Jack Abramoff has unlikely second act as watchdog

[midnight]

The latest muckraker digging into the outsized influence of money in politics is well-versed in the muckiest corners of K Street: former Republican lobbyist and convicted felon Jack Abramoff.

Abramoff, who served three and a half years in prison for corruption of public officials, tax evasion and fraud, emerged last fall as an unlikely advocate for curbing the influence of special interests in Washington -- first in the form of a tell-all memoir and a subsequent media tour pressing for ethics reform.

And now, the latest manifestation of Abramoff's ethics push: his debut Friday on Republic Report, a newly launched blog dedicated to exposing corruption in politics.

The site has already posted stories about Congress, K Street and the Koch Brothers; Abramoff's contribution was mostly introductory, although he said he anticipates contributing analysis and breaking news in the future. The gig pairs the former lobbyists with a team of investigative reporters, the likes of which dogged Abramoff during his K Street scandals.

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-jack-abramoff-money-in-politics-20120203,0,1866040.story

[onehandle]

1. He was on Up with Chris Hayes a few weeks ago. He was still a total dick.

I wouldn't trust that slime with anything.

[midnight]

2. I wonder who is audience going to be?

[annabanana]

3. Well, if anyone knows how and where the bodies are buried . .

HE ought to! I wish him well in his new endeavor. Seriously

[MADem]

6. I have to agree with you. Maybe he's trying to undo his bad karma.

He's certainly useful in that he understands all the nefarious ways in which influence can be bought.

[Tom_Foolery]

4. Sometimes you need the fox to guard the chicken coop. n/t

[UpInArms]

5. I'm not certain that this is allowed here at DU3

but, several of us did a lot of research on Jack - it can be found here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=358&topic_id=597

hope it's helpful to those who really want to know jack

there's a lot of shit there to absorb

uia