"Sources close to Sen. John McCain say he hopes the Justice Department will indict embattled Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff, which would terminate investigation by McCain's Senate Indian Affairs Committee of Abramoff's deals with Indian tribes.

McCain has been accused by critics inside the Republican Party of using the Abramoff investigation to get back at foes of the senator's 2000 presidential campaign and help his possible 2008 candidacy. Government sources report federal prosecutors are considering possible RICO (anti-racketeering) and tax-evasion indictments.

During a recent closed-door luncheon of Republican senators, McCain declared that the Abramoff investigation was not intended to harass any individuals. The organizations run by Republican activists Ralph Reed and Grover Norquist, who were vigorous opponents of McCain in 2000, have been subpoenaed by the McCain committee in connection with his investigation."

Get the Story:
Robert Novak: McCain hoping Justice indicts Abramoff (The Whittier Daily News 4/22)

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