Just a Reminder

Representative Randy "Duke" Cunningham today resigned from Congress after pleading guilty to charges of committing bribery, mail fraud, and wire fraud. But he's not the only Republican in Congress or within the BushCo administration who's feeling some heat (and we're not even going near PlameGate/Rove-a-Palooza with this post). Here's a reminder from Salon's War Room:

Meanwhile, the Washington Post reports that at least half a dozen other members of Congress are the subjects of an ongoing investigation into the dealings of indicted Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Sources tell the Post that Ohio Rep. Robert Ney and his chief of staff have both been warned that prosecutors are preparing a possible bribery case against them. Other Republicans in investigators' sights? The Post identifies Montana Sen. Conrad Burns and California Rep. John Doolittle as well as former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, who has already been indicted on an unrelated criminal charge in Texas.

DeLay's former press secretary, Michael Scanlon, has already pleaded guilty to criminal charges in the Abramoff probe and is helping investigators now. Authorities are still looking into the suspiciously timed stock sales of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. David Safavian, the top procurement official in the Bush administration and former chief of staff for Republican Utah Rep. Chris Cannon, has already been indicted. And there are so many state-level Republican officials under investigation that you really do need a scorecard to keep track.

OK, I just can't stay away from PlameGate--here's the latest wrinkle from Raw Story:

Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald will present evidence to a second grand jury this week in his two year-old investigation into the outing of covert CIA agent Valerie Plame Wilson that could lead to a criminal indictment being handed up against Karl Rove, President Bush’s deputy chief of staff, attorneys close to the investigation say.
[...]
The attorneys say that Rove’s former personal assistant, Susan B. Ralston -- who was also a special assistant to President Bush -- testified in August about why Cooper’s call to Rove was not logged. Ralston said it occurred because Cooper had phoned in through the White House switchboard and was then transferred to Rove’s office as opposed to calling Rove’s office directly. As Rove’s assistant, Ralston screened Rove’s calls.

But those close to the probe tell RAW STORY that Fitzgerald obtained documentary evidence showing that other unrelated calls transferred to Rove’s office by the switchboard were logged. He then called Ralston back to testify.

Earlier this month, attorneys say Fitzgerald received additional testimony from Ralston -- who said that Rove instructed her not to log a phone call Rove had with Cooper about Plame in July 2003.

Ralston also provided Fitzgerald with more information and “clarification” about several telephone calls Rove allegedly made to a few reporters, including syndicated columnist Robert Novak, the lawyers said.