Morou Ouattara - Jack Abramoff Scandal

Jack Abramoff Scandal

In late 2005, Signatures, the restaurant where Morou was executive chef, was closed in the wake of the Jack Abramoff scandal. Lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who owned the restaurant, frequently used his ownership of the restaurant to offer free meals and fancy fundraisers to sway lawmakers. Morou stated that Abramoff was a good boss who gave him a lot of freedom in the kitchen, but after the scandal was revealed, people with strong political ties did not want to be seen at the restaurant, for fear that people might assume they were being treated by Abramoff. The political 'scene' was more than fifty percent of the restaurant's business, and it was forced to close due to lack of revenue. The investment group Da Vinci Group started arrangements to take over the restaurant, however, in November 2005, Da Vinci pulled out of the deal, and the restaurant was closed.