For me the association with Jack Abramoff damages Larry Lessig's credibility on the topic of corruption. Abramoff has no special insight into the problem; nothing he did was particularly innovative or insightful. He simply did things that everyone knows is wrong, and got famous because he got caught.

Abramoff demonstrated that he would do or say anything to succeed in lobbying. Now that he's a convicted felon, he's doing and saying anything to succeed as a pundit. He's exactly the same person; only the context has changed.

That Lessig takes him seriously makes me think that Lessig is dangerously naive about the system and people he is criticizing.