Convicted Lobbyist Jack Abramoff Asks For Leniency Ahead Of Thursday Sentence

September 4, 2008 1:15 p.m. EST

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - Former Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who has been convicted of conspiring to corrupt public officials, appealed to a federal judge on Wednesday to give him a reduced sentence.

In a letter to U.S. District Judge Ellen Huvelle, Abramoff said, "I am not a bad man (although to read all the news articles one would think I was Osama Bin Laden), but I did many bad things."

"If I ever can earn more than a mere living again, I will be paying back those I have harmed for the rest of my life. However, little is accomplished by delaying that day by my being jailed longer than is necessary," he added.

Abramoff is currently serving a six-year sentence for charges of conspiracy, fraud and tax evasion. He was convicted by a Florida court in 2006 after pleading guilty to sending a fake wire transfer worth more than $20 million to buy the SunCruz Casino in 2000.

Huvelle is set to sentence him on Thursday on unrelated charges of tax evasion, fraud and conspiracy. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 11 years in prison.

The Justice Department has asked the courts to reduce Abramoff's sentence for his Florida conviction to four years, and the Washington public corruption conviction to five years and for months. They argue that the former lobbyist has assisted in a wide-ranging federal probe that has led to the convictions of officials, including former Justice Department Division Deputy Chief of Staff Robert Coughlin, former Deputy Interior Secretary J. Steven Griles and former Ohio Rep. Bob Ney.

Other officials accused of taking gifts from Abramoff include former Texas Rep. Tom DeLay, Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA). Ney, a former chair of the House Administration Committee, is the only lawmaker to be convicted of fraud charges in connection with Abramoff.

DeLay stepped down as House majority leader after an indictment accused him of misusing campaign funds, and resigned from the House in 2006. His former chief of staff, Tony Rudy, has been convicted of working with Abramoff to bribe officials.