The court watched a little basketball today in the trial of former Jack Abramoff associate Kevin Ring, as the prosecution tried to demonstrate the value of the tickets they allege Ring swapped for favors from officials.

Todd Boulanger, a former lobbying associate of Ring and Abramoff, identified Robert Coughlin on video watching Michael Jordan from seats a few rows behind the basket at a Washington Wizards game. In e-mail evidence, Coughlin, a former liaison in the Department of Justice's Office of Legislative Affairs, asked Ring for basketball tickets.

According to evidence, Coughlin assisted Ring and "Team Abramoff" with information on how to obtain a jail-building grant from the Department of Justice for one of their clients, the Mississippi Band of the Choctaw Indians. The Department of Justice had approved a grant of $9 million for the jail, but the tribe wanted $16 million.

The jail project was the most important project for the Choctaw, and the tribe was one of Team Abramoff's most important clients, Boulanger said in testimony today. The tribe paid the lobbying firm about $120,000 every month, he reported.

The Choctaw tribe was "the tip of the spear in attracting other clients," and Team Abramoff "opened the floodgates" and used all available tools -- including giving tickets, meals and drinks to public officials -- to get the tribe their desired funding for the jail, Boulanger said.

"We could use [information Coughlin gave us] as a basis for strategy moving forward," Boulanger said in explaining how he assisted the lobbying team in getting the full jail funding approved.

Coughlin pleaded guilty in April 2008 for his involvement in the Abramoff scandal. He is not expected to testify in the Ring trial.

Boulanger also described Ring's relationship with former Rep. John Doolittle, R-Calif., for whom Ring worked as a staffer before becoming a lobbyist. Boulanger said Doolittle helped Ring on issues that were not relevant to his constituents and that were not consistent with his philosophical beliefs -- like reopening a Native American casino in Iowa -- "because of Kevin's involvement." The prosecution claims that members of Doolittle's staff, though not Doolittle himself, received tickets and meals from Ring.

Boulanger's testimony will continue tomorrow.