FT: Dirty laundry in Capitol corridors of power (staffers' involvements)

[UpInArms]

http://news.ft.com/cms/s/05cd763e-8634-11da-bee0-0000779e2340.html

excerpt:

For Washington insiders, it has also shone an unflattering spotlight on another aspect of life in the Capitol: the largely unregulated role congressional staffers play as the first point of call for both members of Congress and the lobbyists who seek to influence them.

Although most of the chatter around Washington about the Abramoff case has so far focused on the legislators who are legally vulnerable because of their longtime association with Mr Abramoff, the former lobbyist's plea agreement reveals that at least two former senior aides to two congressmen were instrumental in his scheme to bribe legislators.

In one case, Mr Abramoff and others bribed a person known as "Staffer A" - identified by people familiar with the case as Tom DeLay's former staff member Tony Rudy - to help stop legislation hitting internet gambling and postal rate rises. In exchange, Mr Rudy's wife was allegedly paid a total of $50,000 by a non-profit organisation that received funds from Mr Abramoff's clients.

In another instance, Mr Abramoff and "Staffer B" - identified by people familiar with the case as Neil Volz, the former chief of staff of Congressman Bob Ney - violated lobbying regulations by not waiting the requisite year before lobbying his former boss for clients.

...more...

[Sadie5]

1. If this keeps up

We won't have enough prisons to hold all of them. We will need to build the Neocon Hilton.

[pfitz59]

2. Plenty of room in Gitmo!

Send 'em down to roost with other enemies of the state!

[Straight Shooter]

3. Be sure to remind everyone that DeLay was House Majority Leader.

That just goes to show what kind of "leadership" the Repubs admire. No way in hell is anyone going to convince me that those Repubs didn't know what DeLay was doing.

Where are all those little gold hammers now, eh? Can we find a photo of any Congressman wearing those?

[aquart]

4. One year is painfully insufficient. Five is, too.