Deal Possible Next Week in Lobbyist Case

Under such an agreement, Abramoff presumably would offer evidence about favors he provided to some members of Congress and their aides.

Federal prosecutors and attorneys for Abramoff discussed the status of the wire fraud case with U.S. District Judge Paul C. Huck in Miami, said a spokeswoman for U.S. Atty. R. Alexander Acosta. Another meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday, said the spokeswoman, Yovanny Lopez.

The wire fraud trial is set to begin Jan. 9, and sources familiar with the case say the judge has set Tuesday as the deadline for completing any plea deal. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity when discussing the legal negotiations.

Abramoff, who wielded widespread influence in Congress, also is under investigation by a federal grand jury in Washington on charges that he and his associates bilked Indian tribes and other clients of millions of dollars in fees. The plea-bargaining talks are believed to encompass both cases.

The lobbyist had close ties to Republican congressional leaders and forged strong alliances with conservative causes. The investigation of Abramoff's lobbying efforts in Washington has stirred national attention, and his potential testimony as a cooperating federal witness in a plea deal has caused growing concern among some political leaders about potential legal problems for members of Congress in the investigation.

A spokesman for Abramoff's Washington lawyer, Abbe Lowell, declined to comment after Friday's conference in Miami. Neal R. Sonnett, Abramoff's Florida lawyer, confirmed that the meeting took place but would not comment on the status of plea negotiations.

Strong signals that Abramoff was about to cut a deal with prosecutors came after a series of recent developments in investigations that have stretched from Washington to the Northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific Ocean.

On Nov. 21, under an agreement with prosecutors, Michael P.S. Scanlon, Abramoff's former lobbying partner, entered a guilty plea to a count of conspiracy to commit bribery and mail and wire fraud. His sentencing has been delayed pending his cooperation in the investigation.