Well, folks, the wild, futuristic year of 2006 will soon be upon us. While I'm disappointed that we haven't gotten to the sleek rocket cars and fembots that were promised to us in science fiction works of the past, I do think there's something big that we can all look forward to. The Jack Abramoff scandal is just about to spread wide open.The Associated Press has the latest:
Federal prosecutors and lawyers for Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff are putting the finishing touches on a plea deal that could be announced as early as Tuesday, according to people familiar with the negotiations.If they're preparing cases against twenty congressmen, this thing is going to be bigger than we ever thought. Bigger than the check-kiting scandal that helped usher in the 1994 Republican tidal wave, bigger than the Abscam sting that brought down a half dozen congressmen in the early 1980s.
The plea agreement would secure the lobbyist's testimony against several members of Congress who received favors from him or his clients. Abramoff and a former partner were indicted in Miami in August on charges of conspiracy and fraud for allegedly lying about their assets to help secure financing to purchase a fleet of gambling boats.
For the past two weeks, pressure has been intensifying on Abramoff to strike a deal with prosecutors since his former business partner, Adam Kidan, pleaded guilty to fraud and conspiracy in connection with the 2000 SunCruz deal.
Abramoff's cooperation would be a boon to an ongoing Justice Department investigation of congressional corruption, possibly helping prosecutors build criminal cases against up to 20 lawmakers and their staff members.
Big. Gabby Hayes big.
3 comments:
The check scandal was really another mini-scandal that was blown out of proportion by the right wing. In fact, it was probably their success with blowing that one up into a real scandal that led them to try the same with Clinton soon thereafter for such heinous crimes as firing the previous administration's political appointees in the travel office.
Is that a pic of Abramoff? I got the idea he wore the full beard and yarmulke, but maybe that was a description of him from a few years ago.
I guess the GOP strategy will be to make it seem like both parties are equally bad (which is what they've been trying to do so far). I predict lots of house and senate investigations.
The beard-and-yarmulke thing was long ago, and only came up in that pathetic piece that tried to make it seem like DeLay and Abramoff barely knew each other.
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