Hell Hath No Fury
The sordid backstory of the Abramoff scandal finally gets a proper airing, thanks to the Wall Street Journal. The saga revolves around Emily Miller, the jilted fiance of Michael Scanlon, Abramoff’s longtime business partner and confidant.
As the paper tells it:
As the [couple’s wedding] date approached, Mr. Scanlon bought a $4.7 million oceanside mansion and guest house, formerly part of the DuPont estate, in Rehoboth Beach, Del. He furnished it down to the monogrammed towels and presented it to his bride-to-be.
Then, with the wedding a few months away, he called off the engagement and started dating a 24-year-old waitress.
Classy! Prosecutors went to Miller to get dirt on Scanlon; the feds flipped Scanlon, who gave up Abramoff. And the GOP establishment trembled.
Ah, the things we do for love, eh? Or for 24-year-old waitresses. Or for revenge. (Wall Street Journal)
The Case against William Jefferson
Uh oh. Six aides of Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA) have been subpoenaed to testify before a grand jury. Sounds like the U.S. Attorney is working on an indictment. And just yesterday, there was news that Jefferson was selling his house in D.C. Coincidence? (WaPo, AP)
The Charity of Abramoff’s Clients
While Abramoff personally spread several hundred thousand dollars around Capitol Hill, his clients gave over $22 million. How much did Jack direct? (Capital Eye)
What Long, Strange Trips Have They Been Taking?
Food and Drug Administration officials have been enjoying hundreds of trips courtesy of drug industry money, the Center for Public Integrity has found. (CPI)
Reform
The NY Times reports on the GOP’s strategy of trying to use “reform” as a cover for crippling 527 organizations – which have been very effective for Democrats. The House will vote on it next week. (NYT, AP)
Also yesterday, a court decision ordered the FEC to develop rules for 527s. (WaPo)
Michael Crowley points to why the current round of “reforming” is meaningless – it doesn’t stem the flow of special interest money. (The Plank)
The Christian Science Monitior has a nice rundown of how weak the Senate’s reform bill is. (CSM)
Pelosi’s Resolution
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) offered a resolution on the House floor yesterday for an immediate investigation into Abramoff’s ties to members of Congress and staffers. It went down, mostly along party lines, 216-193. Six Republicans voted for it: Reps. Jim Gerlach (Pa.), Todd Platts (Pa.), Mark Green (Wisc.), Mark Souder (Ind.), Jim Leach (Iowa) and Chris Shays (Conn.). (The Fix, Raw Story)
The Doolittles at Home
The Sacramento Bee captures Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA) sharing a moment at home with his wife. (Sac Bee)
Ralph Reed – The Abramoff Canary
Seems like the air’s getting thin for Ralph Reed’s campaign for lt. governor in Georgia. (The Nation)
Colorado Congressional Candidate Violates Hatch Act?
He used the title of the Environmental Protection Agency’s administrator on a fundraiser invitation. The campaign has blamed it on (surprise!) a “private citizen” working on the campaign. (RMN)
Kaloogian – Before The Bottom Falls Out
Kevin Drum points to a poll showing Howard Kaloogian at 12% in a crowded race for Duke Cunningham’s seat. “[H]e’s got about 12% of the vote. For now. Somehow I have a feeling those numbers might drop a bit in the next few days.” (WM)
Covered Yesterday
See more of our Kaloogian and Move America Forward coverage here.
The Curious Case of Richard Convertino, DoJ scapegoat…(link)
Jefferson Skips Town?…(link)
Former Pombo Aide and Abramoff Skybox Enthusiast Joins Steele Campaign…(link)
Ryun’s Explanation of his house deal raises more questions…(link)
MZM had a contract in Homeland Security…(link)
Late Update: An earlier version stated Abramoff’s clients gave $72 million to lawmakers. In fact, that amount is what they spent on lobbying — both direct contributions to lawmakers as well as fees to lobbying firms.
