According to Brian Ross of ABC News, House Speaker Dennis Hastert is under investigation by the FBI as to his role, if any, in the Abramoff public corruption probe. After a fundraiser for Hastert at an Abramoff-owned restaurant three years ago, the Speaker wrote a letter to the Secretary of the Interior to block a casino on an Indian reservation that would have competed with gaming interests by Indian tribes represented by Abramoff. Hastert claimed that his actions were lawful and indicated that he would donate any political contribution received from Abramoff and his clients to charity. Eyebrows may now be raised as to the motivations of Hastert in his vocal opposition to the raid of Congressman Jefferson's Capitol Hill office in a separate public corruption probe involving telecommunications contracts in Africa. Hastert has called for the return of documents seized from Jefferson's office and for the suspension of the FBI agents involved in that raid as to that investigation.
Cf. http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2006/05/federal_officia.html.
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