Abramoff is Going Down

2006 is kicking off just like 2005 did for Republicans: drenched in scandal. Jack Abramoff is a name most people don't know, but trust me when I say the following: this is going to be big news. Initial numbers say that up to 20, congresscritters may end up losing their jobs over this, which could potentially swing the house/senate democratic in November, but it could be more.

For you politicos, a good primer on Abramoff is here. The basic premise is that Abramoff would collect money from various parties (eg. Indian Casino Interests), donate that money through fake charities to Republican interests, and in return the Republican parties would give those parties political access to politicians like Tom Delay, who would press their agenda. Besides the money laundering aspect, this is serious pay for play, which amounts to bribes, which are (obviously) illegal.

How did they get caught? Abramoff was turned in by Michael Scanlon, who was an associate. How was Scanlon caught? By his jilted ex-lover. Abramoff, in a plea bargain, is expected to rat out senators who accepted his bribes -- and since Abramoff is connected to just about everyone in the Republican establishment (including Bush), you can expect some serious potential fallout.