Lobbyist Abramoff Pleads Innocent to Fraud

[sabra]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/29/AR2005082900702_pf.html

Lobbyist Abramoff Pleads Innocent to Fraud

The Associated Press

MIAMI -- Prominent GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff pleaded innocent Monday to a six-count federal fraud and conspiracy indictment stemming from his role in the 2000 purchase of the SunCruz Casinos fleet of gambling boats.

The plea was entered by Abramoff's lawyer, Neal Sonnett, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick A. White. Abramoff, who lives in Washington's Maryland suburbs, was not present.

Abramoff and one of his SunCruz partners, Adam Kidan, are charged with faking a $23 million wire transfer to make it appear they were putting a large stake into the $147.5 million deal. Based on that transfer, two lenders agreed to provide Abramoff and Kidan with $60 million, according to court documents.

"Our defense is that he committed no fraud," Sonnett said after the hearing.

[tom_paine]

1. It's a good defense, considering the Friends of Caesar are immune

from the law.

Abramoff will go free. It's as if a Nazi Court was putting on a show for Hitler's buddies Fritz Thyssen and Prescott Bush.

Innocent. The trial is already over, I would think. MAYBE it's possible that Free America will give a last gasp and fairly try this Friend of Caesar, but I highly doubt it.

[proud patriot]

2. the guy who sold sun cruz line was murdered

America's most wanted mentioned Abramoff in
connection to that ...

[gratuitous]

3. "Our defense is that he committed no fraud"

I'm guessing that the folks being bilked wanted to give a lot of money to Abramoff and make it look legal. So they cooked up a phoney deal, everyone knew it was phoney, and the people who put in over $100 million were more than happy to see the money go in part to line Abramoff's pocket and in part to get funneled to Republican politicians. All nice and legal-like.