Former House aide hit with corruption charges

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Former House aide hit with corruption charges
By DEVLIN BARRETT, Associated Press Writer
– 17 mins ago

WASHINGTON – A former congressional staffer was indicted Friday on corruption charges for taking a free trip to the 2003 World Series.

In the latest case to arise out of the scandal surrounding ex-lobbyist Jack Abramoff, prosecutors charged Fraser Verrusio, 39, who worked under Republican Rep. Don Young when the Alaska congressman chaired the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

Officials say Verrusio and another Capitol Hill staffer accepted an illegal gratuity when lobbyists gave them an all-expense paid trip to New York, including the World Series game and a visit to a strip club.

The lavish trip to the series game between the Florida Marlins and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium has already helped prosecutors win corruption-related guilty pleas from three people: Trevor Blackann, a former aide to two Missouri Republicans; James Hirni, a former Abramoff lobbying associate, and Todd Boulanger, another former Abramoff deputy.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090306/ap_on_go_co/lobbying_scandal

[santamargarita]

1. Good! If we have to knock them off one at a time, so be it.

As long as we get them all behind bars!

[HillbillyBob]

3. Nah we need to knock them off in job lots..this is giving them time

to infect others and to breed new ones...

[southern_dem]

2. Shocking

that someone connected to Don Young would be corrupt. :sarcasm:

[Quiz Master]

4. Still, this won't provide the same....

Bipartisan merriment as Blago, but it works for me.

[UrbScotty]

5. Who would want to go to a World Series with the Yankees playing anyway?

(ducking)

[nyy1998]

8. (throws shoe)

[Wednesdays]

10. Someone with a very good sense of humor?

:shrug:

[Nothing Without Hope]

6. Wish they would get around to the corrupt BIG fish too. n/t

[Jambalaya]

9. Abramoff Investiagation is expanding

The Abramoff Scandal is Expanding: More GOP woes for 2009... dengre 01/01/2009 21:29:18 PST -daily kos____________________


This is a FIRST-CLASS diary that ANYONE interested in Abramoff related prosecutions MUST include in their favorites file.

It is long,BUT extremely informative and updated.

Incidentally, the depth and breadth of the info in this dengre diary is metculously researched and organized.

According to the author,the prosecutions have been purposely downplayed and slowed for fear that Bush would have provided pardons to the big fish before he left office,if the prosecutors went full speed ahead and got convictions on the "top dogs.".

I cannot recommend this daily kos diary by dengre highly enough.

[Nothing Without Hope]

11. Thanks! And good point. Let's hope that the expanding probes in the

Abramoff and other scandals can really take off now.

[nyy1998]

7. SO that's why the Yanks lost....

F***ing Don Young.....and I was hating on Josh Beckett all these years(well, I still do)

[No Elephants]

12. Can you spell "scapegoat?" One trip to NY? THAT is the kind of thing that Abramoff is

giving up? Are you kidding me?

This guy got off easy because he supposedly was going to rat scores of people. This is what we got for reducing his sentence? I'd rather see him in jail longer than spend good tax money prosecuting someone for one stinkin trip from D.C. to NY. Insane.