Former Aide to Abramoff Must Pay Firm Millions in Restitution

According to today’s article at AmLawDaily.com, Michael Scanlon, former aide to Greenberg Traurig partner Jack Abramoff, “cannot challenge the firm’s request that he pay $17.7 million in restitution to the firm for money it distributed to victims in a fraud scheme,” according to a federal judge’s ruling in Washington, D.C.. In other words, Scanlon will now have to pay the law firm the millions of dollars the law firm had to pay in restitution to fraud victims.

Scanlon, then a public affairs specialist, worked with now convicted felon and former lobbyist and Greenberg Traurig partner Jack Abramoff, on Native American casino issues. The pair stole nearly $20 million from certain Native American tribes. In February, Scanlon was sentenced to nearly two years in prison for his part in the scheme.

Many of the tribes have sued, or threatened to sue Greenberg Traurig for what the pair did.

The argument Stephen Braga of Ropes & Gray presented on behalf of Scanlon was that Greenberg Traurig knew about certain fees Scanlon was paying Abramoff.

Kevin Downey of Williams & Connolly has consistently fought Scanlon in court over the challenge to his making restitution.