U.S. lawmakers eyed in corruption cases

WASHINGTON, July 27 (UPI) -- More than a dozen current and former U.S. lawmakers are under the microscope in several unrelated corruption cases, The New York Times reported Friday.

All those under investigation -- 10 of whom are Republicans -- deny any wrongdoing in their work on Capitol Hill.

Among those who have attracted the interest of federal prosecutors are Rep. John Doolittle, R-Calif., who is being looked at for his relationship with the corrupt lobbyist Jack Abramoff; Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., who was indicted last month on charges of bribery and fraud; and Rep. Alan Mollohan, D-W,Va., who is under scrutiny over links between his real estate investments and non-profit groups he founded and supported with special federal appropriations.

Jan Baran, a Republican lawyer who specializes in ethics law, told the Times he could not recall an occasion when so many members of Congress had been caught up in so many financial scandals investigated by the Justice Department.

Baran said he was not surprised most of the lawmakers in question are Republicans, since their party controlled Congress until this year.

"Money follows power," he said. "Those that don't hold power are less susceptible to corruption, because they don't have anything to sell."