With a look straight out of central casting for a gangster movie – or a Cold War spy film – mega-lobbyist Jack Abramoff showed up in court wearing a black trench coat and a black felt fedora.
"It was an outfit that screamed: I’m sinister, I’m secretive – I’m dressed to spill the beans on every representative from here to California,” reported the New York Post, which ran a picture of Abramoff next to a photo of a hat-wearing Al Capone.
Bruce Pask, style director of Cargo magazine, told the Post about Abramoff’s outfit: "It’s dark and foreboding. He’s saying, ‘I’m guilty so I’m going to get into it.’”
Abramoff was in court in Miami on Wednesday to plead guilty to conspiracy and wire fraud stemming from his purchase of a casino gambling boat fleet in 2000.
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The day before, 46-year-old Abramoff pleaded guilty to three felonies, agreeing to cooperate with U.S. prosecutors in a corruption probe that could involve up to 20 members of Congress and aides.
"Where you’re pleading guilty to huge fraud, you’d almost want to blend into the crowd and he’s not really interested in that,” said Pask.
"He’s out there front and center. It’s too sinister, too severe and too calculated.”