DOJ Seeks to Slash Ex-Lobbyist Jack Abramoff's Prison Sentences
Citing his cooperation with prosecutors in cases that are still being developed, the U.S. Department of Justice is reportedly seeking to reduce by approximately one-half the federal prison time to which convicted former lobbyist Jack Abramoff is likely to be sentenced.
Abramoff, who has been convicted of fraud and conspiracy, could be sentenced to as much as 11 years in a Washington, D.C., case over his corruption of lawmakers, in addition to the not-quite-six-year prison term which he is already serving in a federal case in Florida over a casino deal, recounts the Associated Press.
But lawyers urged leniency in court filings today, saying that he has spent more than 3,000 hours helping 100 law enforcement agents in an ongoing investigation implicating “scores of other persons not yet charged,” the Washington Post reports in its investigations blog.
If the courts follow the DOJ’s sentencing recommendations, Abramoff could be released sometime in 2011, AP says.
Related coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “E-Mails Show More Abramoff Links to Ex-DOJ Staffers; Probe Continues”
