Jack Abramoff

Jacked! Reform Movement Splits On How To Handle Abramoff

Ryan J. Reilly | February 7, 2012, 5:51AM

Jack Abramoff speaks before Public Citizen, a consumer rights advocacy group, in Washington, DC on February 6, 2012.

If one thing was clear at a Monday event held by the nonprofit watchdog group Public Citizen, it's that good government types are split into two camps on the subject of Jack Abramoff. There are those who think his perspective as the world's most notorious lobbyist give him valuable ideas on how to fix the system, and there are those who think he's - frankly - full of it.

Six cameras, about as many photographers and rows of reporters packed into a room at Public Citizen lined with historic photos of founder Ralph Nader (a connection Abramoff found ironic, given how he'd opposed Nader's work during his career) for a chat between President Rob Weissman and Abramoff.

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Neil Volz

The Other Side Of The Abramoff Scandal: Neil Volz, Now A Janitor, Self-Publishes Book

Ryan J. Reilly | December 29, 2011, 6:00AM

For a felon, former lobbyist Jack Abramoff has it pretty good: a book deal, a WND column, regular appearances on cable news and a spot judging TPM's Golden Dukes. But it turns out the path to prosperity is a lot of tougher for the lower-ranking individuals caught up in the scandal defined by Abramoff's name.

Take Neil Volz. He was chief-of-staff to former Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH) and went to work with Abramoff at Greenburg Traurig LLP in 2002. He reached a plea deal with the Justice Department and pleaded guilty in 2006 and testified against fellow Abramoff associate Kevin Ring and former Bush administration official David Safavian.

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Jack Abramoff

Corruption 101: Abramoff Takes His New Reforming Zeal To Harvard

Eric Lach | December 7, 2011, 8:54AM

Lawrence Lessig, and Jack Abramoff (Associated Press / Roll Call)

CAMBRIDGE, MA -- On Tuesday night, disgraced former lobbyist Jack Abramoff was in Cambridge, Massachusetts, an invited guest of Harvard University's Edmond J. Safra Center For Ethics, for the first event in a series at the center featuring interviews with "the guilty, not the innocent or inspirational."

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Jack Abramoff

Jack Abramoff Doesn't Care If Reformers Think He's Sincere

Ryan J. Reilly | November 28, 2011, 11:15AM

Jack Abramoff is a man who knows his audience.

On his promotional tour touting his new book, he customizes the message depending on the crowd. Speaking at his World Net Daily book party? He'll crack wise about the "bolsheviks" at MSNBC. Speaking on MSNBC? He'll have a go-to quote about what he calls Newt Gingrich's corruption.

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Jack Abramoff

Jack Abramoff's Rehabilitation Tour Hits D.C.

Ryan J. Reilly | November 16, 2011, 6:02AM

"My life has taken a bit of a turn," lobbyist-turned-felon-turned-reform advocate Jack Abramoff told the crowd assembled in Tucker Carlson's living room in Northwest D.C. on Tuesday night. "I used to be a right-wing guy who sort of disdained the New York Times, 60 Minutes and Michael Moore. Now, I'm happy to be on 60 Minutes, I love the pieces in the New York Times and Michael Moore is my new best friend."

Meet Abramoff 2.0. Sixteen months after his prison term from the most infamous Washington corruption case in recent memory ended, Abramoff was addressing an audience of journalists and friends about how his world has been turned upside down. In the midst of a publicity tour for his book Capitol Punishment: The Hard Truth About Washington Corruption From America's Most Notorious Lobbyist -- Twitter feed, Facebook page, snazzy website, the works -- Abramoff said he knows his new stances on reform aren't earning him any friends.

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Jack Abramoff

Abramoff: Hill Staffers Should Be Banned From Becoming Lobbyists

Ryan J. Reilly | November 7, 2011, 9:07AM

Convicted felon Jack Abramoff took his recommendations for lobbying reform to 60 Minutes on Sunday night, arguing that Capitol Hill staffers shouldn't be allowed to become lobbyists.

"I would say or my staff would say to him or her at some point, 'you know, when you're done working on the hill, we'd very much like to consider coming to work for us.' Now the moment I said that to him, or any of our staff said that to him, that was it. We owned them," Abramoff told CBS's Lesley Stahl.

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Jack Abramoff

The Book Of Jack: Abramoff Now Campaign Finance Reformer, Tea Party Admirer

Ryan J. Reilly | November 3, 2011, 11:20AM

Disgraced Former Lobbyist Jack Abramoff

Disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff knows a thing or two about political corruption and lobbying. And in his new book "Capitol Punishment: The Hard Truth About Washington Corruption From America's Most Notorious Lobbyist," he has a few ideas on how to fix the system:

Ban donations from lobbyists and those who receive public funds. "Instead of limiting the size of every American's political contribution, we need to entirely eliminate any contribution by those lobbying the government, participating in a federal contract, or otherwise financially benefiting from public funds. If you get money or perks from elected officials -- be 'you' a company, a union, an association, a law firm, or an individual -- you shouldn't be permitted to give them so much as one dollar. It does no good to ban Jack Abramoff from giving $2,000 to Congressman Badenov, but allow the members of his law firm to pick up the slack. If you choose to lobby, if you choose to take money from our nation, if you choose to perform federal contracts, or if you draw your compensation from any entity which does, you need to abstain from giving campaign contributions. It's your choice either way. But you have to choose one, not both."

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Jack Abramoff

Jack Abramoff: Dan Snyder Isn't A 'Brat,' He's An Awesome Guy

Ryan J. Reilly | November 2, 2011, 5:10PM

There aren't all that many public figures in Washington with a worse reputation than Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder. Disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff is one of those figures.

So it's unlikely to help Snyder that, according to Abramoff's new book, the media has given the Redskins' owner a bum rap. Abramoff writes that he found Snyder "decent, honest and straightforward" and not the "imperious brat the media had portrayed him to be."

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Jack Abramoff

Jack Abramoff: Lobbying Reform Passed By Congress Has Been Pretty Weak

Ryan J. Reilly | November 2, 2011, 4:15PM

Like other media outlets, TPM got an advance copy of Jack Abramoff's new book, "Capitol Punishment: The Hard Truth About Washington Corruption From America's Most Notorious Lobbyist."

We'll have more highlights soon, but we wanted to flag a few paragraphs in which the disgraced lobbyist advocates for reforms to the political system and says what's in place now isn't doing jack:

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Kevin Ring

Did Kevin Ring Get A Raw Deal In The Abramoff Scandal?

Ryan J. Reilly | October 27, 2011, 2:20PM

Federal prosecutor Nathaniel B. Edmonds stepped before U.S. District Judge Ellen S. Huvelle on Wednesday morning and portrayed former lobbyist Kevin Ring as "second in command" to Jack Abramoff and said a 50-month sentence would "reflect the reality of Ring's crimes."

Ultimately, Huvelle sentenced Ring to 20 months in prison for providing, in the words of DOJ, an "illegal stream of things of value, including vacations, employment for a congressman's wife, meals, drinks, and high-priced tickets to exclusive concerts and sporting events."

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Jack Abramoff

Abramoff Whistleblower Had More Creative Sentence In Mind For Kevin Ring

Ryan J. Reilly | October 26, 2011, 2:55PM

The Native American lobbyist who says he brought the Jack Abramoff scandal to light says he disagreed with the judge's sentencing of co-conspirator Kevin Ring to 20 months in prison.

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Kevin Ring

Kevin Ring Sentenced To 20 Months In Abramoff Scandal

Ryan J. Reilly | October 26, 2011, 12:19PM

Updated: 1:20PM

Former lobbyist and congressional staffer Kevin Ring was sentenced to 20 months in prison, with 30 months probation to follow, by a federal judge on Wednesday for his role in the Jack Abramoff scandal.

Ring's lawyers had been hoping for a sentence of probation. At a hearing in a courtroom in D.C. federal court, federal prosecutors sought to portray Ring as "number two in the team Abramoff scandal" and sought a sentence of 50 months in jail. That sentence would have been longer than the sentence received by Abramoff himself. A federal prosecutor argued that there "are sentencing disparities, but they are not unwarranted."

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Jack Abramoff

Tucker Carlson On Hosting Jack Abramoff Book Party: 'What He Did Is Hardly Out Of The Ordinary For Washington'

Ryan J. Reilly | October 25, 2011, 4:30PM

The birther website World Net Daily might have gotten the publishing rights to Jack Abramoff's forthcoming memoir, but Tucker Carlson's Daily Caller gets to host the book party.

Invites are out for a Nov. 15 event at Carlson's D.C. home, where they'll toast Abramoff's new book: Capitol Punishment: The Hard Truth About Washington Corruption From America's Most Notorious Lobbyist, which drops Nov. 1.

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Ted Stevens

Ted Stevens Prosecutor Now Working On Abramoff Scandal Case

Ryan J. Reilly | October 18, 2011, 11:40AM

The late Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK)

A federal prosecutor who was transferred out of the Justice Department's Public Integrity Unit more than two years ago in the fallout of the mishandling of the corruption case against late Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) has returned to his position, NPR's Carrie Johnson reports:

Edward P. Sullivan, who had been working on international affairs at Justice Department headquarters since June 2009, will appear in federal court in D.C. today as a member of the government team handling the sentencing of Trevor Blackann, a lobbyist and former GOP Senate aide. Blackann pleaded guilty for failing to report $4,100 in tickets and other gifts he received in connection with the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal.

Sullivan's lawyer Brian Heberlig told NPR that Sullivan was cleared of wrongdoing in the ethics investigation.

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Kevin Ring

Kevin Ring: Gov't Wants 'Grossly Disproportionate' Sentence In Abramoff Scandal

Ryan J. Reilly | October 17, 2011, 1:00PM

A legal team for Kevin Ring, the member of "Team Abramoff" who the feds want to send to prison for two months longer than Jack Abramoff himself, is arguing that he doesn't deserve to spend four years and two months in prison for giving tickets to a former Justice Department official and two Senate staffers.

"By any objective measure, Kevin Ring was a mid-level player in this scandal, and yet the government asked for him to receive the longest sentence of anyone," his legal team writes in a court filing. "Its request is based on a distorted and unsubstantiated view of Mr. Ring's actions, his comparative culpability, and his character."

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WND Books

How WND Birther Website Could End Up Paying Abramoff Victims

Ryan J. Reilly | October 14, 2011, 6:20PM

[Correction: The Washington Post story was based on a draft order proposed by the government and was never signed by a judge.]

The Justice Department wants WorldNetDaily books -- the publisher of both Jack Abramoff's memoir and "Where's the Birth Certificate? The Case that Barack Obama is not Eligible to be President" -- to turn over any money it owes former lobbyist Abramoff.

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Kevin Ring

DOJ Wants Kevin Ring Sentenced To Two Months More Than Jack Abramoff

Ryan J. Reilly | October 12, 2011, 2:15PM

Federal prosecutors are asking a federal judge to send Jack Abramoff associate Kevin Ring to jail for four years and two months when he's sentenced on Oct. 26.

The Justice Department argued in a Tuesday filing that Ring should serve three years probation after his release and perform community service in lieu of a fine. Ring -- who was convicted of conspiracy, paying of an illegal gratuity and three counts of honest services fraud -- had asked for five years probation for his role in the Abramoff scandal.

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Jack Abramoff

'Birther' Website WND To Publish Disgraced Lobbyist Jack Abramoff's Memoir

Ryan J. Reilly | October 6, 2011, 5:45AM

Jack Abramoff

Updated: Oct. 6, 7:50AM

Disgraced former lobbyist Jack Abramoff has a forthcoming memoir intended to serve as a "corrective" to his "wildly misunderstood" story. The publisher? The infamous "birther" website World Net Daily.

"Capitol Punishment: The Hard Truth About Washington from America's Most Notorious Lobbyist" is set to be published on Nov. 1, according to WND.

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Kevin Ring

Kevin Ring Asks For Five Years Probation For Role In Abramoff Scandal

Ryan J. Reilly | October 3, 2011, 11:10AM

A lawyer for Kevin Ring, a congressional staffer turned lobbyist caught up in the Jack Abramoff scandal, is arguing he should stay out of jail and get five years probation for his conviction in a scheme to corrupt public officials by providing a stream of gifts.

Prosecutors had been seeking an extremely harsh sentence of 17 years for Ring, but Judge Ellen Huvelle ruled that a range of 46 to 57 months would be more appropriate. He's set to be sentenced on Oct. 26.

"While we recognize that such a sentence may appear lenient at first blush, a comprehensive review demonstrates that such a sentence is not only comparatively fair, it is reasonable and proper in consideration of Mr. Ring's circumstances, the nature of his individual actions, and the significant sanctions this unique prosecution has already visited upon him and his family," Andrew T. Wise argues.

"While the offenses of conviction are serious in nature, Mr. Ring's role in those offenses was comparatively minor and the circumstances of his conduct are less blameworthy than other, more egregious public corruption offenses," he writes. "And Mr. Ring's personal history and actions, especially during the seven years since the events that led to his indictment, demonstrate a depth and sincerity of character diametrically opposed to the caricature of the man presented through two trials."

Ring also wrote a 12-page letter to the judge asking for leniency, writing that the "toll has been great," but that he has "kept the two most important things that I had within my control: the opportunity to love and be loved by my two daughters, and my integrity."

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Jack Abramoff

Judge Tells Feds They Can't Retaliate Against Abramoff Pal Kevin Ring

Ryan J. Reilly | September 20, 2011, 3:25PM

Kevin Ring

A federal judge rebuffed the Justice Department's attempt to send Kevin Ring, the lobbyist affiliated with Jack Abramoff convicted of bribing public officials, to jail for 17 years, ruling federal prosecutors can't punish him for fighting the charges against him at trial.

Instead of the 17-22 year sentence the government wanted to impose, Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle ruled that Ring will face 46 to 57 months in jail when he's sentenced on Oct. 26.

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Kevin Ring

Feds: Abramoff Associate Kevin Ring 'Not Entitled' To Leniency

Ryan J. Reilly | September 1, 2011, 6:50PM

Kevin Ring

Federal prosecutors maintained in a filing on Thursday that Jack Abramoff crony Kevin Ring should face 17 to 22 years in jail because he is "is not entitled to the benefits, or leniency, enjoyed by his co-conspirators who stood in a very different position in 2005 to 2008 than he does in 2011."

Ring's lawyers had argued that the tough sentence the Justice Department has sought against him -- which exceeds the time served by all 20 other defendants in the conspiracy combined -- was a form of retaliation for his decision to go to trial and not plead guilty like many of his co-conspirators.

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Kevin Ring

Feds: 17-22 Year Sentence For Abramoff Aide Kevin Ring Wouldn't Be Retaliation

Ryan J. Reilly | August 31, 2011, 6:15AM

Kevin Ring

Federal prosecutors want Jack Abramoff associate Kevin Ring to serve 17 to 22 years in jail because he refuses to admit that he's guilty and unsuccessfully fought the criminal charges against him, the Associated Press reported.

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Rick Perry

Top Perry Patron Has Ties To DeLay Redistricting Scandal

Susan Crabtree | August 26, 2011, 5:24PM

While the East Coast braces itself for the ravages of Hurricane Irene this weekend, a tempest of another kind will be building in Texas.

Texas Gov. Ricky Perry is attending a Christian "call to action" retreat for top donors at the Texas Hill Country ranch of one of his biggest patrons and political supporters, prominent San Antonio doctor and hospital-bed magnate James Leininger.

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Kevin Ring

DOJ Lawyer Disbarred in Connection to Abramoff Scandal

Zoe Schlanger | July 7, 2011, 4:33PM

Three years after pleading guilty to violating conflict of interest laws, the former U.S. Department of Justice lawyer involved in the Jack Abramoff corruption scandal has been disbarred, Legal Times reports.

Robert E. Coughlin II was the former Deputy Chief of Staff of the Criminal Division at the DOJ, the division which oversaw the probe into the Abramoff lobbying bribery case.

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Kevin Ring

Abramoff Pal Kevin Ring Facing Third Trial In Lobbying Scandal

Ryan J. Reilly | March 23, 2011, 1:45PM

Kevin Ring

Kevin Ring, a former junior associate at convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff's firm, is facing a third trial as a result of the influence-peddling scandal making him the most prosecuted figure in the high-profile corruption probe, the Associated Press reports.

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Jack Abramoff

Abramoff's Partner Doesn't Want to Cough Up Ill-Gotten Millions

Susan Crabtree | March 16, 2011, 10:03AM

Michael Scanlon

Michael Scanlon, Jack Abramoff's partner in crime, doesn't want to pony up the ill-gotten millions he owes to Abramoff's former lobbying firm, Greenberg Traurig, and he doesn't think he has to, his attorneys said Tuesday in a court filing.

Scanlon, who worked hand-in-glove with Abramoff, pleaded guilty to defrauding a group of Native American tribes out of tens of millions of dollars and last monthwas sentenced to 20 months in prison and ordered to pay Greenberg for its losses. Greenberg has settled a series of actual and threatened lawsuits from the tribes that Scanlon and Abramoff defrauded, and now the K Street giant is demanding that Scanlon make good on the court-ordered compensation payments and pay the firm more than $17 million.

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Michael Scanlon

Former Abramoff Partner Michael Scanlon Appeals Prison Sentence

Melissa Jeltsen | February 23, 2011, 3:49PM

Michael Scanlon

A little less than two weeks after a U.S. District Judge sentenced Michael Scanlon to 20 months in federal prison and 300 hours of community service, the former lobbyist filed an appeal. Scanlon was a major player in the wide-ranging Jack Abramoff scandal, which defrauded several Native American tribes of tens of millions of dollars.

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LIbya

Livingston Group Lobbied for Libya, Qaddafi Charity

Susan Crabtree | February 22, 2011, 6:43PM

Saif al-Islam Kadhafi

The Livingston Group, one of the main lobbying firms working on behalf of Egypt and former President Hosni Mubarak, also was paid $2.5 million in 2008 and 2009 to influence Washington on behalf of the government of Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi and a charity run by his son Saif Al Islam Al Qaddafi.

"In 2008, the lobbyists held several meetings with members of Congress and their staff 'concerning the legislative status of amending a statutory provision against U.S. trade with Libya,' in an effort to boost foreign investment in the country," reports the Sunlight Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to government transparency. "Around the same time as the meetings the Senate lifted the sanctions on the nation imposed after U.S declared Libya a terrorist state in the 1980s."

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Michael Scanlon

Michael Scanlon Likely To Serve In Florida Prison, Be Evaluated For Alcohol Abuse

Ryan J. Reilly | February 22, 2011, 2:20PM

Michael Scanlon

A federal judge ordered last week that Michael Scanlon should serve his 20-month sentence in the lowest security prison facility at the Bureau of Prisons facility in Pensacola, Florida.

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Jack Abramoff

Judge Bars Scanlon From Traveling To His Estate In St. Barts

Susan Crabtree | February 11, 2011, 5:03PM

Michael Scanlon, Jack Abramoff's partner in crime, was sentenced Friday to 20 months in federal prison -- but a majority of the hearing was devoted to his real-estate development plans and whether he could travel to a luxury property in St. Barts.

Scanlon and Abramoff engaged in an elaborate kickback and fraud scheme that took down former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) and 20 other government officials and lobbyists. Unlike Abramoff, who was struggling to support his family at the end of the scandal, Scanlon invested his tens of millions in real estate and is a very rich man by anyone's standards.

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Michael Scanlon

Scanlon Sentenced To 20 Months In Prison For Role In Abramoff Scandal

Susan Crabtree | February 11, 2011, 1:33PM

Michael Scanlon and Jack Abramoff

A U.S. District Judge sentenced Michael Scanlon, Jack Abramoff's partner in a wide-ranging lobbying sandal, to 20 months in federal prison and 300 hours of community service.

Scanlon also may have to cough up more than $20 million to compensate several Indian tribes, as well as Abramoff's former lobbying firm, for his role in defrauding them. Judge Ellen Huvelle ordered him to pay $20 million to the tribes and Greenberg Traurig, but Scanlon is disputing whether he should be forced to pay Greenberg Traurig, and that matter will be decided separately in the coming months.

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Jack Abramoff

Scanlon Could Be Ordered To Pay $20 Million to Tribes and K Street Firm

Susan Crabtree | February 11, 2011, 9:39AM

Michael Scanlon and Jack Abramoff

A U.S. district court judge is poised to order Michael Scanlon, Jack Abramoff's partner in a wide-ranging lobbying sandal, to cough up more than $20 million to compensate several Indian tribes, as well as Abramoff's former lobbying firm, for his role in defrauding them.

Scanlon faces sentencing Friday morning, and in the weeks leading up to it, former congressional aides and lobbyists stung by the scandal have griped about the tens of millions of dollars Scanlon has amassed and sunk into extensive real estate holdings in Dewey Beach, Del. and D.C. His attorneys have argued that Scanlon should not have to pay the full $19 million he had agreed to when he pled guilty five years ago because of the extensive damage the scandal has done to his earning potential and his role as a father of two boys.

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Fraser Verrusio

Former Aide To Young Convicted In World Series Tickets Scandal

Ryan J. Reilly | February 10, 2011, 4:40PM

A federal jury in Washington has convicted a former aide to Rep. Don Young (R-AK) on corruption charges related to his acceptance of an all-expenses paid trip to Game One of the 2003 World Series, the Justice Department said Thursday.

The jury took just two days to convict 41-year-old Fraser Verrusio on one count of conspiring to accept an illegal gratuity, one count of accepting an illegal gratuity and one count of making a false statement in failing to report his receipt of gifts from a lobbyist and the lobbyist's client on his 2003 financial disclosure statement, according to a press release.

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Michael Scanlon

Abramoff Whistleblower Wants Stiffer Sentence for Scanlon Than Feds Requested

Susan Crabtree and Ryan J. Reilly | February 9, 2011, 8:00AM

Native American lobbyist Tom Rodgers, the main whistleblower in the Jack Abramoff scandal, isn't satisfied with the government's request for two years in jail for Michael Scanlon.

Scanlon, a central figure in the Abramoff lobbying scandal, faces sentencing Friday, and Rodgers wants the judge to hand down at least the same amount of prison time Abramoff received.

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Michael Scanlon

Abramoff Pal Michael Scanlon Wants Sentence Reduced Because Of 'Casino Jack' Film

Ryan J. Reilly | February 8, 2011, 10:48AM

Michael Scanlon and Jack Abramoff

Lawyers for Michael Scanlon -- one of the central figures in the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal set to be sentenced on Friday -- say their client deserves less than the two years in jail the federal government requested since he "believed he was literally risking his life" by cooperating with the feds.

Scanlon's attorneys throw in everything but the kitchen sink while pointing out reasons why Scanlon shouldn't serve a full two years. One of them: an actor's portray of him in the recent flick "Casino Jack" starring Kevin Spacey has already soiled his reputation.

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Michael Scanlon

Feds Want Two Years In Jail For Abramoff Pal Michael Scanlon

Ryan J. Reilly | February 7, 2011, 12:10PM

Michael Scanlon

When he's sentenced on Friday, the federal government wants former lobbyist Michael Scanlon to go to jail for at least two years.

Justice Department lawyers wrote in a 25-page filing on Friday that "respectfully requests that this court impose a sentence of 24 months in prison to be followed by a three year term of supervised release."

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Tom DeLay

Abramoff Cohorts Offered Immunity To Testify Against DeLay At Sentencing

Rachel Slajda | January 10, 2011, 9:49AM

Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay

At former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's sentencing hearing today, two of DeLay's former aides and associates of Jack Abramoff -- who pleaded guilty to corruption charges years ago -- may testify against their old boss.

The two ex-aides, Mike Scanlon and Tony Rudy, were offered immunity in Texas in exchange for their testimony, the Austin-American Statesman reports. The two have been convicted on federal corruption charges, and their testimony won't get them off the hook there -- but they could get a state prosecutor to testify on their behalf at their own sentencings.

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Republicans

Old DeLay Hands Still Part Of GOP Leadership Under Boehner

Rachel Slajda | January 4, 2011, 8:37AM

Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) and House Speaker-designate John Boehner (R-OH)

Republicans have swept back into power in the House amid promises of a new kind of party. But how different is it, really?

If a handful of new hires made by the new House leadership -- staffers who worked for former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay in the heady days of his hammer-fisted reign -- is any indication, not much.

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Don Young

Rep. Young Aide Helped FBI With Investigations Of Two Congressmen

Ryan J. Reilly | November 18, 2010, 11:43AM

Rep. Don Young (R-AK)

A former congressional aide to Rep. Don Young (R-AK) helped the FBI with criminal investigations of two unnamed members of Congress, even secretly recording a conversation at the request of the bureau, according to filing by the Justice Department this week.

Mark Zachares, the former special counsel to Young on the House Transportation Committee who pleaded guilty back in 2007 to one count of fraud related to gifts and travel he received from lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his associates, is set to be sentenced in federal court next week. The Anchorage Daily News first reported on the motion.

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Kevin Ring

Abramoff Ally Kevin Ring Found Guilty In Scheme To Corrupt Officials

Ryan J. Reilly | November 15, 2010, 7:45PM

Kevin A. Ring

An associate of former lobbyist Jack Abramoff was found guilty in federal court on five counts related to a scheme to corrupt public officials.

Kevin Ring was found guilty on one count of conspiring to corrupt congressional and executive branch officials by providing things of value; one count of paying a gratuity to a public official and three counts of honest services wire fraud for engaging in a scheme to deprive U.S. citizens of their right to the honest services of certain public officials, the Justice Department said in a statement. Ring was acquitted on three counts of honest services fraud, said DOJ.

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