Abramoff To Be Sentenced In September

By John Bresnahan

(The Politico)  Imprisoned former GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who has been cooperating with a Justice Dept. criminal investigation for the last two-and-a-half years, will be finally sentenced in September 2008.

In a joint motion filed today by Abramoff's attorneys and the Justice Dept., the two sides asked U.S. District Judge Ellen S. Huvelle, who accepted Abramoff's guilty plea in January 2006, to allow the preparation of a pre-sentencing report, and to set a date to sentence the one-time K Street superstar.

"The United States and Mr. Abramoff now jointly move the Court to order that the Presentence Investigation Report  be prepared and that this Court set a sentencing date in early September, 2008," the motion states.

"While the government anticipates that Mr. Abramoff’s cooperation in the form of possible testimony will continue for the foreseeable future, the parties believe that they are in a position to inform the court about the full scope of his misconduct and cooperation, and that, consistent with the commitments in the plea agreement with Mr. Abramoff, sentencing in the near future in this case is appropriate."

Abramoff is already serving a 70-month prison term for fraud related to the purchase of a Florida-based casino cruise ship company. Abramoff also has pleaded guilty in a Washington-base corruption case and faces as much as 11 years in prison after admitting to fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy to bribe public officials.