representative Tom DeLay asked him for money through Abramoff's foundation, e-mails released by a Senate committee show.

``Did you get the message from the guys that Tom wants us to raise some bucks from the Capital Athletic Foundation?'' Abramoff asked in a June 6, 2002, e-mail to associate Tony Rudy, a former chief of staff for DeLay.

The correspondence provides fresh evidence of the ties between the Texas lawmaker and the indicted lobbyist. DeLay lawyer Richard Cullen said the lawmaker ``has no recollection of asking his staff to seek funding from this organization.''

The e-mails, released by the Senate Indian Affairs Committee after a Nov. 2 hearing, indicate that the foundation had already taken in $150,000 for DeLay and that Abramoff was trying to raise at least $50,000 more. Abramoff got the money from his Indian tribe clients, who operated casinos, the correspondence shows.

There was no indication of what DeLay, a Texas Republican, wanted the money for or why he asked to use the charitable foundation, which was run by Abramoff and his wife, Pamela. There's also no indication that any money went to DeLay.

``Because these are written by other people, not Tom DeLay, there's not a sufficient degree of context to allow me to comment on what these exchanges mean,'' Cullen said. ``It's clear that Mr. DeLay has stated repeatedly that he and his staffers would adhere to the highest ethical standards.''

`Dearest' Friend

DeLay, who stepped down as House majority leader in September after he was indicted in a campaign-finance case in Texas, once called Abramoff ``one of my closest and dearest friends.'' The House ethics committee is preparing to investigate whether Abramoff improperly funded overseas trips for him and other lawmakers.

Separately, a federal grand jury in Florida indicted Abramoff in August on conspiracy and fraud charges in connection with his purchase of a casino cruise company.

Abramoff spokesman Andrew Blum declined comment. DeLay spokesman Kevin Madden didn't immediately return a phone call seeking comment.

Under Pressure

The e-mails released this week suggest that Abramoff believed he was under pressure to raise funds.

On July 8, 2002, he wrote in another e-mail, ``DeLay contribution. I am getting daily calls on this. When they return tomorrow, I have no doubt Tom himself is going to call.''

On July 31, 2002, Abramoff wrote to Christopher Petras, legislative director for the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan, ``Just wanted to remind you about getting the Capital Athletic Foundation contribution to me asap per the DeLay request. That was followed up by an Aug. 12, 2002, e-mail, in which Abramoff again asked Petras for $25,000 ``to Capital Athletic Foundation for the DeLay thing.''

The Saginaw Chippewas gave $25,000 to the Washington-based foundation in 2002, Internal Revenue Service records show. Another tribe, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, gave $1 million. Both were Abramoff clients.

The foundation spent $1.9 million on the Eshkol Academy, a private Jewish boys' school in Spencerville, Maryland.

The school figured in an October indictment of David Safavian, a former Abramoff associate who recently resigned as the White House's chief procurement officer, on charges of obstruction and making false statements. Abramoff asked Safavian for help in acquiring federal land in White Oak, Maryland, for the school, according to the charges. Safavian pleaded not guilty to the charges, which stemmed from the Abramoff investigation

Abramoff's lobbying is also being investigated by a Justice Department-led task force. Representative Bob Ney, an Ohio Republican, received a subpoena for documents as part of that investigation, Ney's office said today. Ney participated in a trip to Scotland with Abramoff in 2002. On at least three occasions in 2000 and 2002, he also made statements or agreed to insert language into legislation that would have benefited Abramoff clients.

To contact the reporter on this story: Jonathan D. Salant in Washington at jsalant@bloomberg.net;

Last Updated: November 4, 2005 15:51 EST