Friends of Jack Abramoff...come on down..

To jail that is...or at least a very unpleasant public hearing. The Zoo takes a gander at some of the members of Team Abramoff.

Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) told the New York Times that he ate at Signatures "once or twice a month" on the house but said, "Just because you are a member of Congress doesn't mean you have to give up your friendships ... it was dinner with a friend and I didn't think of it as a gift."

Bob Ney (R-OH)'s representative said "There were times when meals and/or drinks were bought by him or for him by other members, lobbyists, or other persons, all within the limits of the gift rules." But former employees say Ney frequently ate and drank without paying while spending evenings talking with staffers and lobbyists. Signatures' records also show that the restaurant hosted a fundraiser for Ney in April 2002. According to PoliticalMoneyLine.com, neither Ney's campaign nor his PAC paid Signatures for the event.In recent days, the Justice Department claimed a "Representative #1," later identified as Ney, was a major player in a conspiracy of political corruption. According to court filings, Abramoff and Scanlon provided Ney with "a stream of things of value," including "a lavish trip to Scotland to play golf on world famous courses, tickets to sporting events and other entertainment, regular meals at [Abramoff's] upscale restaurant, and campaign contributions." Ney or his staff also received tickets to the 2001 Super Bowl in Tampa, Fla., frequent golf expenses for greens around Washington, D.C., and a 2000 trip to the Northern Mariana Islands, an American territory in the Pacific that had hired Abramoff as a lobbyist. In an apparent exchange, prosecutors claim that Ney agreed "to perform a series of official acts" like placing statements in the Congressional Record, meeting with Abramoff's clients and trying to arrange a cellphone business deal for one of the lobbyist's clients.

John T. Doolittle (R-CA)'s spokeswoman said "To his recollection, any meal the congressman had at Signatures was either paid for personally or paid for in compliance with House rules by someone with whom the congressman was dining."

And don't forget the booby prize winner who is still trying to get his power back...Tom DeLay...

Stay Naked.