A month ago, Michael Scanlon, Tom DeLay’s former press secretary and Jack Abramoff’s business partner, struck a plea deal with federal prosecutors, sending shockwaves of fear throughout the Republican establishment. Shortly thereafter, Adam Kidan, another Abramoff business partner, also came to a plea agreement. A week later, Tony Rudy, whom Abramoff from DeLay’s office, apparently did the same thing.
With all this flipping, it was probably only a matter of time before Abramoff himself sang like a bird.
Jack Abramoff, the Republican lobbyist under criminal investigation, has been discussing with prosecutors a deal that would grant him a reduced sentence in exchange for testimony against former political and business associates, people with detailed knowledge of the case say.
Mr. Abramoff is believed to have extensive knowledge of what prosecutors suspect is a wider pattern of corruption among lawmakers and Congressional staff members. One participant in the case who insisted on anonymity because of the sensitivity of the negotiations described him as a “unique resource.”
That’s putting it mildly. Thomas Mann, a congressional specialist at the Brookings Institution, recently said the controversies surrounding Abramoff’s dealings with GOP lawmakers “has the potential to be the biggest scandal in Congress in over a century” because he’s “never seen anything approaching Abramoff for cynicism and chutzpah in proposing quid pro quos to members of Congress.” Abramoff, in other words, spread his corruption far and wide. If he’s talking freely about every member of Congress with whom he was involved, Abramoff is in a position to end a number of political careers.
For high-priced defense attorneys in DC, the holiday season will be very busy — fielding countless phone calls from dozens of Republican lawmakers who are scared to death of what Abramoff might say.
Pass the popcorn.