How they got caught: After lobbyist broke up, ex-fiancee told of illicit dealings to FBI

from a liberal site | Jan 3, 2006 | Jason Leopold

[summer]

Emily J. Miller, former Communications Director for Tom Delay -- Scanlon ditched her to marry another woman; she then talked to the FBI

Michael Scanlon found himself at the center of one of the biggest political scandals in Washington history as a result of cheating and lying—but not the type involving the numerous clients he was paid to lobby Congress for, former coworkers and friends of his ex-fiancee say.

Scanlon was implicated in the Abramoff scandal by his former thirtysomething fiancee, Emily J. Miller, whom he met in the late 1990s while working as communications director for former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX), three former associates who worked with Scanlon at DeLay’s office said. Colleagues say Miller went to the FBI after Scanlon broke off their engagement and announced his intention to marry another woman.

Miller did not return a call seeking comment. Scanlon’s attorney, Stephen Braga, did not respond to phone calls or emails seeking comment. Former coworkers of Scanlon and Miller at DeLay’s office and of Miller at the State Department would speak only under condition of anonymity, saying they did not want to be called as witnesses in a trial.

Miller was DeLay’s young press secretary and as communications director, Scanlon was her boss. The two began a secretive office romance and Scanlon eventually proposed marriage, associates say.

In 2003, Miller left DeLay’s office to work at the State Department. Scanlon departed too, partnering with now-indicted conservative lobbyist Jack Abramoff in lobbying for an array of Indian tribes. As Scanlon’s star rose, troubles between the couple mushroomed.

In May 2004, Miller found herself at the center of attention when—while live on air—she ordered a cameraman for NBC’s Meet the Press to stop filming Colin Powell. A copy of the transcript shows Miller, who also used to work as an NBC staffer, as a brusque press aide. Powell eventually ordered that the interview continue and asked Miller to step aside.

What many people didn’t realize at the time, however, is that during the Powell interview Miller was upset because her fiancee, Michael Scanlon, had broken off their engagement, two of Miller’s former State Department co-workers said. While still engaged to Miller, Scanlon had started an affair with a manicurist and broke up with Miller because he planned to marry the other woman, three of Scanlon’s former associates at DeLay’s office said. They added that the two had numerous public arguments.

But Miller had something on Scanlon. He confided in her all of his dealings with Abramoff, former colleagues said. She saw his emails and knew the intimate details of his lobbying work—work which is now the center of a criminal fraud investigation. After the breakup, Miller went to the FBI and told them everything about Scanlon’s dealings with Abramoff, her coworkers added.

In turning him in, she became the agency’s star witness against her former lover. Scanlon pled guilty in November and is cooperating with prosecutors; Abramoff reached a plea agreement today.

Scanlon's former colleagues did not speak warmly of him, saying he was not a very likable person because of the way he treated others, and that he later became flamboyant with his newfound wealth.

Aside from the Powell interview, Miller also attracted attention after berating a Washington Post Magazine reporter. In 2001, while Miller was working as press secretary to DeLay she told a reporter who was writing a profile about DeLay. "You lied! . . . You betrayed him! You twisted his words! . . . We don't know you. You don't exist. . . . You are dead to us."

A DeLay spokesman told the Post at the time, "Tom thinks Emily did a fine job for him."

[summer]

Well, this entire story is based on "anonymous" sources who worked with Miller.

Do you think any of it true? Did a woman go to the FBI -- and that started everything? Or is the liberal site just making this up?

[summer]

All I know is I saw C-SPAN tonight and that testimony again Scanlon & Abramoff was an eye-opener.

[summer]

BTW, the actual headline for this article was too long for the FR headline caption. Here is what's posted on the liberal site:

How they got caught: After lobbyist broke off engagement, ex-fiancee told of illicit dealings to FBI

[AnAmericanMother]

It wouldn't surprise me.

There was a horrific murder in Atlanta that went completely unsolved for years - apparently the "perfect crime" - until the perp beat up his girlfriend and she went to the police.

If you're going to commit crimes, you had better make darned sure you stay on good terms with anybody who knows about it.

[InvisibleChurch]

Scanlon ditched her to marry another woman; she then talked to the FBI

That's what he gets for crossing a woman. What a dope.

[sageb1]

A woman scorned. Sounds like a movie plot...let's count down together...10...9...8...applicants for female lead? male lead? Wait. Who IS the male lead? (sarc)

[Howlin]

So she hid what she knew until he broke up with her?

Wouldn't that make HER an accomplice after the fact?

(O/T, but I bet it really frosted her that he dumped HER for a manicurist!)

[ladyjane]

The dems have a long history of trashing women.

Doesn't pass the smell test.

[summer]

I'll you, there's no way this scandal would have been exposed by Abramoff's tax preparer who testified, whom I saw on C-SPAN tonight. Senator McCain kept asking her if she saw anything unusual in Abramoff's tax returns, and she kept saying no.

[summer]

VERY good points!

[AnAmericanMother]

Well, the tax preparer only sees what she's given.

If he had two sets of books, she would only see ONE.

[summer]

I don't know. Sometimes the blogosphere is first with real news.

[Hoodlum91]

A woman scorned....

[summer]

That's true. But, McCain kept asking her if she thought it unusual that a guy working out of his home gets $13.5 million in one year from one company's "referral fees" paid to him. She had no idea because she said she didn't know anything about his line of work, listed as "political consultant." McCain wanted her to agree it was an unusually high figure, but she didn't know and so, didn't think so. (Obviously, she was not doing a lot of tax returns for "political consultants" working out their homes.) However, it was clear no amount of money would have made her raise an eyebrow. To McCain, it was unbelievable that such an amount would not have made her suspicious. in any event -- she was not the one who would be turning him in!

[A.A. Cunningham]

immunity deal

[zerosix]

My thinking exactly.

[conservative cat]

That's what he gets for crossing a woman. What a dope.

Serves him right. Hell hath no fury...

My mom worked for a family friend of ours, and if he knew a man was a cheater, he wouldn't do business with him. His thought was that if he cheated on his wife, he would cheat in other ways, too.

[Poundstone]

Hmmm... the plot thickens.

What a bunch of egotistical sharks.

[Redbob]

And the "moral" of this story - if one can use the word "moral" in a story about any of these folks, Miller herself included:

"F*ck not, lest ye get f*cked!"

[joesnuffy]

Hell hath no fury...like one