oldswitcheroo posted:

Abramoff isn't running the PAC, the only formal affiliation he has with them is that he participated in a really lovely AMA with Lessig on reddit to promote Mayday PAC. Abramoff is a tacit supporter, but is not in any position of authority in the PAC. Right now, Abramoff is on a speaking tour about "beating corruption" and selling a book about it. It's being brought up less as a "you're giving money to Jack Abramoff" thing as it is a "Lessig has such bad judgement that he would listen to Abramoff/ use him to sell his own lovely ideas." It just reflects poorly on Lessig's judgement. True, he won't have the ability to powerbroker anymore, but that was only part of the equation from the start for Abramoff. He is also very much about making himself rich, be it through making right wing propoganda films (which he did before lobbying), through his lobbying, through illegally muscling a casino owner out of his casino boat, through speaking fees, through potentially "consulting" with PACs....