A Washington lobbyist with ties to Congressman Tom DeLay pleaded guilty Tuesday to federal charges of conspiracy, tax evasion and mail fraud.
In making a deal with federal prosecutors, Jack Abramoff agreed to cooperate in an influence-peddling investigation that threatens powerful members of Congress.
In a heavily scripted court appearance, Abramoff agreed with U.S. District Court Judge Ellen Huvelle when she said he had engaged in a conspiracy involving “corruption of public officials.”
The lobbyist also agreed when she said he and others had engaged in a scheme to provide campaign contributions, trips and other items “in exchange for certain official acts.”
While none of the charges announced Tuesday linked any wrongdoing to DeLay, Travis County prosecutor Ronnie Earle — who is pursing a case against DeLay alleging the misuse of campaign contributions — issued subpoenas seeking any records linking DeLay to the lobbyist.
Democrat Nick Lampson, who is hoping to challenge DeLay in November, was quick to jump on the Abramoff guilty plea. He called for DeLay to return any money his campaign had received from the embattled lobbyist.
“Tom DeLay should do the right thing by putting the people of Texas first and returning this money,” Lampson said in a press release. “Frankly, his donor list is beginning to look like a police lineup.”
DeLay spokesperson Shannon Flaherty confirmed the campaign was looking for local charities to donate the money to.
“We saw an opportunity for something positive to come of today’s news,” said Flaherty. “We’ve already started the accounting process and we’re looking into local charities that could use these funds.”
Lampson campaign chairman Mike Malaise confirmed his candidate took similar action when he returned thousands of dollars he had received from Enron.
DeLay’s camp also fired back about Lampson’s own association with donors, calling for the former congressman to return funds from groups such as MoveOn.org, saying that group had compared President George W. Bush to Adolf Hitler.
In the courtroom Huvelle and lawyers in the case said Abramoff had agreed to pay an estimated $25 million in restitution to his victims and $1.7 million to the Internal Revenue Service for taxes he evaded.
As is typically the case in such pleadings, what happened in the courtroom Tuesday was arranged in advance between defense lawyers and prosecutors.
According to the plea agreement, prosecutors will recommend a sentence of 91?2 to 11 years, providing Abramoff cooperates with prosecutors in a wide-ranging corruption investigation that is believed to be focusing on as many as 20 members of Congress and aides.
At a Justice Department news conference, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher said Abramoff’s activities went “far beyond lawful lobbying to the illegal act of paying for official acts.”
“Government officials and government action are not for sale,” Fisher said. “The Justice Department will aggressively investigate and prosecute these types of cases, which have a devastating impact on the public’s trust of government.”
Abramoff’s travels with DeLay, the former House Majority Leader, are already under investigation.
Abramoff arranged campaign donations, golf outings and other trips for DeLay and other lawmakers.
DeLay received at least $57,000 in political contributions from Abramoff, his lobbying associates or his tribal clients between 2001 and 2004.
Court papers released Tuesday also detailed gifts and contributions that Abramoff gave an unnamed House member, identified elsewhere as Rep. Bob Ney, R-Ohio, chairman of the House Administration Committee, in return for Ney’s agreement to use his office to aid Abramoff clients.
Abramoff also was expected to plead guilty in Florida to two of the six charges in a federal indictment, according to his lawyer there, Neal Sonnett. A change of plea hearing has been scheduled in Miami today, Justice officials said.
Abramoff attorney Abbe Lowell said in a released statement that 18 months ago Abramoff made contact with prosecutors “to admit his wrongdoing and to seek forgiveness from those he has wronged. He intends to continue to work with the Justice Department and others to fully resolve all matters of interest, to provide restitution to anyone he has harmed, and to seek absolution from all.”
Prosecutors say Abramoff and lobbying partner Michael Scanlon conspired to defraud Indian tribes in Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas of millions of dollars. Abramoff reaped roughly $20 million in hidden profits from the scheme, they alleged.
Scanlon pleaded guilty in November.
Abramoff and Scanlon also provided a golf trip to Scotland and other things of value to Ney, the court document said.
Ney has denied doing anything wrong.
The Bush administration’s former chief procurement official, David H. Safavian, was charged this fall with making false statements and obstructing investigations into the 2002 golf outing.
Safavian, former chief of staff of the General Services Administration, the government’s procurement arm, has pleaded innocent to those charges.
Court documents also said Abramoff solicited $50,000 from a wireless telephone company and got Ney’s agreement to push the company’s application to install wireless telephone infrastructure in the House of Representatives, a job Ney’s committee would have overseen.
Pressure had been intensifying on Abramoff to strike a deal with prosecutors since another former partner, Adam Kidan, pleaded guilty to fraud and conspiracy in connection with the 2000 SunCruz boat deal in Florida.
The continuing saga of Abramoff’s legal problems has caused anxiety at high levels in Washington, in both the Republican and Democratic parties.
Abramoff raised at least $100,000 for President Bush’s 2004 re-election effort, earning the honorary title “pioneer” from the campaign.
