Corruptie in Washington

Al enige tijd bestaat er in de Verenigde Staten ophef over de 'super-lobbyist' Jack Abramoff. De Independent bericht: 'The man who bought off Washington. Lobbyist's guilty plea set to expose bribery scandal at the heart of US political system. Jack Abramoff, the disgraced former Republican super-lobbyist, has agreed a deal with US government prosecutors, opening the way for what could be the biggest political influence peddling scandal in Washington for decades. At a brief appearance yesterday in a federal court, Mr Abramoff pleaded guilty to three sets of charges covering fraud, conspiracy to commit bribery, and tax evasion. According to his lawyers, he is also pleading guilty to two separate fraud charges connected to the purchase in 2000 of a fleet of casino gambling boats in Florida. The convictions could send the lobbyist to jail for five years or more. But that sentence may one day prove a mere footnote to a possible corruption scandal involving as many as 20 congressmen, senators and their aides - mostly Republicans but also including some Democrats - believed to be under investigation by the Justice Department.' Lees verder: http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article336400.ece