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Abramoff: Defense Says He's a Victim

Indicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff's lawyer, Neal Sonnett, tells the Daily Business Review that his client is a victim in the charged fraud.

Miami attorney Neal Sonnett, who represents Abramoff, said the longtime Republican lobbyist who formerly worked for Greenberg Traurig, the Miami-based law firm, was a "victim." "All I can tell you is that Jack understood that he was involved in a legitimate business deal, and he was not involved in the negotiations, was not even present at the closing," Sonnett said in an interview Friday.

"He only signed documents that were faxed to him with assurances that everything was in proper order," Sonnett said. "So I think Jack was as much as victim as anybody else in this case, perhaps more because now he has to defend himself against criminal charges for something that he did not do."

Sonnett also says that Abramoff is not cooperating with the feds in the Indian tribes investigation:

The lawyer appeared to rule out any cooperation deal in the Florida case in exchange for assistance in the investigations surrounding Abramoff's lobbying activities in Washington, D.C., on behalf of Indian tribes.

"Nobody has offered that, and I have not requested that, and as far as I'm concerned my job is to defend Jack on these charges and to help ensure a verdict of not guilty," Sonnett said.

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    Re: Abramoff: Defense Says He's a Victim (none / 0) (#1)
    by squeaky on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:21 PM EST
    A victim of his own relentless greed for starters. Although with the republicans having bases loaded, he was confident no one could touch him as seems to be the case with the equally greedy and corrupt Delay.

    Re: Abramoff: Defense Says He's a Victim (none / 0) (#2)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:22 PM EST
    "I'm the victim"--that's a neoconservative idiom meaning "Someone may actually hold me responsible for my actions." Poor little guy.

    Re: Abramoff: Defense Says He's a Victim (none / 0) (#3)
    by DawesFred60 on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:22 PM EST
    If I was Abramoff i would be yelling "Victim"..to. you do know were all this started right?..keep in mind a name "Sibel Edmonds" a whistle-blower, she was in the USNews.com story and has a hell of a lot on bush and business about financing drug money i.e. laundering billion into U.S. Banks and something politically interesting about the heads of our government that need to be looked into. one other name to watch out for is Fitzgerald and the whitewashing of 9-11 info, it appears that claims are being made about money and 9-11 and the war in iraq, about perjury, obstruction of justice and the big one Financing the 9-11 attacks i.e. the boys and girls inside the bush administration, watch out for the coming months this guy many just become dead in a jail cell like so many others, but also keep one eye on the new grand juries being started right now.

    Re: Abramoff: Defense Says He's a Victim (none / 0) (#4)
    by swingvote on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:22 PM EST
    Is this a complaint about the defense strategy or a statement that Abramoff does not deserve the best possible defense?

    Re: Abramoff: Defense Says He's a Victim (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:22 PM EST
    Just Paul, I'm not sure who your comment was directed to, but if it was TalkLeft, I'll answer: Neal Sonnett is a terrific lawyer and a colleague of mine. TalkLeft supports the constitutional rights of those accused of crime. I will be bringing out details of his defense as they emerge in the media, since I have no other information. Jack Abramoff, like every defendant, is entitled to the presumption of innocence and the best possible defense. I believe that with Neal Sonnett he will get it.

    Re: Abramoff: Defense Says He's a Victim (none / 0) (#6)
    by swingvote on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:22 PM EST
    TalkLeft, Glad to hear it. I agree, everyone, even those politically connected, is entitled to the best defense possible. It seems some here do not agree, but that's just my reading of the comments.

    Re: Abramoff: Defense Says He's a Victim (none / 0) (#7)
    by scarshapedstar on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:22 PM EST
    By all means, I feel he's entitled to a strong defense. I wish he'd hire 30 lawyers, because I'd rather they get his money than Tom Delay and all of the other congressional scumbags that he's been pimping.

    Re: Abramoff: Defense Says He's a Victim (none / 0) (#8)
    by Sailor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:23 PM EST
    justpaul, just as some still scream 'OJ was guilty!', some on this site think Jack MeHoff is guilty. We are entitled to our opinion. We aren't on the jury, we didn't charge him, we have no influence on his sentence. Get it? Got it. Good.

    Re: Abramoff: Defense Says He's a Victim (none / 0) (#9)
    by squeaky on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:23 PM EST
    Looks like Abramoff may wind up a victim after all. He is bargaining for a cement overcoat. Evidently, no one wants to hear what he has to say about the other bosses, Rove et.al....victims... via josh marshall