- NEW YORK (Reuters) -- The
US Justice Department's probe of Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff is broader
than previously thought, examining his dealings with four lawmakers, former
and current congressional aides and two former Bush administration officials,
the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.
-
- Prosecutors in the department's public integrity and
fraud divisions are looking into Abramoff's dealings with four Republicans
- former House of Representatives Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas, Rep.
Bob Ney of Ohio, Rep. John Doolittle of California and Sen. Conrad Burns
of Montana, the paper said, citing several people close to the investigation.
-
- Abramoff is under investigation over his lobbying efforts
for Indian tribes with casinos. He has also pleaded not guilty to federal
charges in Florida that he defrauded lenders in a casino cruise line deal.
-
- The prosecutors are also investigating at least 17 current
and former congressional aides, about half of whom later took lobbying
jobs with Abramoff, as well as an official from the Interior Department
and another from the government's procurement office, the Journal said.
-
- Justice Department spokesman Paul Bresson declined to
comment on the investigation.
-
- The newspaper said investigators were looking into whether
Abramoff and his partners made illegal payoffs to the lawmakers and aides
in the form of campaign contributions, sports tickets, meals, travel and
job offers, in exchange for helping their clients.
-
- DeLay and Ney have already retained criminal defense
lawyers.
-
- Spokespeople for the two lawmakers told the Journal that
they have both hired lawyers and have not been contacted by the Justice
Department.
-
- Michael Scanlon, a former aide to DeLay and partner to
powerful Republican lobbyist Abramoff, pleaded guilty to conspiracy on
Monday under a deal in which he is cooperating with prosecutors probing
the alleged influence-buying.
-
- Scanlon left DeLay's office and become a partner to Abramoff,
who has been indicted for fraud in a separate case in Florida. The plea
agreement has been seen as a major advance in prosecutors' efforts to investigate
the lobbyist.
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