Tag: Jack Abramoff

Jack Abramoff has been released from prison to finish serving his 70 month sentence in a half-way house.

He started his sentence in November, 2006. He's served 3 years and 7 months. He'll be discharged from the halfway house December 4.

On the day he was sentenced, I wrote:

I don't think Abramoff will do more than three to four years. But, with a $21 million restitution order hanging over his head, he may never be a fat cat again.

Disgraced Republican Jack Abramoff was sentenced today in his second case to four years in prison, to be served concurrently with the six year sentence he is already serving.

Judge Ellen Huvelle issued the sentence after federal prosecutors recommended leniency due to Abramoff's cooperation in pursuing corruption cases against lawmakers and former administration officials. He faced a maximum of 11 years under a plea deal reached in 2006.

Abramoff sang for his supper and got rewarded big time. Great job by defense attorneys Abbie Lowell and Neal Sonnett.

Earlier this week I wrote about former Bob Ney staffer Will Heaton who cooperated with the feds and wore a wire to tape conversations with Ney. Heaton was facing up to five years in jail. His sentencing guidelines were 18 to 24 months.

Heaton was sentenced today to two years probation.

The indirect beneficiary of Heaton's cooperation, of course, will be Jack Abramoff, whose final sentence reduction has not yet been determined.

On March 23, Stephen Griles, former Deputy Secretary of the Interior during Gale Norton's tenure, pleaded guilty to providing misleading information to Senate investigators about his relationship with Jack Abramoff.

Now, Italia Federici, Griles former girlfriend who "co-founded CREA, a conservative-leaning environmental-advocacy group, in 1997 with Gale Norton, who became secretary of the Interior Department in 2001" has received a target letter.
CREA stands for Council of Republicans for Environmental Advocacy,

“The investigation is focused on the allegedly illegal manner in which you operated the Council of Republicans for Environmental Advocacy,” wrote Stephanie Evans, a trial attorney in the department’s Tax Division.

Griles acknowledged at the time of his plea,

... that because of his romantic relationship with Federici, he “gave Abramoff more credibility as a lobbyist” and “distinguished him from other lobbyists.”

Federici is under investigation for potentially violating five statutes:

More...

I'm not sure why this is news since it was all but assured in Jack Abramoff's plea agreement, but the U.S. Attorney in Florida has signaled he will be requesting a reduction in Jack Abramoff's 5 year 10 month sentence.

Abramoff's plea agreement is here. As I wrote at the time of his sentencing,

I don't think Abramoff will do more than three to four years. But, with a $21 million restitution order hanging over his head, he may never be a fat cat again.

....I ...think he will get a 50% reduction in the Washington case, and a further Rule 35 reduction in the Florida case so both come out to about or just under four years.

Abramoff has continued cooperating since his sentence and incarceration. He will get credit for everyone who he cooperated against who has since pleaded guilty or been found guilty. That's the way our system works. It's called moral bankruptcy.

Update: Washington Post (Ney will use alcoholism as an excuse); CNN (deal involves plea to two charges.)

******
Original post: 9/14

Via TPM Muckraker, the tentacles of the Jack Abramoff investigation continue to grow. A blog at the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that Ohio Republican Congressman Bob Ney has reached a plea agreement with the Justice Department and will plead guilty to a criminal charge, possibly Friday.