Pity the process server: thirteen House members were subpoenaed today in connection with the trial of defense contractor Brent Wilkes (the same gentleman whose bribes helped put former Rep. Duke Cunningham behind bars). Several names on the list of thirteen, who are teaming up to fight the subpoena, will be familiar to regular readers of this page.

The former chief of staff to ex-Rep. Bob Ney who wore a wire to help convict his old boss has avoided jail time for his involvement in the still-unfolding Jack Abramoff scandal. Though Will Heaton will be on probation for two years, his cooperation with authorities has spared him a stint behind bars. Ney, of course, was not so lucky and is currently serving a 30 month sentence.

The Politico notes the many scandals emanating from the Capitol and wants Hill staffers to be prepared in case another of their bosses gets caught with his hand in the cookie jar, so they've put together a handy little checklist: "Top 10 ways to know your boss is a crook." Take note: if the Senator or Representative you work for is asking for your freezer dimensions, it might be time to dust off that resume.

Bad behavior pays...lawyers, that is. Scandals and corruption investigations on Capitol Hill have fattened the wallets of more than a few legal firms, as politicians on the hot seat (like former Reps. Conrad Burns and Curt Weldon, and Reps. John Doolittle, and Mel Martinez) for everything from Abramoff to Foley seek counsel.

A busier work schedule and fear of scandal have put the kibosh on a lot of the lobbyist-funded January junkets for members of Congress, according to this story from MSNBC. No more jetting off to Hawaii for "conferences" and a mid-winter tan, looks like actually legislating will take precedence. Dry your eyes.

Among the reforms being considered by the Democratic leaders of the incoming 110th Congress is an independent ethics oversight panel, an apparent acknowledgement that Congress is no longer able to police itself. Yet, despite this interest in investigating new ethical breaches no major overhaul is being considered that would mitigate existing conflicts of interest.