Disgraced political lobbyist Jack Abramoff was sentenced on Thursday to serve four more years in prison in a corruption scandal that rocked Washington's power elite and helped Republicans lose control of Congress.
Abramoff is already serving a nearly six-year term on unrelated charges and the new sentence will be served at the same time, meaning he will not spend any extra time behind bars once his original sentence ends in 2012.
But he will serve at least four more years in prison, even if his lawyers are successful in getting a reduction in his first sentence on charges of fraud in the purchase of a Florida casino cruise line.
Abramoff was sentenced to five years and 10 months in prison in March 2006 on fraud charges over the purchase of the Florida casino cruise line. In January 2006, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy, mail fraud and tax evasion in the current case, but sentencing was delayed until Thursday.
Prosecutors recommended reduced punishment in the corruption case, noting that Abramoff had co-operated in inquiries which led to convictions of a congressman as well as some congressional and White House aides.
The scandal engulfed a number of Republicans and contributed to poll defeats that led to the party's loss of control of Congress to the Democrats in 2006. - (Reuters)