POLITICS: Abramoff to plead guilty to fraud, other charges

Former high-powered lobbyist Jack Abramoff has entered into a cooperation deal with federal prosecutors early Tuesday morning. Abramoff, 46, will plead guilty to corruption, fraud, and tax evasion charges. This will spare him the maximum 10-year sentence if he cooperates



Either way I am glad this guy is going to jail. He is dirty and needs to go to jail. For those who don't remember Abramoff is the lobbyist who puchased a fleet of Florida gambling boats from a business man who just happened to be killed 'gangland-style' soon after the purchase.

Related News Links:
www.washingtonpost.com
www.washingtonpost.com
www.citizensforethics.org
www.truthout.org

Well I will love to see how much of his money went to help political figures get their seats in congress.

I believe Tom Delay issues are still under investigation.

I tell you money is going to be the death of all of us and our nation.

But hey is good to have it.

There are many politicians in Washington who must be shaking in their Gucci loafers over this guy cooperating with the Feds. I'm glad. I believe he has the goods on a bunch of them, and is going to roll over to save his own skin.

I hope the Feds follow the trail where ever it leads, and root out the ingrained corruption amongst our elected officials in DC. Responsibility to the electorate must be returned to our political process.

Power to the People!

Everyone so far involved in this case seems to be taking plea deals. At this rate nobody will end up doing hard time, as is deserved, except for maybe some lowly staffer who'll get scapegoated (or suicided)

True that noone will do the hard time, but hopefully it will help uproot a lot of people involved in similar crimes as the one stated above.

Jack is big...
and these leaks tend to become large rips, when the right string is unsewn...

I also would not want to be him, no matter how much money he has... aint worth much, when you turn evidence on some of the most important people in the country.

Looking forward to a nice spring cleaning...

well, maybe people can pay more attention to this post, grover norquist, terrorist mole.

the truth is too much work. everybody wants instant gratification in our push button world. 'they' count on it.

maybe people will start listening to the very well informed dave emory's fortherecord(FTR) at spitfirelist.com.

So he is a longtime associate of Delay and other GOP leaders. That's what lobbyists do, isn't it? He was also buddy-buddy with a lot of top Democrats, also. Google it up.

Why does it matter? Because otherwise, it paints a picture of a one-sided corrupt relationship with the Republicans. People are simple-minded enough to make that connection and not search any further.

And a plea bargain with a prosecutor is not always a done deal. There's another person involved, called a judge, who can squash any plea bargain. Just ask Debra Lafave.

Oh, but I forgot. We bought our judges at bargain-basement prices - no raises. So forget any chance of integrity interfering here.

Originally posted by jsobecky
So he is a longtime associate of Delay and other GOP leaders. That's what lobbyists do, isn't it? He was also buddy-buddy with a lot of top Democrats, also. Google it up.

why don't you go reply on 'my' thread? go protect grover.

no?

okay, so he IS a islamo-fascist supporter who is buddy buddy with the admin? and that's okay, because it's what (nwo) politicians do?

just want to be clear.

What are you talking about? You have some sort of problem with my reply? Then spell it out please.

What does grover have to do with this thread?

[edit on 3-1-2006 by jsobecky]

Abramoff is a longtime associate of several top GOP leaders, including former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, Americans for Tax Reform director Grover Norquist, and former Christian Coalition chief Ralph Reed.

that's what it has to do with this thread. armies are not made up of people who all have different philosophies.

although 'guilt by association' is not 'proof' of anything, the fact is, 'the safari club' is one of THE old boy networks that is undermining the 'world order'.

events do not happen in a vacuum, but rather in a web. if some of the highest rollers in the machine are caught red-handed guilty, it doesn't look good on those who they support.

the problem with your reply, in my eyes, is that it seeks to minimilise the evidence of societal cancer that is being clearly illustrated by recent spotlights on recent events.

I think I see the problem here. You must think that I am either defending Abramoff, or Delay, or I am minimizing the seriousness of this situation.

Is that what you think? Well, that's not what I meant.

In my person opinion, lobbyists should be outlawed. They wield undue influence on politicians, and legislation, because they most often represent big money. As an ordinary citizen, I might gather 250 signatures on a petiton in favor of a "cause", and give them to my Senator. Then Abramoff comes along with junkets, cruises, paid "speaking engagements", etc, and has a private audience with my Senator where he lobbies against my petition.

Who do you think is going to win?

My problem with the article is that it implies that Abramoff is linked soley to a particular political party:

Abramoff is a longtime associate of several top GOP leaders, including

blah blah blah. It is a dishonest implication.

The Republicans do not have the corner on corruption. I could rattle off a whole passel of crooked Democrats. Put that in the article.

the problem with your reply, in my eyes, is that it seeks to minimilise the evidence of societal cancer that is being clearly illustrated by recent spotlights on recent events.

Why? Because I'm not part of your angry mob chasing the monster. That makes me wrong in your eyes. Tough noogie. Your saying that something is so doesn't make it true in my eyes.

Jsobecky we know that lobbyist cater to both side of the political parties but the reason it seems to be geared right now toward the Republicans is because the Republican party is in power.

But I will love to know how many people has been involve with this man and that includes Democrats alike.

And you are right they got the big money they will aways win over the American people.

Remember my thread "Who is lobbying for the American people"

I found so many things about the reality of the integrity that our political figures subscribe too.

Originally posted by marg6043
Jsobecky we know that lobbyist cater to both side of the political parties but the reason it seems to be geared right now toward the Republicans is because the Republican party is in power.

I just have a problem with unfinished sentences that are left hanging in thin air. You were once a teacher, marg. You know the dangers of letting biased information go unchallenged. Once a young mind is exposed to half-truths long enough, half-truth becomes the whole truth. That's the essence of brainwashing.

If for nothing else, marg, do it "for the children".

Originally posted by jsobecky

If for nothing else, marg, do it "for the children".

He,he, I doubt is littler children in these boards

BTW I have been as fair as I could be that is my resolution for the new years.

Originally posted by jsobecky
In my person opinion, lobbyists should be outlawed. They wield undue influence on politicians, and legislation, because they most often represent big money. As an ordinary citizen, I might gather 250 signatures on a petiton in favor of a "cause", and give them to my Senator. Then Abramoff comes along with junkets, cruises, paid "speaking engagements", etc, and has a private audience with my Senator where he lobbies against my petition.

Who do you think is going to win?

My problem with the article is that it implies that Abramoff is linked soley to a particular political party:

Abramoff is a longtime associate of several top GOP leaders, including

blah blah blah. It is a dishonest implication.

The Republicans do not have the corner on corruption. I could rattle off a whole passel of crooked Democrats. Put that in the article.

well, that was a nice post. we're seeing eye to eye on some essentials, no doubt.

i'm not chasing the monster. i'm just talking in front of it's back.

I can't wait for this "white house" of cards to come falling down.

Originally posted by jsobecky
The Republicans do not have the corner on corruption. I could rattle off a whole passel of crooked Democrats. Put that in the article.

That is true. Corruption is blind to party affiliation. I think where things get murky is when we look at who received money *related* to Abramoff there's a slew of Democrats on the list. That must mean he's an equal-opportunity crook then, huh? No it doesn't. There are 2 very clear and simple reasons for this:

1) As anyone who's worked in a large Corporation knows, they grease *both* sides of the political wheel just to hedge their bets. Any crooked lobbyist worth a dime would payoff at least a portion of the other side of the aisle just to stay in the game.

2) Abramoff got a HUGE paycheck from Indian Tribes.

Abramoff... received more than $45 million in lobbying and public affairs work from four newly wealthy tribes in the past three years. Those fees rival what some of the biggest corporate interests in the country pay to influence public policy.

Washington Post - July 6, 2005

This basically makes them one of those Corporations that doles it out on both sides. But then Abramoff pulls a fast one. He convinces the leaders to contribute 2/3 of their traditionally Democratic cash to REPUBLICANS!

The fees and $2.9 million in federal political contributions Abramoff advised the tribes to make, two-thirds of it to Republicans, have led to battles in some tribes. Some tribe members question why their leaders approved such payments.

Washington Post - July 6, 2005

So, is it any suprise there's a list of Democratic politicians on the Abramoff list? 1/3 of the Indian money related to him went to Demos. This then leads to things like this:

An NRSC Report Shows That Nearly 90 Percent Of Senate “Democrats Have Taken Abramoff-Related Money.” “The NRSC has begun circulating among fellow Republicans new reports showing that all but five of the chamber’s 44 Democrats have taken Abramoff-related money. In addition, the Democratic National Committee, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee have taken more than $1.2 million, according to records provided to The Washington Times.” (Charles Hurt, “Dorgan Returns Abramoff Money,” The Washington Times, December 14, 2005)

Free Republic

Which gets the whole "It's not all Republicans!" bandwagon rolling. However, what do you think "Abramoff related money" means? You think it's his own personal stash he gives to all his crooked friends? No, it's money he's charged with using effectively but is ultimately someone elses. I think it's clear that he has a strong interest in the GOP and illegally used the money of his clients to "bribe" officials. This doesn't exonerate any Democrats who took bribes, but neither should it take away from the fact that Abramoff was and is a tool of the GOP, to deny that is failing to see the forest for the trees.

Good post, SKMDC1, and nice observations.

To be honest, I wasn't really clear on what Abramoff had done that was so bad. That is, until hearing Judge Napolitano give a fairly decent explanation of what he was doing. This guy is a real scumbag, setting up a fake corp. and diverting big money from the firm that employed him, into it.

It's puzzling why some men, already quite successful financially, feel the need to get more and more. Once they cross that line of honesty and integrity, they are nothing but corrupt. I wonder what goes through their mind as they sell their soul.

I think it's clear that he has a strong interest in the GOP and illegally used the money of his clients to "bribe" officials. This doesn't exonerate any Democrats who took bribes, but neither should it take away from the fact that Abramoff was and is a tool of the GOP, to deny that is failing to see the forest for the trees.

Interesting theory. Are you implying that he set up some Democrats as "insurance", at the prodding of some Republicans?

so, we get to vote in november, let's fire them all!!! or at least the half that's up for reelection....this will give us the added benefit of watching the other half sweat and squirm because the know what will happen to them next time!!!