Lawmaker tied to Abramoff will retire
Another Abramoff-linked lawmaker bites the dust.
Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA) announced that he will not seek reelection when his term expires in 2008.
The congressman has been under investigation in connection with Mr. Abramoff, a friend whose lobbying firm, Washington restaurant and personal charity group paid his wife as an event planner.
Mr. Abramoff, who pleaded guilty two years ago to felony charges placing him at the center of an influence-peddling scandal that has already ensnared several lawmakers and their aides, is serving about 10 years in prison.
Mr. Doolittle has also been under scrutiny for the role that Mrs. Doolittle has played as a fund-raiser for her husband. Under the arrangement, the Doolittles kept some of the contributions given to his campaign committees, blurring the distinction between personal and campaign contributions. [NYT]
Finally, Mr. Doolittle is under investigation for his ties to Brent Wilkes, a San Diego military contractor who was convicted in November of 13 felonies related to the bribery of former Representative Randy Cunningham, another California Republican. [NYT]
Retirement will give the nine-term Congressman more time to spend with federal investigators his family.
when I lived in CA he was my congressman. I,m glad he's gone. The whole Abramoff trifecta of Delay Doolittle and Ney is gone. Happy days.
Posted by: cheflovesbeer | January 10, 2008 at 07:12 PM
One down, several hundred more to go.
Posted by: mudkitty | January 10, 2008 at 07:33 PM
Yeah, he's retiring to spend more time with his legal staff.
Is he getting the cell next to Duke Cunningham?
Posted by: TB | January 10, 2008 at 08:02 PM
At Daily Kos, brownsox writes, "Doolittle's retirement is not especially good news for us, as a generic Republican starts with a considerable advantage in this district."
Posted by: Eric Jaffa | January 10, 2008 at 08:16 PM
ok, he's retired. now, when is he going to jail?
Posted by: pretzelattack | January 10, 2008 at 11:09 PM
"To spend more time with his legal staff..."
LMAO! Good one!
Posted by: mudkitty | January 11, 2008 at 01:10 PM
Jack Abramoff?
But I barely know Abram.
Posted by: David Grenier | January 11, 2008 at 07:28 PM
This is the same nut who as a California assemblyman in the 80s advocated concentration camps for AIDS patients (I do not recall the euphemism he used to describe the facilities and compulsory measures to place people in them). It took long enough for *something* to catch up with him.
Posted by: sad | January 13, 2008 at 12:00 PM