Let's Take Bets

Not that I am a conspiracy nut or that this is a good thing to do, but I will admit to watching a little too much tv. One of the things I learned is that when you deal with the mob, there is no getting out, they will hunt you down years later to get revenge. The people he can implicate won't wait that long. They have tried to destroy every one of their opponents, tried to ruin their professional lives, impugned their integrity. These are much higher stakes, the penalty will probably be more severe.

G.O.P. Lobbyist to Plead Guilty in Deal With Prosecutors - New York Times

Mr. Abramoff, 46, is pleading guilty to fraud, public corruption and tax evasion, setting the stage for prosecutors to begin using him as a cooperating witness against his former business and political colleagues. In exchange, Mr. Abramoff faces a maximum of about 10 years in prison in the Washington case.

After entering his guilty plea in United States District Court in Washington, Mr. Abramoff will also announce a plea agreement in a related Florida case, in which he was indicted last year. In that case, he is pleading guilty to fraud and conspiracy in connection with his purchase of the SunCruz casino boat line, and will face a maximum of about seven years' prison time.
snip
Now, after more than two years of investigations, prosecutors have developed a list of at least a dozen lawmakers, congressional aides and lobbyists whose work appears suspect and who are now at the core of the case. With Mr. Abramoff's cooperation, the Justice Department will have a potentially critical witness to alleged patterns of corruption or bribery within the Republican leadership ranks, which in some cases they believe also took the form of campaign donations and free meals at Mr. Abramoff's downtown restaurant, Signatures.

Heads will roll as they try to contain the damage. Corruption, if it was bad when you accused Clinton, it's bad when you do it yourself. Power, the Absolut of intoxicants.

And from another source:

Abramoff is scheduled to appear at 12:15 p.m. in U.S. District Court in Washington to plead guilty to three counts charging him with conspiracy, honest services fraud and tax evasion, said Bryan Sierra, a spokesman for the Justice Department.

Abramoff had been facing trial on fraud charges Jan. 9 in Miami in connection with the purchase of a Florida casino cruise-ship company. His co-defendant in that case, Adam Kidan, agreed last month to plead guilty to conspiracy and wire fraud and to testify against Abramoff.

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