Rostenkowski Pores Over His Painful Choice

Faced with a painful choice between accepting a plea bargain on felony charges or fighting them in a costly trial, an anguished Rep. Dan Rostenkowski (D-Ill.) isolated himself Thursday as he weighed a decision that seemed likely to end his congressional career.

The well-known and occasionally feared “Rosty” rebuffed questioners and stayed away from most colleagues, holing up in an office reserved for him as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee.

Sources familiar with the extended talks between U.S. Atty. Eric Holder Jr. and Rostenkowski’s lawyer, Robert S. Bennett, said that they did not expect the issue to be resolved until next week.

While Holder is pressing for a decision by Tuesday--the date for the next meeting of a federal grand jury considering evidence in the two-year investigation--the sources said that the deadline could slip if a plea agreement is in sight.

Early in the day, an aide vehemently denied broadcast reports that Rostenkowski had decided to reject all attempts by his lawyers to negotiate a plea bargain that would require him to admit guilt, serve time in prison and resign from Congress.

“No decision has been made,” the spokesman insisted as reporters kept close watch whenever Rostenkowski darted out to vote on the House floor. Rep. William O. Lipinski (D-Ill.), a Chicago colleague, was one of the few visitors admitted to Rostenkowski’s inner sanctum.

If the gruff-talking Chicago Democrat balks at a plea agreement, however, it is widely expected that he will be indicted on multiple felony charges that would remove him automatically from the chairmanship of Ways and Means under rules of the Democratic caucus. Longtime associates said that Rostenkowski would resign his seat in the House if he loses the influential post even temporarily.

On the other hand, a plea bargain almost certainly would either require Rostenkowski to resign from the House or create a political backlash that would force him out of office.

The Justice Department has been investigating allegations that Rostenkowski abused office and campaign accounts by, among other things, receiving money improperly from the House post office, hiring workers who did not work and making improper furniture and gift purchases.

At issue in the plea bargain talks is the precise wording of the crime or crimes for which Rostenkowski would have to acknowledge guilt. Under the law, this language would affect the amount of prison time under federal sentencing guidelines.

Times staff writer Karen Tumulty contributed to this story.