The Plot Thickens...

[Peter Frank]

Posted Sunday, Nov. 27, 2005

How far will it go? That's what many nervous officials in Washington are wondering as they brace for what is showing signs of becoming the biggest influence-peddling scandal in decades. An investigation that began nearly two years ago into whether lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his associate Michael Scanlon bilked six Indian tribes out of $80 million now looks as though it could touch dozens of lawmakers, their current and former staff members and Bush Administration officials. The Justice Department is preparing to test whether accepting lawfully reported campaign contributions may constitute corruption, subjecting Washington politicians to an entirely new standard. Even those who are not in legal jeopardy over their dealings with Abramoff and Scanlon could face embarrassing questions at home. All of which is about the last thing the Republicans who control Congress wanted to hear as they move into what is an already hostile political climate for next year's midterm elections. "There's certainly a sense of foreboding among Republicans that this is the big one," says Charlie Cook, whose nonpartisan Cook Political Report tracks congressional elections. "This is the one that could really catch on."

Last week produced the biggest development yet in the case: a plea agreement by public relations man Scanlon, who was once a press secretary for Texas Congressman Tom DeLay.<snip>

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1134750,00.html

[Kierkegaard]

1. All I can say is:

couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of guys...

[Dinger]

16. I Just Wish Something Would Actually HAPPEN To These Assholes

All kinds of scandals and PROOF, but they're STILL THERE!!!!

[Kierkegaard]

24. You and me both.

They are overdue for a serious beat-down. I hope I live long enough to see it happen.

[Dinger]

26. You Know, This Shit Gets Old...Plot Thickens, Indictments, Investigations,

big fuckin' deal. All this shit and NO actual results.

[Kierkegaard]

28. Yes, definitely.

There is a clear pattern here:

1. Repuke lies, cheats, steals, whatever.


2. Gets caught.


3. Lies some more.


4. Media goes off to cover some 'real' news.


5. Repeat ad nauseum.

[Peter Frank]

30. I'm hoping that...

...that the timing of the investigation results will be optimal for the 06' elections. McCain is probably pacing the investigation along these lines.

[Peter Frank]

29. Here's something WE can do...

A great Abramoff site -- http://jackinthehouse.org

Click on the pics of Congressmen to get info on their involvement. You'll also get this:

Jack Abramoff is currently under investigation by the Department of Justice, the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, the IRS, the Department of the Interior, and the FBI. Abramoff's relationships with Congressmen need to be investigated by the House Ethics Committee too. Take action TODAY– Please use our online tool to send an e-mail to Doc Hastings, the Chair of the House Ethics Committee, and tell him you want him to investigate this web of corruption.

...and a form asking for:

First Name:
Last Name:
Zip Code:
Your Email Address:

You can access the same form by hitting the "Take Action" button.

[ProudDad]

34. Uh, there is NO House Ethics Committee

any more. The repukes shut it down.

[Talismom]

37. Right you are! I'm hungry to see the lot of 'em in orange jumpsuits!n/t

[napi21]

2. The answer is wether there was a quid pro quo.

I would think just accepting contributions and reporting them is perfectly legal. The problem comes in when those contributions are used to buy votes on particular issues. If that can be proven, then we're talking about some very serious charges!

[jazzjunkysue]

11. Scanlon admitted to influencing deals with congressional leverage

This is already influence peddling, and so it's already a felony.

[babylonsister]

3. I am so going to enjoy watching this unravel and watching

the heads roll! :applause: :woohoo:

[dogman]

4. Mentions Reid but not Hastert?

They make it seem like it isn't largely Republicans. The MSM sucks.

[patricia92243]

5. What is the name of the person in the Justice Dept. that is in charge of t

the investigation? It's not Fitzpatrick is it.

[Catherine Vincent]

10. I don't know who is in charge.

And you mean Fitzgerald. Get my baby's name right. ;-)

[Peter Frank]

19. McCain chairs the Senate Indian Affairs Committee... n/t

[Catherine Vincent]

27. Thanks!

[patricia92243]

35. Eeeek! Didn't realize I had called him incorrectly. Thanks!!! n/t

[burythehatchet]

31. Mary K. Butler.

per punpirate on another thread.

[Olney Blue]

6. "bilked six Indian tribes out of $80 million"

This story infuriates me. I HATE THESE CROOKS.

:kick:

[The Backlash Cometh]

17. There are white men who are convinced that American Indians

were the original welfare queens. I remember this conversation took place well over 30 years ago. A white male tried to convince me that Indians asked for too much from our government and were lazy, drunkards who could never hold a job. I don't know why we allowed this injustice to continue without challenging it. Had we set the record straight for the American Indian, we may have also been able to stop the Republicans from distorting our welfare problem in general.

[Olney Blue]

21. It was bad enough that their land was stolen by the "pioneers"-

the stealing has never, never stopped- and "white men" were sitting in their offices on K street just recently still plotting and enjoying the power of bilking them of millions.

No shame. Blatant. Heartless. Evil.

[burythehatchet]

32. Coupole that with

the ongoing "accounting problem" at the Bureau of Indian Affairs where revenue owed to Indin nations have been withheld and are left unpaid for years. What a crock of shit.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

7. Is bilking tribes the only scam Abramoff ran?

[KerryOn]

15. As far as I know Abramoff...

.. has only been indicted on federal bank fraud charges in the purchase of the Florida casino boat company SunCruz. He and his partner Kidan failed to make good on a $23 million down payment owed to Gregory Boulis. They had wired the money from a closed account.

Gregory Boulis the previous owner was demanding unwelcome terms so Robert Ney, Representative of Ohio, came to Abramoff’s aid. To help land the deal Ney officially criticize Boulis in the Congressional Record, and he vouched for Abramoff's partner Kidan. Boulis retained a portion of the business, but relations soured, and Boulis accused Kidan of maintaining connections to organized crime.

On February 6, 2001, Gregory Boulis is gunned down in a mob style killing on his way home. Two cars stopped him and three hollow-point bullets were fired into the chest.

On September 26, 2005, police arrest "Big Tony" Moscatiello, at his home in Howard Beach, N.Y, on charges of murder, solicitation of murder and conspiracy to commit the murder of Gregory Boulis. Police also arrest Anthony "Little Tony" Ferrari, at his home in North Miami Beach and James "Pudgy" Fiorillo, at his home in Palm Coast, Florida. Moscatiello is reported to have been an accountant for New York 's Gambino crime family. Moscatiello was a former business partner of Kidan’s whom Kidan had paid $250,000 for catering serices.

Humm.. So besides bank fraud and a scam to bilk the indians ,I would suspect conspiracy to commit murder.

[Orangepeel]

8. "accepting lawfully reported campaign contributions"

The Justice Department is preparing to test whether accepting lawfully reported campaign contributions may constitute corruption, subjecting Washington politicians to an entirely new standard.

That's not fair. Politicians of any party shouldn't be hung out to dry for accepting legal campaign contributions from people who are later convicted of crimes. It's a fair issue to raise in a campaign against them, but it alone shouldn't be "evidence of corruption" from a legal standpoint.

[electropop]

38. TIME is spinning it that DOJ is investigating lawful contributions.

TIME has no way of knowing that any contributions were legal; they are just laying the groundwork to spin it that way when the indictments come out.

[kentuck]

9. Give 'em enough rope and just wait....

They eventually will hang themselves with their greed.

[kentuck]

12. Democrats should pledge to investigate this to the end....

if they are given the majority.

[bklyncowgirl]

20. Democrats in Congress by and large will wimp out.

A few of them, I'm sure were on the take from Abramoff, and of course nearly all will want to defend their sacred right to campeign donations and junkets from lobbyists.

Some things just go beyond partisanship.

[tinfoilinfor2005]

13. Going to the store to pick up popcorn...

Buttered popcorn, cheese popcorn, kettle popcorn...

:popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn:

Let the show begin...

[Peter Frank]

18. It's Cheesy Poofs for me...

[annabanana]

23. beer & chips

[bvar22]

14. A Great time for "Publicly Financed Campaigns"...

...to become a Grassroots DEMAND!!!!
Face the fact that our politicians will NEVER lead this reform.
END the corruption!
:patriot:

[Road Scholar]

22. Just part of the contract on America. No sweat.

:sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm:

[DemoTex]

25. GOP's ABSCAM?

Five of the six members of Congress convicted of bribery and conspiracy in the 1980 ABSCAM FBI sting were Democrats. I always wondered if ABSCAM was not the beginning of the GOP payback for Watergate. Maybe .. maybe not.

Abramoff-scam promises to be a near-exclusive for GOP Congress-critters. I'm sure that there will be some token Democrats caught up in this tangled web. So be it. Adios to them too.

Back to ABSCAM. Remember John Jenrette (D-SC)? He was one of those convicted. I had forgotten about his sport-f*cking incident on Capitol Hill. What a player! Jenrette is most famous for for having sex with his then-wife, Rita Jenrette, behind a pillar on the steps of the Capitol Building. The comedy group "The Capitol Steps" take their name from this escapade.


Lovely Rita (Jenrette), Meter Maid.

[incapsulated]

33. I don't like Reid's name associated with this.

At all. :(

[Nimrod2005]

36. I don't mind if one or two Dems go down with the pukes...

If they are crooks, they need to be outed, it is that simple!!!

[incapsulated]

39. I do

One, because I like Harry, I think he's a good leader. And I think the vast majority are guilty of sins like this, sadly. Two, because it will help to dismiss the very good Democratic meme that the rethugs are part of a "culture of corruption". Not if Dems are, too.

[NoFederales]

40. The Corporate Dems are complicit at best! as rotten as the Corpo Reps

at worst!!! You don't keep partially rotten apples, or potatoes, etc. in with the good crops--they get tossed. We are talking about politicians; the name Independent, Democrat, Republican, and so on is not a sacred mantle of trust and integrity. I'm sorry there are political assholes. I'm angry and fed up that political assholes keep getting elected. So when will public concern change?

NoFederales