Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who has pleaded guilty to fraud and corruption charges, may have helped arrange a 2002 meeting between President George W Bush and then-prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad of Malaysia, Los Angeles Times reported.

The report comes after the White House has repeatedly denied it had dealings with Abramoff ( right ), who is charged with defrauding American Indian tribes that sought his services in establishing their gambling operations and influence peddling in the US Congress.

Mahathir had been chastised by the Clinton administration for repeated anti-Semitic statements and for jailing political opponents and thought a meeting with Bush would help improve his image, LA Times said.

Citing an unnamed witness, the newspaper said Abramoff - an orthodox Jew and a supporter of Israel - had contacted presidential advisor Karl Rove on at least four occasions in a bid to arrange a meeting.

Finally, the former associate said, Rove's office called to tell Abramoff that the Malaysian leader soon would be getting an official White House invitation, according to the report.

In May 2002, Mahathir met with Bush in the Oval Office and his photograph with the president was beamed around the world.

The paper said Abramoff received US$1.2 million (RM4.5 million) from the Malaysian government for his lobbying services in 2001 and 2002, and documents obtained by Senate investigators appear to confirm at least US$900,000 (RM3.4 million) of that amount.

Evade taxes

It is not clear how central Abramoff was in arranging the Oval Office session, LA Times pointed out. The White House says the meeting was arranged through normal channels.

Last month, Abramoff pleaded guilty to improperly influencing members of Congress and their aides by offering foreign travel and other benefits and later seeking favours from some of them.

He often routed lobbying fees through non-profit organisations to evade taxes or hide the sources of the funds, the paper said.

The Malaysian payments were made to the American International Center, a bogus think-tank that an Abramoff partner, Michael Scanlon, set up at a Delaware beach house, according to the report.

Abramoff and Scanlon have admitted using the center to collect millions from their lobbying clients.

By routing the money in that way, Abramoff identified his client on federal lobbying disclosure forms as the Delaware-based center and avoided having to register with the Justice Department as an agent of a foreign government, LA Times said.

Mahathir was to later emerged as an issue in Bush's re-election campaign in 2004, as Republicans aggressively courted Jewish voters.

One such Republican campaigns featured Mahathir pictured beside Democratic presidential nominee senator John F Kerry and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat above a Kerry quote in which he said "foreign leaders" wanted him to win the election.

The campaign mailer suggested Mahathir and Arafat, "renowned for their hatred of the Jewish people", supported Kerry.

According to LA Times , on one occasion, Abramoff was asked whether he was comfortable representing a country led by a man known for anti-Semitic comments.

Abramoff responded, "They pay their bills on time."

Another related scandal

LA Times said that after Mahathir's White House meeting, Abramoff was invited to a dinner honouring the prime minister at the Malaysian embassy and was given a seat near the head table.

This is not the first time that Mahathir and the Malaysian government has been drawn into the scandal involving doggy lobbyists.

At least one other Washington lobbying firm - Alexander Strategies, which was run by an Abramoff friend and former chief of staff to then-House Majority Leader Tom DeLay - was compensated during this period for helping boost Malaysia's reputation in Washington.

That firm was also given credit in some circles for helping to arrange the White House meeting and separate trips for leading members of Congress, including DeLay and several Democrats, to Malaysia.