Washington poised for revelations from
Abramoff
Yahoo Newsss/AFP
December 30, 2005
WASHINGTON (AFP) - The political establishment here is on edge as a former
top lobbyist embroiled in a wide-ranging corruption scandal appears poised to
reveal some dark political secrets.
Jack Abramoff, a Republican activist for 20 years and a generous donor to
President George W. Bush's election and reelection campaigns, is accused of
fraud in a criminal trial due to begin in Miami, Florida, on January 9.
Arguably Washington's biggest influence peddler before his indictment,
Abramoff, who has made millions from his lobbying activities, is facing charges
in connection with the purchase of SunCruz Casinos, a fleet of casino
boats.
But the former lobbyist is reportedly negotiating a plea deal with Justice
Department prosecutors and his insider revelations could rock the political
establishment in the nation's capital.
Such a deal would likely see Abramoff, 47, serve a reduced prison term in
return for a guilty plea and an agreement to testify against former associates
in related fraud and bribery cases.
The Washington Post, which has reportedly extensively about Abramoff, this
week described him as the "central figure in what could become the biggest
congressional corruption scandal in generations."
According to an analysis by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics,
210 current members of Congress have received contributions from Abramoff, his
Indian tribe clients or SunCruz Casinos since 1999.
One top recipient was House Speaker Dennis Hastert, who received 2,500
dollars from Abramoff and 66,500 dollars from Indian tribes that were
Abramoff's clients.
Although Abramoff made far more campaign donations to Republican lawmakers,
Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada received 30,500 dollars from
Abramoff's tribal clients.
Republican representative Robert Ney of Ohio has already been subpoenaed in
relation to the casino probe. Ney backed Abramoff's purchase of SunCruz
Casinos, but has said he was misled by the lobbyist.
Abramoff "knows where a lot of the bodies are buried," according to Bill
Allison, a spokesman for the Center for Public Integrity.
"Abramoff goes to the much broader issue of how the Republicans have held
their majority together," he said, referring to the Republican control of both
houses of Congress.
Many of the political recipients of Abramoff's lobbying efforts have fast
distanced themselves from the tarnished political operative who wined and dined
top politicos.
Republican Senator Conrad Burns has returned 150,000 dollars in campaign
donations from Abramoff while Democratic Senator Byron Dorgan has returned
67,000 dollars.
Abramoff's dealings had already shone a spotlight on former House majority
leader Tom DeLay, who accepted a 2000 golfing trip to Scotland partly paid for
by the lobbyist.
The powerful Texas Republican has said the financial arrangements for the
trip were proper.
DeLay was forced to step down as majority leader earlier this year after
being indicted on separate campaign finance charges.
Opposition Democrats are trying to paint Abramoff as a poster boy of
Washington corruption with close ties to the Bush administration ahead of the
2006 congressional elections.
"A key player in the Republican Party's culture of corruption, Jack Abramoff
has close links to the Bush Administration," Democratic Party spokeswoman Karen
Finney has said.
For several years prior to his indictment in August, Abramoff was one of
Washington's top lobbyists amassing a personal fortune defending such disparate
interests as US Indian tribes and the Pakistani military.
A congressional probe last year found that he bilked money from his own
clients such as the Coushatta nation Indian tribe of Louisiana.
"He is the golden boy gone bad of the American political system," Coushatta
president Kevin Sickey said last month at a congressional hearing on 66 million
dollars several Indian nations gave Abramoff and his associates.
Until recently, Abramoff owned a Washington restaurant, Signatures, leased
luxurious suites at sports stadiums and had memberships at famous golf
clubs.
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