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Abramoff scandal takes a midterms toll |
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MSNBC Burns, Pombo and Ney among the losers; Shays and Doolittle keep seatsBy Joel Seidman 9 November 2006 WASHINGTON - Disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff may be heading to federal prison next week to begin serving a 70-month sentence, but the long shadow of the Washington influence-peddling scandal took its toll on some midterm election defeats, while others linked to the convicted lobbyist emerged unscathed.
The three-year investigation into Abramoff's lobbying activities on Capitol Hill may have made the difference in the defeat of Montana Senator Conrad Burns, and California Rep. Richard Pombo.But Rep. John Doolittle, R-Ca, kept his seat despite repeated attacks by challenger Charlie Brown for Doolittle's accepting contributions and foreign trips from Abramoff. Doolittle's wife also attracted controversy by taking payments from Abramoff's lobbying firm and for keeping a 15 percent commission of the campaign contributions she solicited on his behalf. |
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