Scanlon, Abramoff now Rudy spill the beans .... De Lay next for a plea ?

Tony Rudy 39. former deputy chief of staff and press secretary to US Rep. Tom DeLay (R-TX), (USA v. Rudy, 06cr82, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia) and renowned Amhurst graduate and bare knuckle Republican operator pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy Friday 31st March 2006.

Rudy admitted to working with convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff , among other people, to corrupt public officials and defraud clients while he was employed by DeLay and later while a partner in the now defunct (shutdown January 9, 2006) Washington lobbying firm Alexander Strategy Group.

The plea deal contains no allegations of wrongdoing by DeLay, but court documents do state that Rudy was involved in planning a golf trip to Scotland for Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH) and members of his staff. Rudy's plea also includes a promise to cooperate in further investigations of bribery and lobbying fraud. In exchange, prosecutors will not further charge Rudy or his wife.

Rudy ( who resigned as DeLay's deputy chief of staff in 2001 before working with Abramoff) faces up to 5 years in prison, but could receive much less depending upon his help with the investigation, U.S. District Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle told Rudy at a court hearing in Washington. (pic Rudy leaving Court)

Susan Schmidt and James Grimaldi of The Washington Post November 26th 2005 reported that investigators are looking into whether Rudy aided Abramoff's lobbying clients while he was working on the Hill, ... and are reviewing payments from Abramoff clients and associates to Liberty Consulting, a political firm founded by Rudy's wife, Lisa. The Washington Post reported that Rudy, while on DeLay's staff, helped scuttle a bill opposed by eLottery Inc., an Abramoff client, and that Abramoff had eLottery pay a foundation $25,000 ( a Seattle-based Orthodox Jewish foundation, Toward Tradition, headed by a friend of Abramoff, Lapin) that then paid fees to Rudy's wife to hire Liberty Consulting,"

The Magazine Publishers of America also paid the Seattle-based Orthodox Jewish foundation, Toward Tradition, that then paid fees to Rudy's wife. "I can confirm that based on direction from Preston Gates, the MPA did make a $25,000 contribution to Toward Tradition in 2000," said MPA spokesman Howard J. Rubenstein.The Postal Service were intending to raise postal costs by 15% and the MPA spent £ 10Mn campaigning against it, using Preston Gates - they succeeded when the postal rise was much less.

Rudy is claimed (without any evidence) to be on the ground at the time of one of the most historic episodes of the 2000 battle for the White House -- the now-legendary "Brooks Brothers Riot" at the Miami-Dade County polling headquarters.

This was when dozens of "local protesters," actually mostly Republican House aides from Washington, chanted "Stop the fraud!" and "Let us in!" when the local election board tried to move the re-counting from an open conference room to a smaller space. For more see Wapo Jan 24th 2005 this is a must see story.

Michael Scanlon, a former DeLay press secretary who later became a lobbying partner with Abramoff, pleaded guilty to bribing public officials in November.

Busy couple Mr & Mrs Rudy. According to the Wall Street Journal Rudy made nearly 500 stock trades from his Capitol Hill computer in 1999 and 2000 and profited handsomely from the day trading.

According to a document filed in court yesterday, Rudy admitted accepting gifts from Abramoff and associates, including $86,000 in payments to his wife's firm, Liberty Consulting, as well as "tickets to sporting events, meals, golf and golf trips."

Rudy was known on the Hill as the "impelmenter" overseeing "members high maintenance" operation, an elaborate concierge service, making sure GOP lawmakers had private cars and meals during late-night votes. Rudy told a Washington Post reporter that it made sense to shuttle lawmakers to a five-car hospitality train from Philadelphia's First Union Center. "The whole purpose of this is to treat members of Congress as kings and queens," he said.

"Rudy was a practical, no-nonsense aide who made sure the De Lays's Republican political vision became reality." an insider is reported saying.

So now we know why (partly) Abramoff is singing like a canary.

Tom De Lay must be sleeping badly these days.