Bush To Give Back Abramoff Funds
President's 2004 Campaign To Give $6K From Corrupt Lobbyist To Charity
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Play CBS Video Video Corruption At The Capitol Jack Abramoff, the lobbyist and traveling buddy of ex-House Republican leader Tom Delay, pled guilty to several charges, which may signal the beginning of a major corruption scandal.
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Video Repercussions From Abramoff Thomas DeLuca, a professor of political science at Fordham University, discusses what Jack Abramoff's guilty plea could mean for the future of government with Melissa McDermott.
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Video Abramoff Pleads Guilty Former lobbyist Jack Abramoff's guilty plea on bribery-related charges means that he will help the government go after elected officials who took bribes. Gloria Borger has more on the fallout.
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Rep. Bob Ney, R-Ohio, says he "did not know, and had no way of knowing, the self-serving and fraudulent nature of Abramoff's activities." (AP (file))
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The prosecutor in a money laundering case against Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas, issued subpoenas Tuesday in connection with Jack Abramoff. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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Jack Abramoff, foreground, leaves federal court in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2006, after pleading guilty to charges of conspiracy, tax evasion and mail fraud. At right is his attorney Abbe Lowell. (AP)
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Interactive The 109th Congress Meet the leaders and follow the action in the House and Senate.
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Interactive DeLay's Dilemma Here's a look at the career and the woes of the former House majority leader.
The money will be donated to the American Heart Association, reports CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller.
Abramoff pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges related to Congressional bribery and has agreed to cooperate with prosecutors. He was due in federal court in Miami later Wednesday to plead guilty to more charges stemming from his purchases of a Florida gambling boat fleet called SunCruz.
Abramoff raised at least $100,000 for Mr. Bush's 2004 re-election effort, earning the honorary title "pioneer" from the campaign. White House spokesman Scott McClellan said the president does not remember meeting the former lobbyist, although Abramoff was a guest at three White House Hanukkah receptions.
Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, and House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., also announced plans to give away Abramoff's campaign contributions. DeLay's office confirmed to CBS News that he will donate $15,000 in Abramoff-related donations to charities. DeLay is now awaiting trial in Texas on charges of laundering campaign money used in races for the state legislature.
Abramoff's plea Wednesday to charges of tax evasion, conspiracy and fraud could spell trouble for some of Washington's top power brokers, including more than a dozen members of Congress, reports CBS News national political correspondent Gloria Borger.
The deal came after two years of intense federal investigation and months of negotiation with Abramoff's lawyers
The full extent of the investigation is not yet known, but Justice Department officials said Tuesday they intended to make use of the trove of e-mails and other material in Abramoff's possession.
"The corruption scheme with Mr. Abramoff is very extensive and we will continue to follow it wherever it leads," said Assistant Attorney General Alice Fisher, head of the Justice Department's criminal division.
©MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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