Capitol Punishment

IN THE SPAN OF 10 YEARS, Jack Abramoff rose from near obscurity to become America’s most powerful lobbyist. Congressmen lined up to do his bidding, executives heeded his advice, and heads of government hung on his every word. But when scandal brought him down—ultimately casting him into disgrace and even prison—this power broker said nothing. Now a free man, Capitol Punishment is Jack Abramoff’s autobiographical exposé uncovering the mysterious and corrupt world of federal politics. He reveals just how broken the system really is while shedding light on the drastic corrective measures needed to repair it. Jack’s back, and this time he isn’t pleading the Fifth.

The name Jack Abramoff is synonymous with Washington scandal, but the fascinating facts of his case are either largely unknown or wildly misunderstood. His memoir will serve as a corrective - an engrossing, informative work of political nonfiction that is also a gripping real-life thriller. The biggest surprise twist comes in the form of Abramoff himself, a smart, funny, charming, clear-eyed narrator who confounds every expectation of the media's villainous portrait. He's a perfect bundle of contradictions: an Orthodox Jew and upstanding family man with a staunch moral streak, caught in multiple scandals of bribery and corruption with an undercurrent of murder. Abramoff represented Indian tribes whose lucrative casinos were constantly under threat from proposed changes in law; though he charged the tribes many millions, he saved them billions by ensuring votes to support the livelihoods of their reservations. Much of Jack's share was funneled not into his own coffers, but to charities. Abramoff on the front pages could not be further from the Jack Abramoff who's ready to tell his honest and compelling story.

JACK ABRAMOFF got an early start in politics. A Magna Cum Laude graduate of Brandeis University and Georgetown University Law Center, he was national chairman of the College Republicans and leader of President Reagan’s grassroots lobbying organization. He joined K Street in 1994, signing on with the lobbying division of Preston Gates where he built one of the nation's most prestigious and profitable lobbying practices. When a corporation, Indian tribe, or foreign nation needed to win, they went to Abramoff. His team of lobbying guns didn’t lose, and clients reaped billions. Abramoff had it all. Then it was gone. His disgraced name became synonymous with government corruption. The fall from grace was Jack’s wake-up call. Now, Abramoff is determined to do all he can to help end the corruption of the system he played so well. His saga will serve not only as a cautionary tale, but as a historic platform for reform.