Abramoff Cops a Plea; Let the Hijinks Begin

Lobbyist Jack Abramoff has copped a plea today to charges of conspiracy, fraud, and tax evasion; he'll cop more pleas tomorrow. He'll get 9.5 to 11 years–and he'll start cooperating in earnest with a federal probe into all sorts of stuff that will likely embarass many, many people in DC and beyond.

From Reuters via the Boston Globe:

Abramoff's plea was sure to send shockwaves through Congress, where many Republicans and Democrats have benefited from campaign contributions from him or his clients. Lawmakers seeking to distance themselves from him have returned more than $200,000 in recent weeks.

Abramoff faces a maximum sentence of 30 years, but under the terms of the plea deal it will be reduced to between 9 1/2 and 11 years. The sentence could be reduced even further if Abramoff cooperates fully, a Justice Department official said.

As part of the plea deal, Abramoff agreed to pay at least $25 million in restitution.

Whole thing here.