A Lobbyist’s Hat Raises Eyebrows
Last week, lobbyist Jack Abramoff pleaded guilty to three felony counts of mail fraud, tax evasion, and conspiracy. But here’s the big question after he walked out of federal court: What’s with the hat?
Some pundits suggested his black fedora made him look like Godfather Mafioso Michael Corleone. Several conservative commentators suggested that Abramoff, an Orthodox Jew, was hoping to look religious.
Whatever fashion statement he was trying to make, Abramoff purchased the hat from Bencraft Hatters, a Brooklyn-based haberdasher that caters largely to Orthodox Jews. The hat in question, a Como II fedora made by Borsalino, retails on the Bencraft Web site for $200.
For a full report on the lobbyist’s headgear by Anthony Weiss, visit forward.com/abramoffhat.
