In details disclosed at the time of his guilty plea, Scanlon said that he and Abramoff had a secret agreement under which they split the millions of dollars in profits that Scanlon collected from Indian tribes seeking favorable federal action on casino gambling operations. As part of his plea agreement, Scanlon is to make restitution of $19.6 million.
This month, Adam R. Kidan, a former Abramoff partner in a Florida casino deal, entered a guilty plea to fraud and conspiracy charges. Abramoff was charged in the same case with defrauding lenders of $60 million by faking a $23-million wire transfer to get financing to buy a fleet of floating casinos. He has entered a not-guilty plea. It is that case that is scheduled to go to trial in early January.
Like Scanlon, Kidan said he had reached an agreement with federal prosecutors to cooperate in the inquiry.
Last week, more details about Abramoff's lobbying activities were disclosed in a report from Guam's public auditor. That audit detailed how Abramoff was secretly paid with Guam Superior Court funds to lobby against a bill then pending in Congress to reorganize the island territory's judicial system.
The auditor concluded that the payments, totaling $324,000, were made in $9,000 increments by a court administrator in an apparent attempt to circumvent bidding requirements.
The Guam Superior Court was just one of Abramoff's Pacific island clients. He also collected millions in fees from Saipan garment makers and the Northern Marianas government to fight legislation to give thousands of workers a higher minimum wage.
The spreading investigation has snared members of Congress who were Abramoff's guests in luxury seats at professional sporting events and junkets to the Pacific islands and Scottish golf courses.
Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio) acknowledged recently that he had been subpoenaed as part of the Abramoff inquiry. He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in his dealings with the lobbyist.
Other members of Congress recently have returned thousands of dollars in campaign contributions linked to Abramoff or his clients.
Former House Majority leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas), who is facing unrelated criminal charges leveled by a prosecutor in his home state, also has come under scrutiny because of his once-close relationship with Abramoff. DeLay has been credited with blocking the minimum wage legislation for the Northern Marianas that Abramoff was hired to stall.
DeLay took several trips hosted by Abramoff. The former majority leader has said it was his understanding that a private, nonprofit group had paid for his trips.
Many of the details of Abramoff's activities were brought to light in hearings conducted by the Senate Indian Affairs Committee. During those sessions, records were made public about the large payments that Abramoff and Scanlon received stemming from efforts to bolster the gaming interests of tribal clients.
Scanlon was a DeLay spokesman before joining forces with Abramoff.
