From Bloomberg, 12/4/05:
http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000087&sid=aPSWDyS0P7MM&refer=home
McCain Says Abramoff Probe Will Lead to More Indictments
(Bloomberg) --
U.S. Senator John McCain said he expects ``lots'' of indictments to
grow out of the federal investigation of lobbyist Jack Abramoff and
that there was ``strong evidence'' of wrongdoing by some lawmakers.
``This town has become very corrupt, there's no doubt about it,''
McCain said today on NBC's ``Meet the Press'' program.
The Arizona Republican is chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs
Committee and has led a congressional probe of Abramoff's dealings
with Indian tribes who hired him as a lobbyist.
The Justice Department is investigating Abramoff's contacts with
lawmakers and congressional staff members.
``There's strong evidence that there was significant wrongdoing,''
McCain said when asked whether he believed some lawmakers have
committed crimes.
He declined to be specific.
Michael Scanlon, a former Abramoff associate who previously was an
aide to Republican Representative Tom DeLay, pleaded guilty last month
to conspiring to corrupt public officials and defraud Indian-tribe
clients.
The plea clears the way for his cooperation with the investigation.
Abramoff, Scanlon and their lobbying clients combined to give campaign
money to a third of the members of Congress.
``The system here, where so much is done in the way of policy and
money in appropriations bills where line items are put in in secret
which nobody knows about or sees until after they're voted on, is the
problem,'' McCain said.
Representative Robert Ney, an Ohio Republican who took an
Abramoff-sponsored trip to Scotland in 2002, said last month that
prosecutors have subpoenaed records from his office.
He has denied any wrongdoing and said he was deceived by Abramoff and
Scanlon.
McCain, 69, said the lobbying system needs to be restructured to
eliminate fraud and to prevent groups from hiring well-connected
people to make deals to pass certain legislation or guarantee funding
for key issues.
He said he wouldn't count on the congressional ethics committee that
monitor lawmakers' compliance with laws and ethics regulations.
``I don't think the ethics committees are working very well,'' McCain
said.
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Ain't that like an...um...understatement, Big John?
Harry
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