Toxic Jack Strikes Again

[maddezmom]

Toxic Jack Strikes Again
The Abramoff scandal may widen as further allegations of public corruption emerge

April was a cruel month for people once close to convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff: Two members of Congress are being investigated by the FBI because of their dealings with him. Two of the lawmakers' former staffers resigned from their current jobs in the wake of the scandal. A third former Capitol Hill aide pleaded guilty to a public corruption charge stemming from his job negotiations with Abramoff.

Why the sudden surge? Two main factors seem critical. First, the Justice Dept.'s Public Integrity Section, which handles corruption cases, is finally emerging from a prolonged period of staff turnover. After a two-year stretch during which four other people held the job, William M. Welch II took over as head of the section in March, bringing stability and decisiveness.

Meanwhile, the number of lower-level figures in the scandal who have agreed to cooperate with investigators has reached critical mass. And Abramoff himself, sitting in a federal prison in Cumberland, Md., continues to cooperate with prosecutors, giving the government numerous leads. The investigation thus far has resulted in the indictment or guilty pleas of 11 former officials and lobbyists, all Republican. In the coming months, details of several new public corruption investigations are likely to become public, sources say.

more:http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_20/b4034050.htm?campaign_id=rss_magzn