Abramoff Drags in more Bushies
25 November 2005 12:08 pm by Taylor Marsh
Abramoff Drags in more Bushies
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. "We have not been
contacted by the Justice Department," said J.P. Pendleton, a spokesman
for Mr. Burns. "We are more than happy to help out in any investigation
should we be asked." Mr. Doolittle’s spokeswoman said the lawmaker hasn’t
been contacted by the Justice Department. Prosecutors often contact the subjects
of investigations only after gathering significant information from others.
The spokeswoman added that any suggestion that Mr. Doolittle "may have
had some improper involvement in matters recently disclosed about Mr. Abramoff
and others comes as a complete surprise and is simply ridiculous." Federal
Influence-Peddling Inquiry Casts Wider Net
As many as 17 current and former congressional aides are now targets,
5 of whom worked for Tommy Delay. Delay’s boy, Michael Scanlon, has flipped,
with his attorney saying, according to the WSJ today, that the "investigation
is much broader" than what is shown in the plea agreement. Uh-oh.
But there are more Bushies implicated, including Steven Griles,
a former deputy secretary at the Interior Department, and David Safavian, a
former head of the government’s procurement office, who’s already been arrested.
As for what’s next, it seems the fat lady hasn’t even gotten dressed
yet.
