BIG NEWS!!
Scanlon indicted re indian tribes. "Congeressman A" named in indictment as having received a trip to scotland.
Ney may be congressman A
Scanlon charged with conspiracy to defraud
PETE YOST
Associated Press
WASHINGTON - Michael Scanlon, partner of lobbyist Jack Abramoff, was charged Friday with conspiring to defraud Indian tribes the two were representing of millions of dollars.
In a one-count criminal information filed by the government, Scanlon was charged with conspiring with another lobbyist, who was not identified.
Although the document lists Scanlon's co-conspirator only as "Lobbyist A," it has been a matter of public record for more than a year that Scanlon and Abramoff had a fee-splitting arrangement and represented several Indian tribes.
Scanlon was once a top aide to former House Majority Leader Tom Delay, who stepped down from his leadership post after being charged with violating campaign finance laws in Texas.
The filing of a criminal information, rather than an indictment, often means prosecutors have reached a plea agreement with a defendant.
Justice Department spokesman Bryan Sierra confirmed that a hearing has been scheduled for Monday in Scanlon's case, but would provide no details.
The Senate Indian Affairs Committee is investigating Abramoff and Scanlon and the more than $80 million they were paid between 2001 and 2004 by six Indian tribes with casinos.
In another investigation, Abramoff has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Florida on charges of fraud and conspiracy stemming from his role in the 2000 purchase of a fleet of gambling boats.