[Dialogue] How far will Abramoff scandal reach?

[Harry Wainwright]

Colleagues, Christian Science Monitor weighs in. Peace, Harry 
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 <http://www.csmonitor.com/index.html> The Christian Science Monitor -
csmonitor.com                

 

from the January 05, 2006 edition -
http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0105/p03s03-uspo.html 

How far will Abramoff scandal reach?

A number of lawmakers are under investigation for their connections with
Jack Abramoff.

By Gail
<http://www.csmonitor.com/cgi-bin/encryptmail.pl?ID=C7E1E9ECA0D2F5F3F3E5ECEC
A0C3E8E1E4E4EFE3EB>  Russell Chaddock | Staff writer of The Christian
Science Monitor 

WASHINGTON - What worries Washington most about the corruption scandal with
ex-superlobbyist Jack Abramoff at the epicenter is how far it will reach.

Even those who never watched the Redskins play from his skybox, dined gratis
at his Signatures restaurant, or teed off at St. Andrews in Scotland on his
credit card are scrambling for cover.

While only one lawmaker was explicitly described in Mr. Abramoff's plea
agreement - Rep. Bob Ney (R) of Ohio - hundreds more accepted funds from
Abramoff and his wife, Pamela, or his tribal clients. And that's the rub.

It's not a crime to accept contributions from lobbyists. It's a bribe only
if there's evidence of an agreement to perform an official act in exchange.
But the political damage can go further.

"Careers usually end when the indictment is brought, whether [the accused]
are cleared or not. Very few survive an election, once an indictment has
been brought," says Stanley Brand, a Washington defense attorney who advised
House Speaker Tip O'Neill during the 1978 ABSCAM bribery case, an FBI sting
operation that convicted five House members and a senator.

Many on Capitol Hill say the Abramoff affair could eclipse ABSCAM. With
Abramoff's help, federal prosecutors say, they are unraveling an "extensive"
corruption scheme. While prosecutors have not disclosed the number of
lawmakers under investigation, speculation runs from a half-dozen to as many
as 60. At least a dozen FBI field offices are now involved in the
investigation.

"Government action is not for sale," said Alice Fisher, head of the Justice
Department's criminal division at a news conference announcing the plea
agreement this week. Prosecutors will follow the evidence "no matter where
that trail leads," she added.

Several lawmakers are already under fire in their home districts for ties to
Abramoff. Mr. Ney, the first lawmaker to disclose that he is under
investigation by the Justice Department, had submitted two statements into
the Congressional Record bearing on a casino deal in Florida involving
Abramoff and his associate, Michael Scanlon.

In return for this and other official acts, Mr. Ney and members of his staff
got trips, including to Scotland for golf and Tampa, Fla., for the Super
Bowl, tickets to sporting events, regular meals at Abramoff's upscale
restaurant, and campaign contributions, according to information included in
the plea agreement.

Ney, who chairs the House Administration Committee, says he regrets his
association with Abramoff and had been duped.

Former House majority leader Tom DeLay, indicted on Oct. 3 on unrelated
charges of conspiracy and money laundering in Texas, and former staff,
including Mr. Scanlon, are also in the mix of trips, contributions, and
favors to Abramoff clients. Mr. DeLay accompanied Ney on a golf trip to
Scotland financed by Abramoff.

After the Abramoff plea bargain, Speaker Dennis Hastert added his name to a
growing list of lawmakers returning contributions from Abramoff and his
clients.

In Montana, GOP Sen. Conrad Burns has already returned some $150,000 in
contributions from Abramoff, but Democrats are using the Abramoff connection
in ads to drive down his approval ratings. "Burns has mounted a pretty
strong defense of himself, but according to a poll released last week,
voters don't seem to be buying it," says Jennifer Duffy, Senate analyst for
the Cook Political Report.

"These are charges of corruption and bribery at the highest levels of
government, and Montanans take it very seriously. What they want most is a
senator focused on creating jobs in the state, fixing the healthcare crisis,
and not worrying about whether he's going to jail over his friendship with
Jack Abramoff," says Matt McKenna, spokesman for the Montana Democratic
Party.

Democrats say the Abramoff connection could play in at least three Senate
races this year. "The Abramoff plea agreement is sending shudders through
Republican congressional offices. It's one chapter in a larger story of how
the Republicans have abused their majority status over the last decade,"
says Phil Singer, a spokesman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign
Committee.

But even Democrats risk being swept into the Abramoff morass. Sen. Byron
Dorgan (D) of North Dakota helped lead the investigation against Abramoff
and Scanlon in the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, but also helped
Abramoff's tribal clients. He has returned all contributions from these
donors to avoid the appearance of ethical conflict.

"It's not enough to say that Congressman X got this contribution and then
voted this way. You need to show a specific link or agreement," says Randall
Eliason, a law professor at American University.

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