Rep. John Doolittle's reelection campaign has been dogged by his association with disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. David Whitney at The Sacramento Bee focuses in particular in Doolittle's involvement in helping Abramoff win a contract representing the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, despite having heard testimony on the human rights abuses taking place there.

Doolittle claims he saw the conditions in the Marianas and overall found them acceptable, negating the need for proposed labor reforms, despite repeated accounts from other sources of sweatshop conditions and forced prostitution among the female immigrant worker population.  His actions on behalf of Abramoff steered $100,000 towards the corrupt lobbyist, who in turn sent $14,000 in campaign contributions to Doolittle.