The Republican party was yesterday facing a fast-growing corruption scandal with potentially serious implications for next year's elections after a well-connected Washington lobbyist pleaded guilty to bribing a congressman and other public officials.
The plea by Michael Scanlon is a breakthrough in an investigation of influence-peddling in Congress that could reach top levels of the party. It comes at a time when the Republicans are already nervous about next November's congressional elections, with public support for the Iraq war falling away and the White House under the cloud of an intelligence leak investigation.
"The potential is huge," said Thomas Mann, a political analyst at the Brookings Institution. "We've never seen an example as egregious as this with these sums of money, the bilking, the cynicism and linkages... I think you're going to see a string of indictments."
Mr Scanlon is expected to give evidence against public officials alleged to have accepted bribes, including free golfing trips to Scotland, restaurant meals and sports tickets, in return for pushing legislation favourable to clients of Mr Scanlon and his boss, Jack Abramoff, a Washington super-lobbyist who is also under investigation.
The congressman named in the Scanlon plea agreement is Robert Ney, a powerful Republican insider known as the "mayor of Capitol Hill" because of his influential role at the head of the House administration committee. He received a free golfing trip to Scotland, $14,000 (about £8,000) in campaign contributions and regular free meals at Mr Abramoff's Washington restaurant, Signatures.
In return, court documents allege, he backed legislation and attempted to influence administration officials on the lobbyists' behalf. He is also alleged to have put his political weight behind Mr Abramoff's attempt to buy a fleet of Florida casino ships. The man who sold it to him was killed in a mafia-style execution in 2001.
A spokesman for Mr Ney said his actions were "based on his best understanding of what was right and not based on any improper influence".
Also reported to be under investigation are half a dozen other members of Congress, including Tom DeLay, the former House majority leader who was forced to step down in September after being charged in a separate scandal over political money-laundering. He challenged the charges in a Texas court yesterday.
Mr Scanlon was Mr DeLay's spokesman until 2000, and the Republican leader had close ties with Mr Abramoff, who financed a golfing trip to St Andrews for Mr DeLay and his entourage in 2000. He says the trip was work-related because he also visited Margaret Thatcher. Prosecutors have asked her for details of the meeting.
The scandal threatens to accelerate the erosion of President Bush's control of Congress. Mr DeLay is known as "The Hammer" for his role as enforcer of Republican discipline, and since he stepped down the administration has suffered a string of defeats. It also makes it more likely that the Republicans will lose control of Congress altogether next November.
"Both houses will be up for grabs if the bad news on the war and the corruption scandals continue," said Mr Mann.
