WSJ page 1: Federal Influence-Peddling Inquiry Casts Wider Net

[UpInArms]

http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB113288941007506390-4Pdlcq4tQiY73d62g_j4tAyIENw_20061125.html?mod=tff_main_tff_top

Four Lawmakers' Dealings
With Lobbyist Are Studied;
Low Threshold for Bribery?

WASHINGTON -- A Justice Department investigation into possible influence-peddling by prominent Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff is examining his dealings with four lawmakers, more than a dozen current and former congressional aides and two former Bush administration officials, according to lawyers and others involved in the case.

Investigators want to know whether Mr. Abramoff and his lobbying firm partners made illegal payoffs to lawmakers and aides in the form of campaign contributions, sports tickets, meals, travel and job offers, in exchange for helping their clients.

The Justice Department's probe is far broader than previously thought. Though it remains smaller than the congressional influence-peddling scandals of the 1970s, its focus on prominent Republicans raises the risk of serious embarrassment to the party before next year's congressional elections. Those involved in Mr. Abramoff's case say that the Justice Department investigation could take years to complete.

Prosecutors in the department's public integrity and fraud divisions -- separate units that report to the assistant attorney general for the criminal division -- are looking into Mr. Abramoff's interactions with former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas, Rep. Bob Ney (R., Ohio), Rep. John Doolittle (R., Calif.) and Sen. Conrad Burns (R., Mont.), according to several people close to the investigation. Messrs. DeLay and Ney have retained criminal defense lawyers. Spokespeople for Messrs. Doolittle and Burns said they haven't hired lawyers.

<snip>

Prosecutors also are investigating at least 17 current and former congressional aides, about half of whom later took lobbying jobs with Mr. Abramoff, say lawyers and others involved in the case. Five of the former aides worked for Mr. DeLay, including Tony Rudy, Ed Buckham and Susan Hirschmann. The three were top aides to Mr. DeLay and are now Washington lobbyists. None returned calls or emails seeking comment.

...more...

[UpInArms]

1. Rep. Ney becomes example in Abramoff probe

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/politics/13240014.htm

WASHINGTON - Identified in new court documents as "Representative No. 1," Republican Rep. Bob Ney of Ohio has become the poster boy in the Jack Abramoff bribery probe, a beneficiary of trips, tickets and campaign donations, allegedly in exchange for official acts.

Ney denies doing anything wrong, and he would hardly appear to be in the top tier of likely targets for Washington lobbyists.

He is chairman of the House Administration Committee. The panel's work is often mundane, but important to everyone on the Hill - from overseeing the distribution of office furniture to protecting the Capitol after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

As low-profile as his duties might seem to be, Ney appears to face serious legal problems, has a legal defense fund and has hired a well-known Washington defense attorney, Mark Tuohey, a former deputy in Independent Counsel Ken Starr's criminal investigation of the Clintons.

<snip>

The unwelcome notoriety Ney faces raises an intriguing question: Who else on Capitol Hill is in the prosecutors' gun-sights?

...more...

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. How splendid it would be if they bust Conrad Burns!

I hope the Republicans come out of this exposed as the bottom-feeding crooks they truly are.

[DURHAM D]

9. I am with you - Sen. Burns is the guy I want brought down.

He is a sanctimonious racist idiot.

[0007]

25. I think they have a good shot at John Cornyn and Ralph Reed

implicating them in the Texas Indian casino scam.

[idragonfly]

3. In response to "Federal Influence-Peddling Casts Wider Net"

"The Justice Department's probe is far broader than previously thought. <snip>... its focus on prominent Republicans raises the risk of serious embarrassment to the party before next year's congressional elections."

How much more will be required in order to finally effect 'serious embarrassment' upon these people?

Zheesh!

[joeybee12]

4. Welcome to DU!

:hi:

[UpInArms]

5. Welcome to DU idragonfly!

:hi:

These people should not be "embarrassed", they should be in prison.

[madrchsod]

6. welcome

hmmmm--where`s your du link? welcome to the crazy place that is the democratic underground

[newyawker99]

10. Hi idragonfly!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[annabanana]

12. unfortunately.. they are beyond being embarassed..

You can't embarass someone who has no sense of shame. In their circle of friends, they are lauded for the same actions that ought to make them hide their heads.

(and welcome to DU :toast: )

[Inland]

13. Conscience? nt

[Cocoa]

7. Ney Delay Doolittle Burns

gate

[Catrina]

14. There's poetry in this somewhere ~

Doolittle Ney,
Burns Delay!

:rofl:

[Cocoa]

15. I like it

it has a nice beat, rhymes, etc. :-)

There's a law firm in there too, "Doolittle and Delay."

[Catrina]

28. Good one!!

I like that too ~ :-)

[Canuckistanian]

26. Josh Marshall says

Delay, Doolittle, Ney. It kind of describes them, no?

[UpInArms]

8. here's another investigation that has never been undertaken

and it looks like no one even cares :(

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/2192955.html

Oct. 31, 2003, 8:52AM
Study says firms used insider ties to win contracts

WASHINGTON -- Major U.S. companies, including Houston's Halliburton subsidiary KBR, have used insider contacts and political donations to help snag more than $8 billion in contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan, a watchdog group said Thursday.

"There is a stench of political favoritism and cronyism surrounding the contracting process in both Iraq and Afghanistan," said Charles Lewis, executive director of the Center for Public Integrity, which released a study on wartime contracting. "These two wars ... have brought out the Beltway Bandit companies in full force."

But some of the companies and government agencies scrutinized by the study dismissed its findings as flawed, incomplete and misleading.

The 10 largest contracts issued to rebuild Iraq and Afghanistan have all gone to companies that employed former high-ranking government officials or people who had close ties with the Bush administration and key members of Congress, the study found.

A prime example was KBR, the single biggest winner of wartime contracts with more than $2.3 billion, Lewis said. Its parent company, Halliburton, was headed by Vice President Dick Cheney before he was chosen as President Bush's running mate.

<snip>

The CPI report found that the top 70 contractors working in Iraq and Afghanistan donated more than $500,000 to Bush's 2000 presidential campaign, more than the group gave to any other politician in the past 12 years. The top 10 contractors have donated $11 million to candidates, political parties and political action committees since 1990.

...more...

[annabanana]

11. "Beltway Bandits".. good one..

repeat, repeat "Beltway Bandits"

[Peter Frank]

16. Abramoff probe broader than thought: paper

Fri Nov 25,10:05 AM ET


NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department's probe of Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff is broader than previously thought, examining his dealings with four lawmakers, former and current congressional aides and two former Bush administration officials, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.

Prosecutors in the department's public integrity and fraud divisions are looking into Abramoff's dealings with four Republicans -- former House of Representatives Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas, Rep. Bob Ney (news, bio, voting record) of Ohio, Rep. John Doolittle (news, bio, voting record) of California and Sen. Conrad Burns (news, bio, voting record) of Montana, the paper said, citing several people close to the investigation.<snip>

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051125/us_nm/crime_lobbyist_report_dc_2

[goforit]

17. What about ROVE????

Abramoff's secretary works for Rove!!!

Damn it!!!

[Quakerfriend]

19. and Reed!

[Melsky]

18. I love that wording

"a much broader probe" brings a lovely mental picture.

[papau]

20. The DOJ and the WSJ are playing a bit- last rumor was 60 elected officials

How we got down to 4 people plus a few aids and appointed types should be interesting to learn about.

:toast:

:-)

[Peter Frank]

21. Not to worry...

I've been following this and Reed, Delay, Hastert, Ney and the gang are still under a very dark cloud of suspicion; and it's only going to get darker with time.

Remember that Abromoff's partner Scanlon -- has copped a plea bargain and singing like a canary to save his own butt. So, even more names are likely to come out of the scandal.

[catmandu57]

22. It looks like our nazi congressmen blunt and graves

are up to their collective eyeballs in this mess as well, people here are so pissed at baby blunt, if there is even a hint of scandal these two are going to be packing their belongings, hopefully off to a federal prison.

[Peter Frank]

23. Stay Tuned for the Next Exciting Episode of...

As The Turd Whirls

[lovuian]

24. This just gets better and better!!!

:bounce:

[PhilipShore]

27. The Missoulian: Report: Burns part of lobbyist probe

The Missoulian
By the Missoulian State Bureau
November 25 2005

http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2005/11/26/news/mtregional/news06.txt

HELENA - The scope of a U.S. Justice Department investigation of indicted Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff is wider than previously believed and now includes his dealings with U.S. Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., the Wall Street Journal reported Friday