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US Suggests Cutting Abramoff Sentence    [

    Reid Wonders If Abramoff US Attorney Is a "Bushie"
    By Z. Byron Wolf
    ABC News

    Thursday 22 March 2007

    At an off-camera but on the record briefing, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., contended the U.S. Attorneys controversy threatens to politicize the people who "make federal cases."

    "Today we hear the U.S. Attorney in Florida is going to try and reduce Abramoff's sentence," Reid proclaimed, referring to the disgraced former lobbyist sentenced to six years in federal prison and has pleaded guilty to three other charges.

    "Is he a Bushie," the Democratic Majority Leader rhetorically asked reporters gathered in his Capitol Hill office.

    (Incidentally, ABC News' Jason Ryan adds that Bryan Sierra, spokesman for the Justice Department's Criminal Division replied regarding a potential Abramoff sentence reduction, "The government has recommended that Abramoff's sentence be reduced based on the cooperation to date, but we asked the Court to reserve entering the reduction until Abramoff's cooperation is complete so that the Court can evaluate all of the cooperation. Only the court can reduce a sentence - the government can only recommend a reduction in a sentence based on substantial cooperation.")

    This situation, Reid argued, is why White House deputy chief of staff Karl Rove must be put under oath in the U.S. attorneys flap.

    Reid didn't seem to have much concern about putting other White House aides under oath, concentrating squarely on Rove.

    "This is a man who was this close," Reid said, nearly touching two fingers for proper emphasis, "to being indicted (in the CIA leak investigation)."

    "Each day it is becoming more apparent to the American people that this White House is covering something up," Reid continued, adding that "there could be obstruction of justice" in the U.S. attorneys imbroglio.

    Despite his stature as Senate majority Leader, Reid is only a mouthpiece in this story; it is members of the Senate Judiciary Committee that will negotiate (or not) with the White House about testimony.

    Reid did not dismiss such negotiation, expressing confidence in Senator Arlen Specter, R-Penn., who supports the subpoenas but clearly hopes it won't come to that.

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    US Suggests Cutting Abramoff Sentence
    By Curt Anderson
    The Associated Press

    Thursday 22 March 2007

    Miami - Federal prosecutors took the first steps toward reducing the prison sentence of former Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff, currently scheduled for release in 2011 for a Florida fraud conviction.

    Documents filed in federal court say Abramoff has provided "substantial assistance" in a separate Washington corruption scandal investigation and continues to work with investigators from his prison cell in Cumberland, Md.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul F. Schwartz did not recommend how much Abramoff's sentence should be cut.

    In the court papers filed Wednesday, Schwartz said prosecutors would recommend a reduction in his sentence and would file further documents describing the "nature, extent and value" of his cooperation.

    Abramoff, once a powerful Washington lobbyist, and ex-partner Adam Kidan were sentenced in Florida last March to nearly six years in prison for concocting a fake $20 million wire transfer during their 2000 purchase of the Fort Lauderdale-based SunCruz Casinos gambling fleet.

    The bogus transfer enabled the pair to get $60 million in financing for the deal.

    Abramoff also has pleaded guilty to three federal charges arising from the Washington corruption probe. He has yet to been sentenced in that case.

    Neal Sonnett, Abramoff's attorney in Miami, declined to comment Thursday other than to say that his client was continuing to cooperate with investigators.

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