More bad news for Republicans. This courtesy of the
Associated Press
Scanlon Charged With Conspiracy to
DefraudBy PETE YOST, Associated Press
Michael Scanlon, partner of lobbyist Jack Abramoff, was charged Friday
with conspiring to defraud Indian tribes the two were representing of
millions of dollars.In a one-count criminal information filed by the government, Scanlon was
charged with conspiring with another lobbyist, who was not identified.Although the document lists Scanlon’s co-conspirator only as “Lobbyist
A,” it has been a matter of public record for more than a year that Scanlon
and Abramoff had a fee-splitting arrangement and represented several Indian
tribes.Scanlon was once a top aide to former House Majority Leader Tom Delay,
who stepped down from his leadership post after being charged with violating
campaign finance laws in Texas.The filing of a criminal information, rather than an indictment, often
means prosecutors have reached a plea agreement with a defendant.Justice Department spokesman Bryan Sierra confirmed that a hearing has
been scheduled for Monday in Scanlon’s case, but would provide no details.The Senate Indian Affairs Committee is investigating Abramoff and Scanlon
and the more than $80 million they were paid between 2001 and 2004 by six
Indian tribes with casinos.In another investigation, Abramoff has been indicted by a federal grand
jury in Florida on charges of fraud and conspiracy stemming from his role in
the 2000 purchase of a fleet of gambling boats.
This is bad news for the Republicans considering how many of them are tied to
Abramoff and Scanlon. Most notably, which is mentioned in the article, is Tom
Delay. I will have more on this story a little later.