UPDATED: Abramoff Connection infection continues to spread
By Kirstin Ellison
Posted on Tue Apr 24, 2007 at 02:15:16 PM EST
I'm pretty much convinced that the Abramoff scandal is going to keep developing forever. It's hard to imagine a time when newspaper headlines won't be screaming about the latest public official implicated in the scandal.
Of course, this just speaks to the incomprehensible magnitude of Abramoff's reach. This time, it's another senior Congressional staffer:
A former senior staffer on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to defraud the public by steering potential clients and inside government information to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff in return for cash, gifts and the promise of a high-paying job on K Street.
Mark Dennis Zachares admitted to prosecutors that he accepted more than $30,000 in tickets to 40 sporting events, a luxury golf trip to Scotland and $10,000 in cash from Abramoff and his lobbying team. He acknowledged providing them with information about the reorganization of the Homeland Security Department, federal disaster and highway aid, and maritime issues.
For those of you keeping score at home, that makes 11 people who have pleaded guilty in the investigation surrounding Jack Abramoff...that's not even counting the many many more who are under investigation.
Zachares and Abramoff go way back. In the 1990s, Zachares worked for the AG of the Northern Marianas, form whom Abramoff was lobbying. Over the years, Abramoff tried to get Zachares placed in more than one high position in government - Abramoff's M.O. for getting his minions in jobs where they could sway policy in his favor.
And no, the golf trip referenced above isn't the same one that Bob Ney and Tom DeLay infamously took, but there was a Member of Congress along for this one - Rep. Tom Feeney (R-FL). In January, Feeney repaid the $5,643 for the trip.
UPDATE: It seems there's a lot more to the Feeney angle of this story. The St. Petersburg Times is reporting that the FBI has request information from Rep. Feeney about his relationship with Abramoff (hat tip to Think Progress). His office released a statement:
"Rep. Feeney considers this an embarrassing episode in his 17-year career as an elected official and an expensive lesson for him as a public servant," according to the statement....
..."The Justice Department has been investigating activity surrounding Jack Abramoff," according to Feeney's statement. "The Justice Department has contacted Rep. Feeney to request more information regarding this matter and he is pleased to voluntarily cooperate."
Rep. Feeney has always maintained that he did not know the golf trip was paid for by Abramoff; just to be safe, however, he's already paid about $23,000 in legal fees this year.
Tags: Abramoff, Mark Zachares, ethics in government, bribery, corruption, Tom Feeney (all tags)
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