The Hill News

A top-ranking Democrat is calling for convicted felon Jack Abramoff to testify before Congress about the scope of corruption in government.

Rep. Elijah Cummings (Md.), the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, made the request on Thursday in a letter to panel Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.).

Cummings pointed to the committee’s investigations of Abramoff in earlier Congresses in which the former lobbyist was never allowed to testify because of the ongoing criminal case being brought against him by the Justice Department (DOJ).

“It would be worthwhile to obtain Mr. Abramoff’s testimony in order to complete our examination into the extent of his influence over White House and executive-branch officials,” said Cummings.

“In addition, Mr. Abramoff could shed light on whether existing rules governing contacts between lobbyists and the executive branch and Congress are adequate to protect t! he interests of the public, and to determine whether additional reforms may be necessary.”

Abramoff recently finished serving more than three years in prison on charges of mail fraud, conspiracy, and tax evasion, arising from a series of illegal lobbying activities during President George W. Bush's administration. Since his release, Abramoff has been conducting media interviews, disavowing the culture of corruption that he says attends lobbying in Washington.

Cummings's call for the convicted felon to appear comes after Democrats on the House Financial Services Committee objected last week to a subcommittee hearing that saw testimony from two criminals convicted of defrauding the federal government’s grant program for low-income housing.