By LARRY MARGASAK, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 6 minutes ago
WASHINGTON - Nearly two decades later, John McCain is still haunted by his role in the Keating Five scandal.
His role in the 1980s banking scandal is featured in a new Barack Obama attack video. McCain's presidential campaign quickly moved to limit any damage.
The Republican senator's lawyer in the case, John Dowd, told reporters in a conference call Monday that McCain had been the victim of "a political smear job" by Senate Democrats.
<...>
Once close to Keating, McCain received $112,000 from him, his family and associates. The senator and his family also flew in Keating's plane to the Bahamas and — in the events that triggered the Senate investigation — took up his cause with financial regulators as they were investigating the businessman. Keating eventually went to prison. McCain eventually repaid $112,000 to the U.S. Treasury and reimbursed Keating for the trips.
The irony of the Keating case is that McCain received the mildest ethics committee rebuke of the five senators in 1991, and was kept as a defendant because he was the only Republican. The special counsel in the case had recommended that McCain and one of the Democrats be dropped as defendants. But Democrats, who controlled the Senate, refused to take all the heat for the scandal and all five remained in the case to the end.
moreDesperate Dowd lies for McCain:
"Unfortunately for McCain, we're living in the Google era." (updated)GUILT BY GUILT.... (McCain's Keating Five involvement)