Abramoff and beyond

THREE TIMES YESTERDAY, Jack Abramoff solemnly told a federal judge in Washington: ''I plead guilty, your honor." The pleas -- to tax evasion, mail fraud, and conspiracy charges -- represent a nadir for the once high-flying lobbyist, but they may be only the beginning of trouble for a much wider circle on Capitol Hill and beyond.

As the investigation goes forward, it is imperative that the Justice Department act with complete independence and professionalism, untainted by politics. One reason: The case may well involve the intrusion of raw politics, and political money, where they do not belong -- the deliberations of Congress.

The mini-stampede of representatives and senators from both parties to return campaign contributions from Abramoff and his clients indicates that the investigation may cross party lines. But most of the focus is likely to be on Republicans, in part because of the zealous partisanship of some in the GOP, especially Tom DeLay, the former House majority leader, who has pushed for K Street lobbying firms like Abramoff's to hire only Republicans and deal only with Republicans.

Abramoff has agreed to cooperate, and in court yesterday Alice Fisher, an assistant attorney general, said the Justice Department will pursue information ''wherever it goes." She also charged that Abramoff's misdeeds went ''far beyond lawful lobbying to the illegal act of paying for official acts." She added: ''The Justice Department will aggressively investigate and prosecute these types of cases, which have a devastating impact on the public's trust of government."

As Fisher surely knows, the public's doubts about governmental integrity already extend to the executive branch as well as Congress. The legacy of the Bush administration will suffer further damage if any hint of political favoritism pollutes this investigation.

Outright bribery is not one of the charges Abramoff pleaded to yesterday, and generally it is difficult to prove. Legislators can say they were sympathetic to the lobbyist's cause anyway, and the lobbyist can say that contributions went to support a friend rather than to buy a vote from a foe. So the evidence behind Fisher's claim that Abramoff was ''paying for official acts" will be eagerly awaited.

In any event, the culture in Washington is so fouled with special-interest money that even legal contributions often undermine public confidence, and this case appears far worse.

For Abramoff and his former lobbying partner Michael Scanlon, there is no longer a presumption of innocence. Both have pleaded guilty to serious crimes. It is up to the Justice Department now to clean out the infection. However ugly and painful it will be, any attempt to cover up wrongdoing would only make matters worse.