Jack Abramoff Cuts a Deal

Posted on January 3, 2006

Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff has reportedly cut a plea deal in both his Florida and Washington, D.C. criminal cases. The prospect of Abramoff turning state's evidence is sending shockwaves through Capitol Hill. Many lawmakers could be in big trouble legally because of Abramoff's deal.

Jack Abramoff will plead guilty to three felony counts in Washington today as part of a settlement with federal prosecutors, ending an intense, months-long negotiation over whether the Republican lobbyist would testify against his former colleagues, people involved with the case said.
Mr. Abramoff, 46, is pleading guilty to fraud, public corruption and tax evasion, setting the stage for prosecutors to begin using him as a cooperating witness against his former business and political colleagues. In exchange, Mr. Abramoff faces a maximum of about 10 years in prison in the Washington case.
After entering his guilty plea in United States District Court in Washington, Mr. Abramoff will also announce a plea agreement in a related Florida case, in which he was indicted last year. In that case, he is pleading guilty to fraud and conspiracy in connection with his purchase of the SunCruz casino boat line, and will face a maximum of about seven years' prison time.
Mr. Abramoff has been talking to investigators in the corruption case for many months, said participants in the case, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the investigation. They said he had provided a full picture of what evidence he could offer against other suspects.

Of course the key question is who else will Abramoff take down with him? Stan Brand, a former U.S. House counsel tells Bloomberg that this scandal is only going to get bigger.

"When this is all over, this will be bigger than any (government scandal) in the last 50 years, both in the amount of people involved and the breadth to it," said Stan Brand, a former U.S. House counsel who specializes in representing public officials accused of wrongdoing. "It will include high-ranking members of Congress and executive branch officials."

Bloomberg further reports:

To get a reduced prison sentence, Abramoff would have to implicate lawmakers in a related probe of his lobbying activities, said Melanie Sloan, a former federal prosecutor and head of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.
"I believe he has to be giving up members of Congress," Sloan said. "Otherwise, Abramoff is as high as you go."
If he doesn't agree to a plea bargain, Abramoff will go to trial Jan. 9 in connection with the purchase of a Florida casino cruise-ship company. His partner in that deal, Adam Kidan, pleaded guilty Dec. 15 to wire fraud and conspiracy and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.

It sounds like the deal has been reached, but that the paperwork won't be done until late today, after the judges in the two cases agree to the plea deal. Assuming the deal is approved, prosecutors will then start going after the implicated members of Congress. And that isn't going to be pretty.