Dec. 21 (Bloomberg) -- Jack Abramoff, a Republican lobbyist at the center of a U.S. Justice Department-led investigation, may plead guilty in a Florida wire-fraud case as early as next week, a person close to the case said.

A plea a may help federal prosecutors build cases against lawmakers and their staffs in both the Florida investigation and in a related probe of Abramoff's lobbying activity in Washington.

Abramoff's former business partner, Michael Scanlon, pleaded guilty last month to conspiracy to bribe members of Congress and their staffs, including Representative Robert Ney, an Ohio Republican.

Another Abramoff associate, Adam Kidan, pleaded guilty last week to wire fraud in the Florida case. Abramoff and Kidan were indicted in August in connection with a $147.5 million purchase of a casino boat company.

To contact the reporters on this story: Michael Forsythe in Washington mforysthe@bloomberg.net; Mort Lucoff in Miami

Last Updated: December 21, 2005 13:15 EST