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Abramoff's donkeys

Too late to make a difference in the election, but we're learning that the Culture of Corruption™ wasn't limited to the party in power:

Convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff is scheduled to report to federal prison tomorrow, over the objections of federal prosecutors who say they still need his help to pursue leads on officials he allegedly bribed.

Sources close to the investigation say Abramoff has provided information on his dealings with and campaign contributions and gifts to "dozens of members of Congress and staff," including what Abramoff has reportedly described as "six to eight seriously corrupt Democratic senators."

(Via Hot Air.)

On the House side of the Capitol, we are reminded that John Murtha, Nancy Pelosi's pick for Majority Leader, was an unindicted co-conspirator in the ABSCAM bribery investigation, and there's videotape of him leaving the door open for future bribes. Here's a summary of Murtha's involvement in ABSCAM on Wikipedia. (The videos are on YouTube, which is down for scheduled maintenance at the moment.) (UPDATE: Here is the entire, unedited video on Google.)

Clean 'em all out.

UPDATE: For those who believe this blogstorm about Murtha is the activity of mind-numbed Rovian robots, please note that the left-leaning Talking Points Memo Muckraker website is all over Murtha. Presumably they are as embarrassed at the prospect of Majority Leader Murtha we are about Trent Lott, once-and-future Minority Whip. Here's their explanation of how Murtha managed not to get prosecuted or disciplined for ABSCAM. And here's Murtha quoted as saying a Democratic-sponsored lobbying reform bill is "total crap".

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Comments (2)

W.:

I find Abramoff's current claims to be a desperate ploy by someone who wants to avoid going to prison for as long as possible. If he's got the goods on people, he should have come clean with them a long time ago so that he'd get a lighter sentence. This investigation has been going for years and he's already been sentenced -- why would he hold out now?

And even if he's in the clink, that doesn't stop prosecutors from interviewing him -- if he truly has anything of value.

As for Murtha, I'm not happy that he's going to get a leadership position. His actions about Iraq were proper and prescient, but his earmarking and alleged corruption (he was never charged) make him no part the solution. About the only thing he has in his favor is that the statute of limitations has long expired in ABSCAM.

W.:

Well, Murtha was soundly defeated for the House Majority Leader post. So much for him.

And this report today casts a ton of doubt on Abramoff's claims:

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/001997.php#more

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This page contains a single entry from the blog posted on November 14, 2006 11:21 PM.

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