Lobbyist Jack Abramoff has plead guilty to a three-count information charging him with conspiracy, aiding and abetting honest services mail fraud, and tax evasion. Find DOJ's statement here.

From the Miami Herald: A church in Miami visited by Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry during his campaign has been cleared of political activity that could have jeopardized its tax-exempt status. According to the lawyer for the Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, the Internal Revenue Service will be closing the investigation after finding that the church was not campaigning on behalf of Senator Kerry. The inquiry began after a Washington political watchdog group lodged a complaint against the church, calling the visit a “rally.” Read a Watcher article on the inquiry.

From the AP House Republicans abandoned a last-minute attempt to limit individual political donations to independent organizations Sunday, setting up for passage a military measure that had been stalled by the effort. GOP leaders had sought to attach the campaign finance legislation to a final defense bill, a move aimed at hampering Democratic-aligned groups such as MoveOn.org that were a powerful voice in 2004 and could threaten GOP candidates next year.

Washington Post's Early Warning Blog See the video at MSNBV Palm Beach Post article