More Guilty Pleas From Abramoff

Bush, DeLay, Blunt Among Officials Returning Lobbyist's Donations

(CBS/AP)  Abramoff's ex-partner in the SunCruz deal, 41-year-old Adam Kidan, pleaded guilty on Dec. 15 to two charges and faces sentencing on March 1.

Abramoff and Kidan admitted using the fake wire transfer to secure $60 million in loans they used to buy SunCruz.

Abramoff "will face the consequences of his actions," said U.S. Attorney R. Alexander Acosta after the plea hearing. "Frauds like that committed here are not victimless. They affect real people and impact the integrity of our financial institutions."

Although both defendants in the SunCruz fraud have pleaded guilty, Acosta said the investigation remains open. He said there are links between the SunCruz purchase and some of the congressional corruption allegations, but would not elaborate.

The Miami businessman who had sold SunCruz to Abramoff and Kidan, Konstantinos "Gus" Boulis, was later murdered in a mob-style hit. Three men were charged last fall and have pleaded not guilty. Both Abramoff and Kidan have denied involvement in the slaying.

Abramoff won't be going to jail right away. He probably won't be sentenced for several months because he has to cooperate with the government corruption investigation. And even then, he'll probably be permitted to surrender.

A copy of the eight-page plea agreement, obtained by The Associated Press before the hearing, requires that Abramoff testify before any grand jury or court proceeding that prosecutors request and provide any documents they might want.

In return, the agreement says, the government will not further prosecute the defendant for anything he discloses "in debriefing sessions with attorneys and agents of the United States."

Tuesday's plea agreement in Washington (.pdf) specifically mentions just one member of Congress: representative number one. Sources say he is Congressman Bob Ney, an Ohio Republican. But official Washington remains on edge, waiting for what could be another round of indictments now that Abramoff is talking.

Some political consultants and analysts are comparing potential damage from the Abramoff investigation to the 1992 House banking scandal that led to the retirement or ouster of 77 lawmakers.

"They're all a little nervous," says Borger. "It's very edgy up there on Capitol Hill. After all, this was a very well-connected Republican lobbyist who spread an awful lot of money around town, largely to Republicans because, of course, they're the party in power, but also to Democrats."

Abramoff was once a well-connected lobbyist able to command almost unimaginable fees: A Louisiana tribe once paid Scanlon and him more than $30 million over 26 months. Now facing up to 11 years in prison, Abramoff apologized after pleading guilty.

"Words will not ever be able to express my sorrow and my profound regret for all my actions and mistakes," Abramoff said Tuesday. "I hope I can merit forgiveness from the Almighty and those I've wronged or caused to suffer."