Jack Abramoff leaves Preston Gates to join Greenberg Traurig's government relations practice in Washington, D.C. In June 2001, he begins a secret partnership with Tom DeLay's former communications director Michael Scanlon, who forms Capitol Campaign Strategies. Their 'gimme five' scheme would systematically defraud tribal clients of approximately $66 million through inflated lobbying and grassroots services, with Abramoff and Scanlon secretly splitting the majority of the fees.