Casino Jack and the United States of Money: Superlobbyist Jack Abramoff and the Buying of Washington

At the center of this drama is the larger-than-life super-lobbyist Jack Abramoff, onetime B-movie producer, with deep ties to Republican heavyweights like Republican power broker Tom DeLay, Congressman Bob Ney (who was sentenced to thirty months in prison for his connection to the scandal), former head of the Christian Coalition Ralph Reed, influential anti-tax activist Grover Norquist, and others with links to the Bush administration. Abramoff, working with public relations whiz Michael Scanlon, a former DeLay aid, bilked several Indian tribes of tens of millions of dollars in fees and bought influence in Congress. More criminal charges are expected to follow throughout the election season in a scandal that has tarred many powerful Washington insiders, and which The New York Times has called “one of the most explosive in Congressional history.”

This paperback edition is fully updated and includes new information on John McCain, a central figure in probing the Abramoff scandal, who now finds his campaign heavily dependent on a few powerful lobbyists for fundraising and strategic advice.

(Previously published as Heist)

A riveting tale of our time: an inside-Washington drama driven by powerful personalities and the toxic mix of money and power

An absorbing expose of lobbyist Jack Abramoff, a one time B-movie producer who worked alongside public relations whiz Michael Scanlon, an ex-aide to then House Minority Leader Tom DeLay, to corrupt public officials and defraud four casino rich Indian tribes of almost $25 million. A five-year federal investigation into Abramoff's misdeeds has turned into the largest influence peddling probe of the last decade and so far led to the convictions of twenty lobbyists, Hill staffers, Bush administration officials (including Steve Griles, the former number two at Interior) and former Representative Bob Ney (R-Ohio).

Boasting a cast of characters and close Abramoff allies like anti-tax activist Grover Norquist and former Christian Coalition leader Ralph Reed, Casino Jack is a cautionary tale about the seemingly endless ways that lobbyists and campaign cash can buy powerful friends and influence Washington policymaking.

(Previously published as Heist)

A riveting tale of our time: an inside-Washington drama driven by powerful personalities and the toxic mix of money and power

An absorbing expose of lobbyist Jack Abramoff, a one time B-movie producer who worked alongside public relations whiz Michael Scanlon, an ex-aide to then House Republican whip Tom DeLay, to corrupt public officials and defraud four casino rich Indian tribes of almost $25 million. A five-year federal investigation into Abramoff’s misdeeds has turned into the largest influence peddling probe of the last decade and so far led to the convictions of twenty lobbyists, Hill staffers, Bush administration officials (including Steve Griles, the former number two at Interior) and former Representative Bob Ney (R-Ohio).

Boasting a cast of characters and close Abramoff allies like anti-tax activist Grover Norquist and former Christian Coalition leader Ralph Reed, Casino Jack is a cautionary tale about the seemingly endless ways that lobbyists and campaign cash can buy powerful friends and influence Washington policymaking.