Bill Gates and Jack Abramoff

Oh, yes.  Gates spent a lot of money on Abramoff.

From an email, (link to source is this)

In 1995 Jack Abramoff and Grover Norquist were hired by the lobby firm
owned by Bill Gates' father: Preston-Gates. Shell games of this type are
often used by corporations to obscurate the money trail from public
scrutiny. During the years 1995 to 2000 Microsoft spent $100 million to
lobby Congress for its causes such as tax breaks and increased H-1B levels.
The money trail went like this:

(Bill Gates) -> (Microsoft) -> (Preston Gates) -> (Abramoff) -> (Sen.
Abraham and other politicians)


*  Abramoff and Norquist were successful at blocking a 1995 reform bill by
Senator Alan Simpson (S. 1394.IS) that would have required employers to
make meaningful attempts to recruit American citizens before hiring H-1b
visa holders.

*  Abramoff sloshed money around to entice Senator Spencer Abraham (R-MI)
to sponsor the 1998 bill (S.1723) that almost tripled the H-1B yearly cap.

*  Abramoff lobbied on the behalf of the Chinese Communist Government to
change laws in regards to Saipan, a territorial possession of the United
States. Abramoff successfully lobbied to preserve Saipan's commonwealth
status so that its corrupt government could make its own trade policies.
What Abramoff wanted most, and what he got, was to give Saipan the ability
to stamp the proud label: "Made in the USA" on products manufactured there.
In reality the products had nothing to do with the USA except as a
destination of big box retailers who wanted to appeal to the shopper's
sense of patriotism. Thanks to Abraham, Chinese industrialists moved
thousands of young women to the island to work in Chinese owned sweatshops.
Abramoff made sure that the Chinese would keep their political protection
to run the sweatshops under an American flag.



In 1998 House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) and Jack Abramoff
celebrated their treasonous conspiracy against the American public by
taking a New Year's vacation on Saipan as a personal guest of Chinese
business mogul: Tan Siu-lin.

We've mentioned the H1-B dance a number of times.  Summarily, if you are a US citizen and a programmer/analyst over the age of 40 (or with a salary over $80K), it's likely you are unemployed due to the manipulation of H1-B rules.

Some people swallow whole the Abramoff lobbying line that "we want the best and brightest".

Others understand the reality:  "We want the cheapest possible workforce."