Update: ABC News says Hastert 'bribe' story is solid

RAW STORY
Published: Wednesday May 24, 2006

Update: ThinkProgress video

ThinkProgress now has a video of ABC News defending the story again Thursday morning. Watch it here.

"Despite a flat denial from the Department of Justice, federal law enforcement sources tonight said ABC News accurately reported that Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert is "in the mix" in the FBI investigation of corruption in Congress," ABC News' Brian Ross reported late Wednesday. Excerpts:

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Law enforcement sources told ABC News that convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff has provided information to the FBI about Hastert and a number of other members of Congress that have broadened the scope of the investigation. Sources would not divulge details of the Abramoff’s information.

"You guys wrote the story very carefully but they are not reading it very carefully," a senior official said. ""Whether they like it or not, members of Congress, including Hastert, are under investigation."

One focus involves a letter Hastert wrote in 2003 urging the Secretary of the Interior to block an Indian casino that would have competed with tribes represented by Abramoff...

ABC’s law enforcement sources said the Justice Department denial was meant only to deny that Hastert was a formal “target” or “subject” of the investigation.

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