The investigation into lobbyist Jack Abramoff led to 20 convictions, millions of dollars in restitution, a congressman’s downfall and four years in prison for Abramoff himself. Michael Scanlon, Abramoff’s partner and co-conspirator, helped set it all in motion.
Scanlon, a former PR executive and one-time aide to Tom DeLay, was an early target of a criminal probe into the far-reaching corruption scheme and became the prosecution’s first and most important cooperator.
Five years after pleading guilty to bribery and fraud charges, Scanlon was sentenced to 20 months in prison on Friday. The Justice Department only sought two years of incarceration because of his help with making the government’s case. He and Ambramoff still owe more than $20 million for their roles in the conspiracy.