"The most recent installment in the continuing saga of Jack Abramoff sounds more like a Hollywood thriller than a real-life account of the stealthy operations of one of the capital's most powerful lobbyists as he maneuvered to kill an Internet gambling bill for his $100,000-a-month lobbying client, eLottery Inc.

As reported in Sunday's Post by Susan Schmidt and James V. Grimaldi, the story has all the elements of Washington at its seamiest: lobbyists deploying corporate jets and luxury golf trips to curry favor with senior congressional aides; gambling money disguised by passing it through multiple accounts to hide its origins; conservative lawmakers, in the midst of tough reelection campaigns, being targeted -- by gambling forces -- for being soft on gambling.

We'd encourage you to read all 4,245 delicious words to get the full flavor, but in case you missed it, the juicier details include: a forged letter purportedly from Florida Gov. Jeb Bush; an official of a religious advocacy group who ends up in prison for soliciting sex with minors over the Internet; and "Lucky Louie," the nickname bestowed on the Rev. Louis P. Sheldon, head of the Traditional Values Coalition, who was enlisted to fight the anti-gambling bill on the grounds that it would actually promote gambling -- and who, despite receiving a $25,000 check from eLottery, somehow didn't realize that Mr. Abramoff or the company was involved."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Hollywood on the Potomac (The Washington Post 10/18)
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