Report: Abramoff will cooperate in Guam probe
Corrupt lobbyist Jack Abramoff has agreed to cooperate with a criminal probe in Guam related to secret lobbying work he did on behalf of the island's superior court, according to a new report.
KUAM News's Minday Aguonn reports that Abramoff already has provided information about his dealings with court administrator Tony Sanchez, who pleaded not guilty to charges alleging he improperly spent more than $300,000 to retain Abramoff and his firm.
Prosecutor Jeff Moots tells KUAM that in the next few weeks, the AG's Office will seek to have the criminal case against Abramoff dismissed without prejudice in return for his cooperation.
Assistant AG Moots said Abramoff has agreed to cooperate and has already provided information relating to the indictment as well as other information to prosecutors.
Abramoff was hired in 2002 by Guam's superior court to lobby against a bill that would put it under the authority of Guam's Supreme Court. The $324,000 contract was potentially illegal because Abramoff was paid through an intermediary in Laguna Beach, Calif., with 36 separate $9,000 checks; that means of payment may have been pursued to avoid reporting requirements.
A former high-profile Republican donor, Abramoff's name has become synonymous with shady and illegal influence peddling. He has been convicted of various fraud and corruption charges by federal courts in Washington and Miami and is in prison until 2011. The extensive corruption investigation that led to Abramoff's downfall also ensnared former Congressman Bob Ney and several other Republican lobbyists, congressional aides and White House officials.
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