Abramoff Gets Almost 6 Years in Prison

[ProSense]

Abramoff Gets Almost 6 Years in Prison

By CURT ANDERSON, Associated Press Writer
7 minutes ago

MIAMI - Disgraced former lobbyist Jack Abramoff was sentenced to five years and 10 months in prison in a Florida fraud case, the minimum sentence allowed.

Abramoff and former partner Adam Kidan pleaded guilty to conspiracy and wire fraud stemming from the ill-fated purchase in 2000 of the SunCruz Casinos gambling fleet.

The sentence won't start immediately so the pair can continue cooperating in a Washington corruption investigation and a Florida probe into the murder of former SunCruz owner Konstantinos "Gus" Boulis.

Before the hearing, more than 260 people — including rabbis, military officers and even a professional hockey referee — wrote letters on the men's behalf asking the federal judge for leniency.

more...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060329/ap_on_re_us/lobbyist_fraud_5

[Maine-ah]

1. K&R

[NoAmericanTaliban]

26. Funny how the GOP all of a sudden doesn't know Jack...

don't expect to much from him. he is still a partisan politician who doesn't like dems. He refused to sell his photos of him & bush because it would help the dems, eventhough he received a generous offer.

[EOTE]

38. That's a perfect campaign slogan!!!!

Show a bunch of pictures of GOP members associating with Abramoff and then show all the money given from Abramoff to GOP candidates (and note that not one penny went from Abramoff to Democrats). After this montage, have a caption with a voiceover saying: "Isn't it funny how all of a sudden the GOP doesn't know Jack?"

[Logiola]

31. i have been seeing this alot, exactly what is K&R?

[Love Bug]

33. Kicked and Recommended

[Logiola]

34. ahh, makes sense.. and thank you

[savemefromdumbya]

2. I hope he brings all his friends down with him

including the Bush administration

[ClintonTyree]

7. He'd better, he got off with a very light sentence........

there had better be some huge quid pro quo here for kid glove treatment like that! :grr:

[DinahMoeHum]

12. Methinks there's a lot more juice to be squeezed from this lemon

and "we ain't seen nothin' yet".

Better pull up a chair and make a batch of popcorn.

:popcorn:

[guidod]

41. They said he's not going to jail

right away because he's still singing about people in the Bush Administation. Could Andy Card be next?

[NewWaveChick1981]

3. And so it begins...

I can't wait to see the domino effect now... :)

[NewWaveChick1981]

4. Sorry---dup post

[TheBaldyMan]

5. don't drop the soap Jack ;)

[AtomicKitten]

30. better yet, please drop the soap

[slybacon9]

6. Obligatory Prison Rape Joke here.

followed by Obligatory i hope it happens to all of them comment.

this republicans going to prison thing is getting so old.....

[ClintonTyree]

11. If they went to REAL prisons it might seem that justice was done.....

but ol' Jack will be sent to one of those Federal Country Clubs where his harshest punishment will be busing his own tray. :eyes: I wonder how Jack would fare in a REAL prison with a REAL prison population? I guess we'll never know.

[pacalo]

14. If I may join in the obligatory comments, here's what's waiting for Jack..

I guess the compulsiveness comes from the fact that the corruption in the Republican party is endless. They hand over one opportunity after another on a silver platter for our obligatory comments. It's not funny, really; we realize the sad shape the Republicans have put our country in. It just feels better to laugh than to cry, & we have a lot to cry about. Just bear with us.

[Lasher]

20. Followed by the traditional...

Buh bye Jack, buh bye! :hi:

[kevinbgoode]

8. I'd like to see a list of those ministers

it would be interesting tos ee who they are associated with. . . as if we don't already know.

[sinkingfeeling]

9. Another 'slap on the wrist' sentence.

[Hissyspit]

17. Yes, but apparently he cooperated a lot, and, anyway, the taint of

case is on MANY Republicans, including Shrub.

[baldguy]

10. Wrong headline

"Close Personal Freind & Doner of President Bush Get 6 Years"

[acmavm]

13. So what now? Do they tie him in on the murder of Gus What's His

Bucket, the Sun-Cruz owner that got screwed? And killed? This will be a huge miscarriage of justice if all he gets out of all his criminal activity is a paltry five years and ten months. There are kids doing time for possession of marijuana who got decades more than this.

[RaleighNCDUer]

22. 70 months, with 1/3 off for good behavior (you know he's not going

to shiv anyone while inside) and he winds up serving 3 years 10 months.

He'll only have a few months to go when the chimp steps down - not even need a pardon.

EDIT: Whoops. This was supposed to reply to the post before this one; thus, the non-sequitur.

[eppur_se_muova]

15. MINIMUM sentence? Oh, that'll learn 'em.

Don't Republicans believe in the principle of prison time as a deterrent to crime?

[eppur_se_muova]

16. dupe post, self delete

[Bluzmann57]

18. What is the max he could have gotten?

If this is the max, maybe the laws should be changed. If not, I bet he's cooperating with authorities and naming names. It doesn't look good for DeLay and co. Words cannot tell you how bad that makes me feel, but I'll try. Gleeful, happy, joyous. Those are just three that come to mind immediately.

[TheBaldyMan]

36. he could have been sentenced with up to 18 years but his legal team

swamped the court with hundreds of 'character references' from well connected aquaintences appealing for clemency and the minimum sentence. Not bad for a $20+ millon fraud.

[Patrick J Fitzgerald]

19. And your little dog, too!

Rove, my pretty, you are next!

http://patrickjfitzgerald.blogspot.com

[Lasher]

21. I wonder what Abramoff's net worth is looking like?

I would hate to think that he and his heirs would get to keep his ill-gotten riches. Lots of people would be willing to spend 6 years in Cupcake Prison if that meant they would have $100 million waiting for them when they got out. Sure would beat working yourself into an early grave for 40 or so years, only to have your pension and Social Security stolen after you're all used up.

[mb7588a]

23. drop in the bucket. nt.

[The Backlash Cometh]

24. How long would he have been put away if he was carrying a gram

of cocaine?

Carry Cocaine: 5 years minimum. Destroy the Integrity and Economy of the U.S.: priceless

[bushmeister0]

25. Abramoff to Iraq?

If he's such a "selfless patriot" as Dana Rohrabacher says he is, maybe we ought to send him to Iraq. He'll get a lot more than five years there. I hear the military is lowering its standards to get recruits, so you know...

[Catfight]

27. When will Bush give him a medal? nt

[NJCher]

28. all depends on how much more he has to tell

I think the sentence is ridiculously light; on the other hand, since Abramoff is key to nailing a house full of republicans, I could deal with it if they are able to indict many, many others.

I know one thing for sure: I wouldn't say another word if I didn't get the minimum sentence (which is what the article says Abramoff received).

Cher

[Politicub]

29. What a piece of garbage

and the GOP loves sucking on his teat

[Disturbed]

35. "If this is the max..."

It is the minimum. Most likely he will serve his time in a nice country club facility. He will be out in 3 yrs or so.

[freefall]

32. I never thought I would be glad for mandatory minimum sentences but

in this case I am delighted. If it weren't for the mandatory minimum he probably wouldn't have to do any time at all.

Peace,

freefall

[Jack Rabbit]

37. Justice must not be DeLayed

Leavenworth Federal Prison from the website of Kent State University

[Dying Eagle]

39. Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey hey, GOODBYE!!!!!

[stevedeshazer]

40. It's not over, this is just the beginning

It's only one of the many charges against him.