Thursday, August 11, 2005
The first shoe drops for Jack Abramoff.
CNN has this story from the AP about the first indictment for noted Reublican lobbyist, fund raiser and Friend Of Tom(DeLay).
Lobbyist Jack Abramoff, a key figure in investigations involving House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, was indicted Thursday by a federal grand jury on fraud charges arising from a 2000 deal to buy casino boats.In case you have forgotten, we say the first shoe because of this.
The indictment, returned by a grand jury in Fort Lauderdale, charges that Abramoff and an associate, 36-year-old New York businessman Adam Kidan, used a fake wire transfer to defraud two lenders out of some $60 million to finance the deal for SunCruz Casinos.
Abramoff and Kidan are charged with five counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud. Each count carries a penalty of up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Abramoff is also under federal investigation in Washington by a grand jury investigating whether he and a lobbying partner overcharged Indian tribes by millions of dollars for their work.May the gods be with us on this one.
DeLay, R-Texas, was not mentioned in any lawsuits involved in the SunCruz deal.
DeLay has asked the House Ethics Committee to review allegations that Abramoff or his clients paid some of DeLay's overseas travel expenses.
DeLay has denied knowing that the expenses were paid by Abramoff, whom he once described as "one of my closest and dearest friends."
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