US: As a corruption scandal takes down one of Washington's top lobbyists, the city wonders what other careers and practices are endangered, write Jeffrey Birnbaum and Dan Balz
Jack Abramoff represented the most flamboyant and extreme example of a brand of influence-trading emanating from Washington's K-Street - synonymous with political lobbying - that flourished after the Republican takeover of the House of Representatives 11 years ago. On Tuesday, he pleaded guilty to charges of fraud and corruption.
Now, some Republican (GOP or "Grand Old Party") strategists fear the fallout from his case could affect the party's efforts to keep control in the November mid-term elections.
Abramoff was among the lobbyists most closely associated with the K Street Project, initiated by his friend from Texas, former House majority leader Tom DeLay (Republican), once the GOP vaulted to power.
It was an aggressive programme designed to force corporations and trade associations to hire more GOP-connected lobbyists in what at times became an almost seamless relationship between Capitol Hill lawmakers and firms that sought to influence them.
Now Abramoff has become a symbol of a system out of control. His agreement to plead guilty to three criminal counts and co- operate with prosecutors threatens to ensnare other lawmakers or their aides - Republicans and possibly some Democrats.
At a minimum, Tuesday's developments put both sides of the lawmaker-lobbyist relationship on notice that some of the wilder customs of recent years - lubricated with money, entertainment and access - carry higher risks.
In the post-Abramoff era, what once was accepted as business-as-usual may be seen as questionable or worse.
"In the short run, members of Congress will get allergic to lobbyists," said former representative Vin Weber (Republican), now a lobbyist for Clark and Weinstock.
"They'll be nervous about taking calls and holding meetings, to say nothing of lavish trips to Scotland. Those will be out . . . Members of Congress will be concerned about even legitimate contact with the lobbying world."
The initial impact of a scandal that earlier produced a guilty plea from Abramoff's associate, Michael Scanlon, could be changes in the way lawmakers and lobbyists interact.
In the longer term, said many lobbyists and others, pressure will be put on Congress to look at and toughen rules on gifts and travel that lawmakers and their staffs may accept. Some former lawmakers said even bigger changes may be needed to restore public confidence in how Washington works.
Former House speaker Newt Gingrich (Republican) who, with Weber's help, effectively used issues of corruption to wrest control of the House from Democrats in 1994, said the Abramoff scandal should trigger a broader review in Congress of the way politicians finance campaigns and deal with lobbyists.
Emotions ran high on K Street on Tuesday when news of Abramoff's guilty plea deal began to break.
"The Abramoff scandal is causing a re-examination of what lobbyists do in town," said Bruce Josten, executive vice-president of the US Chamber of Commerce. "I wouldn't be surprised to see lawmakers become cautious in meetings with lobbyists."
With an eye on November's elections, Republicans have sought to limit the damage to themselves by portraying the scandal as bipartisan, describing Abramoff as an equal-opportunity dispenser of campaign cash and largesse.
So far, the public has not identified corruption as solely a Republican problem. A November Washington Post-ABC News poll asked Americans whether they thought Democrats or Republicans were better on ethical matters: 16 per cent said Democrats; 12 per cent said Republicans; and 71 per cent said there was not much difference between them.
But Republicans worry about two possibilities. The first is that Abramoff, known for his close ties to Tom DeLay, mostly implicates Republicans as a result of his plea agreement. That could shift public attitudes sharply against the GOP.
Beyond that is a fear that the scandal further sours the public on Washington and Congress. As the party in power, Republicans know they stand to lose more if voters take retribution in November.
Regardless of the electoral implications, the Abramoff scandal may force changes on Capitol Hill in the form of tough new lobbying disclosure laws.
"There will be a push for increased oversight and disclosure of lobbying," said Douglas Pinkham, president of the Public Affairs Council, a lobbyist education group. "There needs to be greater transparency and better enforcement."
Senators John McCain (Republican) and Russell Feingold (Democrat), who co-wrote campaign finance changes a few years ago, have introduced separate proposals that would crack down on lobbying as now practised. Their ideas will serve as the starting point for a vigorous debate.
Some lobbyists reacted defensively on Tuesday, at pains to say that Abramoff was an exception to the way they do business.
"The Abramoff style is so far afield from the normal course of business as to be irrelevant to me and probably most people in my line of work," said Joel Johnson, a Clinton White House official and now a lobbyist for the Glover Park Group.
John Jonas, a lobbyist at Patton Boggs, said he expects "less partying, less gifting, more awareness about compliance" with rules that have been "observed in the breach".
As for the perception of lobbying as a profession, "It's confirmed everybody's worst fears about lobbyists - that they double-deal, that they're not above-board," Jonas said. "That hurts the legitimate practice of the profession."
Gingrich said Republican leaders in Congress should take the initiative to reform lobbying and campaign finance, rather than hoping to slip quietly past the current scandal.
"Things have to be done to really rethink where the centre of the political process is," he said.
"Right now, the centre is a lobbying and PAC [the fund-raising political action committees] system centre, which is not healthy." - (Los Angeles Times-Washington Post service)
Abramoff money will go to charity
President George W. Bush's re-election campaign is to give to charity several thousand dollars in contributions linked to lobbyist Jack Abramoff, the White House said yesterday.
Abramoff pleaded guilty to fraud charges on Tuesday and agreed to help prosecutors in a corruption investigation which could involve several top Republican lawmakers, including former House majority leader Tom DeLay.
White House spokesman Scott McClellan said the money, for which he did not have a precise figure, came from either Abramoff, his wife or American-Indian tribal interests which Abramoff represented. Republicans and Democrats seeking to distance themselves from him have so far returned more than $200,000 in campaign contributions.
Mr McClellan said Abramoff had attended three Hannukah receptions at the White House. "The president does not know him and does not recall meeting him," he said. "It is possible that he could have met him at a holiday reception or some other widely attended event." - (Reuters)