http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...010300474.html
Abramoff Expected to Plead Guilty to 3 Felony Charges
By William Branigin and Fred Barbash
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, January 3, 2006; 10:39 AM
Former high-powered lobbyist Jack Abramoff is expected to plead guilty today to three felony charges in a Washington courtroom, a Justice Department spokesman said.
The plea deal opens the prospect that Abramoff could provide testimony about members of Congress and congressional staffers in a wide-ranging political corruption investigation focused on his lobbying activities.
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.
Another former partner, Michael Scanlon, has pleaded guilty to conspiring to bribe a member of Congress and other public officials and has agreed to pay back more than $19 million of the more than $80 million that he and Abramoff charged Indian tribal clients.
Staff writer Susan Schmidt contributed to this report.
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