Two days ago, we questioned whether the recent indictment of Republican superlobbyist Jack Abramoff could lead to a breakthrough in other cases of influence-peddling -- perhaps even with congressional leaders. Today, The Washington Post's James V. Grimaldi writes about just that possibility.

The indictment this week of lobbyist Jack Abramoff in a wire fraud case here could provide an important boost to federal investigators in Washington examining the prominent Republican's activities to influence Congress and the Bush administration on behalf of Indian tribes and other clients, people with knowledge of the case said Friday.

Abramoff was released from a federal correction center in Los Angeles on $2.2 million bail Friday after he and a business associate were indicted here on charges of conspiracy and wire fraud in applying for loans in the purchase of a Florida-based casino cruise-ship company that later fell into bankruptcy.

Although attorneys for Abramoff, 46, and associate Adam Kidan, 41, professed their clients' innocence in the fraud case, the six-count indictment is expected to apply pressure on the two to provide information on a separate criminal investigation in Washington examining Abramoff's work on behalf of the casino-rich American Indian tribes. In addition, there are two Senate committees investigating Abramoff's activities.

Unlike Kidan, who was permitted to surrender to authorities in Florida and to put up a $500,000 personal bond, the FBI arrested and jailed Abramoff while he was on a business trip to Los Angeles with his 12-year-old daughter, sending a clear message about the gravity of the case.

[...]

Legal analysts agree that this first indictment is typical of government prosecutions of people who are under investigation in more than one case. The first indictment sends a signal that prosecutors are serious, and then they typically wait to see if lawyers want to begin discussions about possible cooperation. If not, prosecutors often bring another set of indictments.

Should Abramoff turn on Tom DeLay -- a possibility Grimaldi at least implies -- this could usher in an entirely new phase in American politics.